AMD cuts desktop processor prices
AMD has announced its latest round of desktop processor price cuts. Pick up a high clocked quad-core for a little over £100!
The company is seemingly unable to compete with Intel at the high end, but with its flagship Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition processor now listed at $186 per chip in 1,000 unit quantities on the official price list.
Here's a full breakdown of the price cuts:
By contrast, Intel's Core 2 Quad Q6600 is the company's cheapest quad-core processor and that's currently listed at $193 per CPU; that's also in 1,000 unit trays and for many, it's probably still the most attractive quad-core on the market.
The problem I see for AMD really comes from Intel's range of dual-core processors though – while quad-core processors are becoming more and more accessible, one has to ask whether a much higher clocked dual-core is enough for most of us. Even in this day and age, many tasks still aren't suited to quad-cores and so you'll find a quick dual-core is more than enough.
Some would argue that a triple-core Phenom is the answer, but as we found in our X3 8750 review, they're not the best all round solution – if anything, testing the X3 made us want to spend that little bit more on a quad-core.
Regardless of that though, AMD's price cuts will be welcome news for anyone looking to upgrade an AM2 system.
Thinking of upgrading? Tell us about it in the forums.
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Discuss in the forums ReplyI run After Effects all the time and it eats CPU cores with some fava beans and a nice chianti.
P
(And sorry, no I don't have a clue about your question. The Foxconn website should be able to tell you though?)
About the Q6600...I see it in two variants 105W and 95W, but both have the same designation...
BX80562Q6600 Just the Stepping?
Quad-Core "Kentsfield" - TDP: 95W - 65nm - Stepping: G0
Quad-Core "Kentsfield" - TDP: 105W - 65nm - Stepping: B3
Which one is preferable (to run at 3 Ghz) ;-)
Ahwell.
Both will do 3.0ghz but the G0 will do it a bit cooler.
Of course it doesn't matter as you would be hard pressed to actually find and buy a brand new B3 stepping q6600. They stopped making them when the were replaced with the G0 stepping.
someone correct me if I am wrong.
Punishment for defecting from the mighty Chipzilla!
I just built my folks a intel duo system and paid $120 for their 'cheapest' core, actually just got it and clocked it up to 2.6ghz stable (so far).
Go AMD! Lower those prices! Your stuff is still great! (interestingly my 3600+ X2 boots up just as fast as my quad core, and its pushing 2-3 years now!)
:)
Just checked a priceguide for the German market.
I get 99 retailers for B3, and only 28 for G0...
Someone is selling off there stocks :)
Also..I find 0 S939 X2's :(
Something will always come out that will be faster but AMD have roadmapped the 45nm stuff on AM2+ so it should be fine for a while.
Annoying the price cut as I just bought and X4 BE, always the way though, I've compared my overclocked chip with a friends Q6600 and theres not a lot in it performance wise 3.12Ghz X4 vs 3.2Ghz C2Q, my motherboard was about £50 cheaper than the equivalent Intel board with Tri SLI etc. so in the end AMD still provide decent value performance, if not the ultimate performance.