AMD quietly intros 65nm X2 3600+

Author: Tim Smalley
Published: 20th January 2007
Comments (8) Stumble
AMD quietly intros 65nm X2 3600+

Newegg has stock of AMD's budget 65nm X2 3600+, but you'll need to buy it in a bundle with a Biostar mobo.

It would seem like progress with AMD's 65 nanometre manufacturing is going well, because the company has quietly introduced a Brisbane-based Athlon 64 X2 3600+.

Things are a bit more complex than that though, because the processor is not listed on AMD's official price list; instead, Newegg has started stocking an OEM version of the processor.

The new chip comes with a 1.9GHz core clock (with a 9.5x multiplier) and 2x512KB of L2 cache. Newegg is stocking the processor for $115 USD, which makes for a very attractive price.

However, the online retailer states that the chip must be bought as part of a CPU / motherboard combo that will set you back $168.99. The motherboard included in the bundle is Biostar's TForce 550 motherboard (nForce 550) - at that sort of price, you can't really expect very much from the board.

The specifications differ from the original X2 3600+, which was said to be an OEM-only release in the second half of last year. The original Athlon 64 X2 3600+ was manufactured on AMD's 90 nanometre SOI process and came clocked at 2.0GHz. Instead of reducing the clock speeds, AMD opted to dock the L2 cache - the X2 3600+ only had 256KB of L2 cache per core back then.

It'll be interesting to see how this Brisbane performs, because the 65 nanometre X2 5000+ EE was slower than the 90 nanometre Windsor based X2 5000+ it will eventually replace. There shouldn't be much competition for the X2 3600+ though, because Intel's cheapest Core 2 products are priced well above $150 at the moment. The only real contender that it has to deal with is Intel's Pentium D 915, which Newegg sells at exactly the same price as AMD's budget dual-core processor. We wonder how long it'll be before you'll be able to buy X2 3600+ on its own.

Thanks to The Tech Report for the tip.
Quote Tyinsar 20th January 2007, 19:09
Yay for low cost and low power but I expected that if things were going good with the new process they'd be introducing faster chips and dropping the slower ones - not introducing slower ones. However, the lower price gives me hope that the old AMD (which once upon a time lead in value even if it wasn't the fastest) might be making a comeback.
Quote Gravemind123 20th January 2007, 19:28
I don't like the fact that it's combo only, that will stop sales of it from going anywhere. It should probably be the best low cost dual-core option though, since Pentium Ds are weak. The new process was never going to be enough to compete with Intels Core architecture, but if AMD can keep making better value buys, they will sell more CPUs to OEMs and people who want a cheap dual-core system.
Quote -EVRE- 20th January 2007, 20:42
*sigh*
I would do it if I had a matx option..
Quote Tyinsar 20th January 2007, 21:26
.
Quote bumfluff 20th January 2007, 21:30
Being an AMD Fanboy I really hope they bring something better out soon and just coming out with cheaper stuff that won't compete really won't help. Even though I hate Intel I may have to end up buying their stuff if AMD really don't go anywhere, I mean I hate Sony yet I imported a PSP before it came out. Please AMD I am counting on you...

I also much prefer nVidia, yet ATI are owned by AMD. I am straaaange.
Quote Bladestorm 20th January 2007, 23:58
I can see Dell etc jumping all over it, a presumably faster chip, which still has the "dual core" buzzphrase for the marketing campaigns but which costs them even less money ? right up there street imho :D
Quote r4tch3t 21st January 2007, 01:41
Any chance of it coming out on 939?
They are also selling them over here, and you don't have to get it with a bundle either.
But the price difference between the 3600 X2 and the 3800 X2 are negligible, $20NZD or 8 quid.
Quote leexgx 21st January 2007, 03:41
think 939 and 754 are tring to be killed off as OEM makers can make Intel and AMD systems alot easyer if thay all use DDR2 instead as thay do noit need to order ddr 1 and 2 and that means less bulk orders that way

i happy AMD have made this chip as thay did not have an low end dual core cpu to compeat with the 805 or 9xx chips before (Price wise NOT performace wise, amd chips are faster then the 8xx and 9xx just the price was not there)

give me an option to make an dual core cpu now as i working up vista ready pcs (uk prices i think be 70- 80 ish)
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