AMD shows off quad-core Phenom at 3GHz

Author: Tim Smalley
Published: 27th July 2007

AMD showed off a Phenom X4 processor running up at 3.0GHz yesterday on standard cooling. Image courtesy of TGDaily.

In order to prove that its soon-to-be-released Phenom processor isn’t broken, AMD showed off a quad-core Phenom X4 processor running at 3.0GHz on standard cooling yesterday.

If the 3GHz quad-core chip wasn’t enough though, AMD kitted the system out with not one, not two, but three Radeon HD 2900 XT graphics cards. These were all housed in an AMD RD790 reference design board, which comes complete with four PCI-Express x16 slots, support for HyperTransport 3.0 and second generation PCI-Express slots.

AMD’s recent launch plans have suggested that the company’s Phenom processors will not get to 3GHz until the first half of 2008.

While this is impressive, it could prove to be a little late if Intel’s 45nm Yorkfield processors hit the ground running. Initially, Intel will only launch an Extreme Edition Yorkfield which, according to current roadmaps, will launch towards the end of this year at a thus-far undisclosed clock frequency.

One thing is for sure though: it’s not going to be any less than 3.0GHz, as that is what the company’s current flagship Core 2 Extreme QX6850 runs at.

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