When AMD first declared design to introduce tri-core processors back in September of final year, response to the news was combined. Some sensed that AMD was easily designing to pass off partially operational Phenom X4 processors as tri-core products, creating lemonade from lemons if you will. Others thought it was a excellent way for AMD to gain bottom line benefit, acquirings more useful die from a individual silicon wafer and mitigating yield loss. We were somewhat perplexed by the first response. This is an age-old system in the semiconductor place and after all, the graphics guys have been dealing GPUs with non-functional units for years. AMD was easily taking over a play from ATI's playbook.


If you assume a step back and thought about it though, who actually concerns outside of the enthusiast niche'? Is not it the ultimate quality of the end-product what is much significant? If triple-core processors end up outperforming competing double-core chips, and are less costly than quad-cores, would not saving otherwise unusable dice from a wafer be a good move on AMD's component?


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Without real product, it is tough to debate either way, of course. But thankfully, AMD has rescued their first batch of tri-core processors and we can at last insert the entire debate to rest.


As you likely demand, the fresh AMD Phenom XIII 8750 appeare perfectly similar to any other socket AMII+ processor equipped with AMD's standard heat spreader. The chip too utilizes the similar packaging and socket as recent Phenom processors; it is just the silicon underneath that has altered.


The AMD Phenom XIII 8750 is a 2.4GHz processor produced utilizing AMD's 65nm Silicon on Insulator process technology. The chip has a Max TDP of 95W and has prescribed support for a 1.8GHz memory controller and HT 3.0 frequency with Double Dynamic Power Management technology. Although few AMD processors have affirm for a 2GHz memory controller and HT3.0 connection frequency, not each central processing unit is raged for these high-end frequencies. Also note the "50" in the processor's example number. That "50" means the central processing unit is based on the currently freed BIII revision to the Phenom core which does not endure from the infamous TLB errata.