Core i5 vs. Phenom II X4

Core i5 vs. Phenom II X4 @ Hardware Secrets

“Core i5-750 (2.66 GHz) from Intel is costing today USD 200 and AMD doesn’t have any Phenom II X4 at the same price tag. The closest matches are Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition (3.2 GHz), costing USD 189, and Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (3.4 GHz), costing USD 245 – which are the fastest CPUs from AMD –, putting Core i5-750 in the middle of the two in terms of price. But how about performance?”

AMD Athlon II X4 620 2.6 GHz

AMD Athlon II X4 620 2.6 GHz @ PCStats

“AMD’s most recent 45nm Athlon II processor just graduated from dual, to quad core. The AMD Athlon II X4 620 is a 2.6 GHz socket AM3 chip destined for mainstream PCs; could it be the darling CPU option for those on a budget? One thing’s for certain, there couldn’t be a better chip to land in the midst of global belt-tightening, especially as the quad-core Athlon II X4 620 retails for just $99 bucks.”

AMD Athlon II X4 620

AMD Athlon II X4 620 @ PureOC

“Not since the heyday of the original Athlon has AMD really stuck it to Intel, but this new Athlon II X4 sounds very promising. Sure it’s inexpensive, but what about performance? Is it completely handicapped by the lack of L3 cache that its larger sibling the Phenom II carries? Can the new Athlon Quad overclock any better than recent AMD offerings, and if so, just how far can it go?”

AMD Athlon II X4 620 Processor

AMD Athlon II X4 620 Processor @ iXBT Labs

“The new quad-core processors will surely seize the popular status from series 700. It’s clearly seen on the summary diagram. It turns out that the fourth core can make up for the lack of L3 cache.”

Patriot Viper 2 Sector 5 DDR3 2GHz

Patriot Viper 2 Sector 5 DDR3 2GHz @ Bjorn3D

“To take advantage of the full potential of LGA 1156 Core i5/i7 memory your going to need a good kit of low voltage DDR3 capable of giving you the performance you want and stay under that pesky 1.65v limitation imposed on LGA 1156 CPU’s. We say ‘ imposed ‘ on CPU’s because it’s the memory controller on the CPU that needs the RAM to stay under 1.65v to prevent damage.”

Corsair Dominator DDR3 1600

Corsair Dominator DDR3 1600 @ Bjorn3D

“When Core i5/i7 launched vendors were ready for it and memory in every speed and flavor was ready for the shelves, which means that one of our favorite brands was ready to ship. Corsair sent us a 4GB kit of Dominator 1600MHz with timings of 8-8-8-24. Let’s run the Dominator a few different ways and see how far we can drive it before it screams for mercy.”

Intel 32nm Clarkdale & Arrandale Preview

Intel 32nm Clarkdale & Arrandale Preview @ HotHardware

“A couple of the items we saw firsthand were Intel’s upcoming Clarkdale (not to be confused with Clarksfield) and Arrandale processors. If you’re unfamiliar with Clarkdale and Arrandale, they are upcoming mainstream desktop and mobile processor offerings based on the Nehalem microarchitecture, manufactured on Intel’s 32nm process node.”

Intel Previews Clarkdale Performance

Intel Previews Clarkdale Performance  @ Legit Reviews

“Intel had a couple systems showing off the upcoming Clarkdale processor (Core i3), at this year’s IDF show. The first system we spotted that happened to be running Clarkdale was the concept HTPC shown above with a mini-ITX motherboard. Intel had a reference mini-ITX H57 motherboard that they were showing off behind closed doors that we also got to spend a little time with.”

Jetway HA08 Combo L

Jetway HA08 Combo L @ ProClockers

“The Jetway HA08 Combo L is an AM2+ socket motherboard based on the current highest end chipsets AMD790GX/SB750. The reason for the AMD790GX is to give the end user maximum performance while offering integrated graphics for detail high definition playback. The video comes in the form of the Radeon HD3300 which is ideal for anyone wanting to use the motherboard in a home theatre build.”

EVGA X58 SLI Micro

EVGA X58 SLI Micro @ HardwareCanucks

“The mATX form factor has really made a name for itself over the last few years and that has carried forward to the X58 chipset with fully featured monster boards packed into a small mATX form factor. The EVGA X58 SLI Micro continues that tradition offering pretty much everything its full ATX X58 counterparts provide. The one big difference is the mATX form factor.”