AMD Phenom X4 Black Edition 920 and 940

[MacKenze]

I would like to discuss about the AMD Phenom X4, so posting this thread. I am hoping that some more members would love to inform more here. The Phenom from AMD is the first desktop processor from the home, which relies on the new 45-nm manufacturing. AMD relies as other distinguished representatives of the industry (IBM, UMC, Toshiba, and TI) in cash on the lithography. The so-called "immersion lithography" is still in production, a light source with a wavelength of 193 nm, however, is used between the wafer and the lens now water instead of high-purity air to change the behavior of the refractive index in the positive. AMD is still at the same time to the "Silicon on Insulator process technology (SOI), the K8-time use of place since. This smaller and optimized production comes on the paper so many changes. The small production lot more transistors to fit on small space. Was the the the existing Phenom 285 mm² in size, he's Phenom 258 mm² was reduced when new. But at the same time, the number of transistors rapidly. It Phenom Brought to about 450 million circuits, it is the Phenom II whopping 758 million transistors. Much of this additional circuitry can be attributed to the enlarged from two to six-Mbyte L3 cache, which can also be seen in the pictures from the processor very well, as it covers almost a third of the processor. The individual cores located on the left, always surrounded by other caches, in this case the L2 cache. Between the four cores, and therefore basically across the entire processor, is the memory controller.

[Jevin]

The other cache is 64 + 64 KB L1 cache per core and 512KB L2 cache - also per core - compared to its predecessor intact. The L3 cache is still a so-called shared cache, that means it can support all the cores. A special feature can read this L3 cache with the "Smart Fetch baptized technology data from the L1 and L2 cache of a core. By consulting the relevant information they will only read from the L3 cache, the processor core and the directly related L1 and L2 cache, however, can "sleep on". This will effectively save energy. At the same time, new security measures were implemented. With the "L3 cache index disable" can be disabled by an accumulation of errors specific areas to protect the data. But that will require support by the operating system, which is only in the course of the case. Also on board is on the first two Phenom II, an integrated dual-channel memory controller for DDR2 SDRAM to 1066 MHz, which allows a maximum bandwidth of 17.1 GB / sec. The HyperTransport link operates at 3.6 GT / s, and therefore slightly below that of last Phenom processors, with up to 4 GT / s on the market. This point should also be addressed with the upcoming Socket AM3 Phenom-II. Currently addresses the rumor mill from 4.4 GT / s.

[Shutdown]

Go to the start of the new year once two models. The Phenom X4 940 is working in the Black Edition is multiplier-free work at 3 GHz. In parallel, there is the model Phenom X4 920 with 2.8 GHz, which does have a fixed multiplier. Both processors share a TDP of 125 watts. This puts them on paper, on a par with recent AMD Phenom CPUs with up to 2.6 GHz, but how little the TDP specification with the actual number of performance has to do is show our test later on. One of the largest and most often attached to criticism was certainly the older Antec PSU with 480 watts. This is sent in a well-earned retirement and replaced with a brand new power supply from Cooler Master. This represents an efficiency of 89 percent at a very high occupancy rate of 50 percent, but even under low load (20%) and full load (100%) may also act on UCP Power Supply with 87 respectively 85 percent more than see. For our test, we use the smallest version with 700 watts, as stronger power supplies fall, especially under light load efficiency in some cases significantly. If the 20 percent threshold in the 700-watt subjects at 140 watts, it is screwed up at the 1,100-watt model is already at 220 watts - a value with the new test system for smaller processors, not even under full load prime achieved. The second important point is the new graphics card. After we complete last year not just low-power ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT in action had it, we rely on Nvidia's first (relatively low-power) 55-nm solution for high-end segment.

[Recko]

To meet the new triple channel RAM just to be on the software side was almost imperative of transitioning to Windows Vista 64-bit version. Even this step we took the new test system, so that henceforth, the three slots on the X58 boards with two gigabytes are equipped - all the other Intel boards rely on the dual-channel mode on two of these modules. The difference of 4 to 6 GB of course on paper there is, in benchmarks but not realizing quasi. We also believe that such situations are likely to be in the near future, the most common variants or in the form of DDR2 memory with the old-established Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad already are. Therefore, all AMD processors are also potent with DDR2 memory, therefore, the maximum 1,066 MHz makes. Since so far only the Phenom and Athlon benefit from this memory, the older models work with a lower clock, but better timing. By the spring but can also use the Phenom back on the same fast DDR3 memory with a new motherboard. Therefore, currently a total of three circuit boards are used, no later than the spring, the test system with a second-board AMD for DDR3 memory and the new socket AM3 completed.

[Pollock]

There are new features that have found a place in processors, first tested in their performance. Since these theoretical tests use the user on the PC but not much, we are also many practical applications for help. These are now the main variety of multimedia applications, but also everyday things like packaging of files. Rounding out the test a few games where we were looking for a selection of games with built-in benchmark capability, and play out, which means Fraps not only the average frames per second, but the minima and maxima were determined. As is customary in the past, each benchmark is performed five times to meet with any outliers in performance can. This happens in almost all applications, unfortunately, more often than expected, both the negative and the positive direction. The average of the five tests (excluding extreme outliers) is then transferred to the individual diagrams. In games will make use of the resolution of 1,280 x 1,024 pixels, since at higher resolutions almost only the graphics card plays a role in lower resolutions but have no relation to reality. In general, we test it, if not further described, with the highest detail. The values of AA / AF can vary from game to game, however, the different setups are a small simulation of what may now change with each new game. All tested processors have to prove with the graphics card these tests that they can cope well with a few quality-enhancing features as well as a maximum.