February 20th, 2007
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ out - Still can't beat Intel's E6700
Today sees AMD release the Athlon 64 X2 6000+. This is a dual core processor that runs at 3.0GHz and has 1MB of L2 cache per core (2MB in all).
Hot Hardware have a review and it's performance is lackluster to say the least. Compared to other AMD CPUs, yes, it's impressive, but compared to Intel's Core 2 Duo, well, here's what Hot Hardware have to say:
In comparison to all previous socket AM2 processor offerings, the Athlon 64 X2 6000+ is a solid product. Its higher clock speeds make it the fastest AM2 processor ever released, which also make it the fastest desktop CPU ever to come out of AMD's fabs. In the shadow of Intel's Core 2 Duo E6700 and Core 2 Extreme X6800 processors though, the new X2 6000+ isn't quite as impressive. The Core 2 Duos consumed less power overall and performed better in just about every benchmark. AMD has priced the 6000+ aggressively, which somewhat compensates for the Core 2's higher performance. The 6000+ is almost $500 cheaper than the Athlon 64 FX-62 was when it was launched, which markedly enhances its value proposition. And it's about $60 less expensive than the Core 2 Duo E6700.
What I don't understand is why AMD are still releasing updated Athlon 64 X2's that aren't faster that Intel's processors. Seems to me that it could be spending R&D money better on establishing a line that seriously beat Intel either on price or performance (or both). A shift to a 65nm process would help - the 90nm process has been squeezed dry.
Still, that's a lot of pins on the business side of that processor!
How should AMD move forward?
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
Want to get in touch? Got a tip? Feel free to drop me a note! I ALWAYS respect anonymity. I'm also on Twitter (@the_pc_doc)
Right to Reply: Should any industry representatives wish to comment on any posts on Hardware 2.0, I will be happy to publish their reply verbatim on this blog.
Subscribe to Hardware 2.0 via Email alerts or RSS.
| 02/20/07
