Stack em' up, Sandhu
Stack em' up.Here is how they stack up against the rest of the 6-, 8-, and 9-series ranges:
| Processors | Cores | Architecture | Process | Clock speed | L2 cache (total) | L3 cache | Memory-controller speed | Voltage | TDP | etailer pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition | 4 | K10 | 65nm | 2.6GHz | 2MB | 2MB | 2.0GHz | 1.05-1.3V | 125W | £140 |
| AMD Phenom X4 9850 BE | 4 | K10 | 65nm | 2.5GHz | 2MB | 2MB | 2.0GHz | 1.05-1.3V | 125W | £130 |
| AMD Phenom X4 9750 | 4 | K10 | 65nm | 2.4GHz | 2MB | 2MB | 1.8GHz | 1.1-1.3V | 95W | £120 |
| AMD Phenom X4 9650 | 4 | K10 | 65nm | 2.3GHz | 2MB | 2MB | 1.8GHz | 1.1-1.3V | 95W | £112 |
| AMD Phenom X4 9350e | 4 | K10 | 65nm | 2.0GHz | 2MB | 2MB | 1.8GHz | 1.0-1.125V | 65W | £110 |
| AMD Phenom X3 8750 | 3 | K10 | 65nm | 2.4GHz | 1.5MB | 2MB | 1.8GHz | 1.05-1.25V | 95W | £99 |
| AMD Phenom X3 8650 | 3 | K10 | 65nm | 2.4GHz | 1.5MB | 2MB | 1.8GHz | 1.05-1.25V | 95W | £82 |
| AMD Phenom X3 8450 | 3 | K10 | 65nm | 2.1GHz | 1.5MB | 2MB | 1.8GHz | 1.2-1.3V | 95W | £75 |
| AMD Athlon X2 7750 Black Edition | 2 | K10 | 65nm | 2.7GHz | 1MB | 2MB | 1.8GHz | 1.2-1.25V | 95W | £65? |
| AMD Athlon X2 7550 | 2 | K10 | 65nm | 2.5GHz | 1MB | 2MB | 1.8GHz | 1.2-1.25V | 95W | £55? |
| AMD Athlon X2 6400+ BE | 2 | K8 | 65nm | 3.2GHz | 2MB | N/A | 1GHz | 1.35-1.4V | 125W | £72 |
| AMD Athlon X2 6000+ | 2 | K8 | 65nm | 3.1GHz | 1MB | N/A | 1GHz | 1.1-1.4V | 89W | £63 |
This is not an exhaustive list because AMD has various same-speed, same-architecture CPUs that are differentiated via, say, TDP or Business Class parameters.
The range currently tops out with the 125W Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition - there's also a 140W TDP variant - which costs around £140. Triple-core models make up the £75-£100 territory, and the Athlon X2 7750 and 7750 will come in a snip below that.
Note, too, that the erstwhile champs, Athlon X2 6400+ and 6000+ (K8-core) are still selling from between £63-£75. They're based on older technology, of course, but do have a clock-speed advantage over the new pair.
Pictures
Nothing to really distinguish this model from any other, save, of course, for the numbering.
As usual, the CPUs are manufactured in Fab. 36 in Dresden, Germany, and then packaged up in Malaysia.
If you're still wondering, the Black Edition nomenclature refers to the multiplier-unlocked nature of the processor, letting you choose ratios both above and below the processor's native.
Summary
AMD's new dual-core CPUs, based on the Phenom quad-core architecture, will provide a clock-for-clock benefit when compared to eighth-generation models. Pricing is such that the bottommost tri-core CPU, X3 8450, and the second-fastest Athlon X2 (K8) are, in fact, direct competitors - the vagaries of economics, huh?
Intel's Core 2-based CPUs start at around £95 with the Core 2 E7300. Below this, the range is dominated by Pentium Dual Core and Celeron processors, and the Pentium Dual Core E5200, operating at 2.5GHz with an 800MHz FSB, is the closest competitor, again priced at £65 or so.
