Thanks to an aggressive price the new six-core units, AMD Phenom II, is a candidate as one of the most interesting solutions for those who want to update an AMD Dragon. All Phenom processors, Class II and II are compatible with Athlon-based platforms AM3 long as the power circuit of the motherboard supports the processor you choose.
Like the other six-core Phenom II generation, this model is based on daily class Thuban, produced with SOI (Silicon on Insulator) at 45 nanometers and has approximately 904 million transistors on an area of about 346 sq. mm. The silicon Thuban all units is made in the form of Fab 1 of the plant in Dresden. The architecture used for this processor deviates from the already analyzed in our tests of the Phenom II X6 already on the market. Each core has a cache of 128 Kbytes of first (L1) and a second 512-Kbyte cache (L2), both dedicated type, then all cores have access to 6 Mbytes of level three cache (L3) of type shared that allows the exchange of information between different processing units and shared access to data in this large cache. The memory controller integrated into the day supports the double standard DDR2 and DDR3 so as to make this unit compatible with a large fleet of machines already installed. To fully exploit the potential of this processor may consider using a motherboard is the latest generation chipsets with regard to both memories (such as a chipset AMD890FX).
The performance of this unit are supported by a base frequency of 3.3 GHz can go up to 3.7 GHz Core thanks to turbocharger technology. This occurs when three of the six cores are unused: the frequency of the three idle cores is lowered to 800 MHz so as to redirect the output to the other three cores so they can operate at a higher frequency. This does not affect the maintenance of the overall consumption of the CPU inside the 125 watt TDP (Thermal Design Power) specification.
This is possible because the operating specifications of the processor are built from the TDP of the project based on the scenario more challenging, or what he sees all 6 active cores to 100%. As this occurs only during compute-intensive operations and software optimized for multithreading, the processor in daily practice will be for most of the time to operate under the TDP, thus leaving a margin that allows the intervention of technology Turbo Core.
If on the one hand, the Turbo Core provides an automatic increase in performance based on actual workload, with AMD Phenom II X6 1100T offers something more. This unit belongs to the line because Black Edition, whose distinctive feature is to have unlocked multipliers interior and then modified by the user. Through the use Overdrive software, downloadable for free from the AMD website, you can then vary the frequency of the processor clock frequencies without affecting the base of the platform.
The evaluation of this new AMD CPUs should start from some considerations of a general market. In terms of pure performance in AMD’s price list is missing a line of processors that can directly deal with Intel solutions, this situation could change only when the introduction in the market will materialize bulldozers that architecture should be in the middle of 2011. Meanwhile, the Phenom II X6 1100T, although not the fastest processor on the market, the solution remains six-core (physical) more economic and attractive on the market, the alternative to six-core Intel license plate (model input Core i7 -970 3.2 GHz) it has a starting price of about two and a half times what AMD.
Also considering the offer of units with four cores it is possible to find higher-performance processors, but the Phenom Black Edition II X6 1100T, which is a more valid and interesting for all those uses that benefit from the processing capabilities of a unit with six core real (numerical processing, video and 3D rendering). To all this the Phenom Black Edition II X6 adds the feature of unlocking the multiplier, which is extremely interesting for all fans of overclocking.
Disclaimer:
This article is based on my knowledge and experience as Electronics and Software Tester. Products specifications come directly from AMD.