Thread: Desktop processors: preliminary results

Most recently, we published a final review of processors for the first half of this year. And now it is time to test new products that have emerged recently. However, the final results for the year 2007 we are not going to fail. The fact is that from day to day expected for the new Intel Penryn processor kernel, which is released on 45 nm technological process, and supports the new set of instructions SSE4. Therefore, today we consider only those products that are sold in stores. This is, after all, Conroe processor system bus with a frequency equal to 1333 MHz (in particular, the model E6550), as well as new processors, which Intel has expanded its product line (E6320).

Let's start with the Intel E6550. Visually, it looks exactly like the rest LGA775 processors.

Since the reverse side - capacitor configuration similar to the rest of the processor Conroe with L2 = 4 Mb.
It is not difficult to notice that we - the normal Conroe, but with a frequency of 1333 MHz system bus (FSB ie = 333 MHz). The increased frequency increases the FSB transferred information on the processor-memory up to 10.7 Gb / s (with the FSB = 266 MHz, this volume = 8.5 Gb / s).
In addition, there processor E6540, which correspond to all the characteristics 6550 but does not support Intel TXT technology (Intel Trusted Execution Technology).

In fact, from any processor with 266 MHz tyres can be done independently one of the processors. This requires a motherboard, and supports amending the multiplier 333 MHz (1333 MHz QPB) bus.


Now - a pair of words on the E6320 and E6420 processors. These products have appeared relatively recently, and instantly became a more attractive option than the "old" E6300 and E6400. Recall that the model E6300 and E6400 are the first step towards moving Intel Core architecture in the broad masses. The processor was the cheapest E6300, E6400 model and enjoyed some success with DFI: its price is slightly higher than the price of E6300, and the multiplier was more edinichku (allowing a maximum of juice processor, even mediocre motherboards and with the same RAM). And the level of productivity and E6300 and E6400 was pretty high, despite the reduction in second-level cache to 2 MB.

Later, E6300 and E6400 lost popularity: sent two new series of processor Core 2 Duo: 4-thousandth (such as E4400), and 2-thousandth (E2140, E2160). For marketing reasons, the data processors were curtailed as the FSB frequency, and amount of L2 cache. Nevertheless, they have quite a decent performance and demonstrated excellent performance in the dispersal.

Therefore, output processor E6320 and E6420 remained, largely, unnoticed: it is satisfied the users' current range of Intel, which included all processors for everyone. With this in mind, Intel engineers have not become feminine - and left L2 cache equal to 4 MB. Thus, the E6320 and E6420 processors are absolutely identical kernel first 4 - megabyte Core 2 Duo processors. The other specifications are similar: a typical level of heat equal to 65 W, and the kernel E6320 and E6420 released on 65 nm technological process. This slight difference in price with models E6300 and E6400 allows us to recommend new processors, not even testing their speed work (of course, we tested them - will graphs below).



After the previous comparative material on the processor, some readers moat us for the lack masthead AMD processors. Paramount in our view, these processors from AMD not - and the lower model is, at best, average. Nevertheless, we have acquired one of the "masthead" processor - AMD Athlon X2 6000 + on the kernel Windsor.
Earlier 3 GHz frequency has been elusive in dispersing many AMD processors, but now we get it in nerazognannom product. Moreover, in stores now 6400 + model with a frequency of 3.2 GHz. And what is most surprising, the frequency of such AMD has been able to managed using 90 nm technological process. On the one hand, this shows highly qualified engineers, but on the other - on the ambiguous situation with the transition to 65 nm technological process. The first 65 nm AMD processors appeared in the beginning of the year, but won no special popularity.

About 65 nm AMD processors will talk next time, we note only that such processors based on the kernel Brisbane, which is a redesign of Windsor nucleus. Second-level cache from Brisbane is 512 KB, a bar located in the frequency range 2.1 - 2.6 GHz (used fractional multiplier). Booster potential of the nucleus is approximately equal to Brisbane 3 GHz. Thus, in order to disperse more serious preferred 90 nm AMD processors, it is strange sounds.

Still, AMD is understandable approach: using a 300 mm wafer and 65 nm technological process, the company greatly reduces the cost of processors. And, all of these processors targeted at the middle-end market sector, where through reasonable pricing AMD managed to retain their attractiveness.

In fact, an all-time competition AMD and Intel, AMD has been able to more or less kept pace Intel: switching to a more "subtle" technological process took a little less than a year. And, in an era of "NetBurst", Leader AMD products to the point that most users were still what technological process used (except, of course, DFI, which is to only deal). Now Intel has moved to 45 nm technological process (the official announcement will be from day to day), and the first products will appear in stores in the coming weeks. And the AMD release from the mast 65 nm processors skidding seriously.



Note that the first experiments to disperse when we had Vcore = 1.5 V, and the system worked unstable. Later, we made improvements to the cooling system (simply connected 80 mm fan for an additional airflow cooler Gigabyt e G-Power), increased to 1.55 V Vcore and made absolute stability with air cooling.

In fact, statistics disperse shows that the number of Intel processors, razgonyayuschihsya up to 3.5 GHz, with a voltage of staffing, recently increased greatly. Therefore, our board - if the processor accelerated to a frequency not want to reach the technological limit (which is in the region of 4 GHz), for the load on the system as a whole is growing very seriously, but in the end you get all the extra 250 -500 MHz (naturally, to overklokeram hardened, the council will not make it).

And finally, we broke processor AMD Athlon X2 6000 +. The maximum stable frequency HTT = 220 MHz, and the wrap-up is equal to 3.3 GHz frequency.