Phenom

TerrorFirmer

If clock for clock Intel is still better, why is the, say, 9700@2.4Ghz processor priced at 279 already sold out on Komplett? Hardcore dedication? Maybe I'm missing something massive here but...performance is substandard in comparison to the Q6600 for the same price, up to 30% in certain tests, yet alot of reviews are saying it's a good move for AMD, while virtually evey forum is rife with people saying it's dead in the water. I'd agree with the dead in the water bit myself, but I'm intrigued as to why some reviewers are penning it as a decent alternative to Intel.

zilog_jones

Well AMD aren't being asses WRT upgradeability making it compatible with both AM2 and AM2+ boards, which I guess a lot of people already have. The Intel 975X board I got a year ago is already obsolete since it can't handle the FSBs of the newer processors

Also, I'm sure AMD's new overclocking software will interest many.

Anti

Ive heard its a good overclocker, but then you can get a Q6600 b3 and G0 stepping to 3.2/3.6 on stock air cooling i think AMD are up turd creek, sans paddle !

Peteee

Anti wrote: »

Ive heard its a good overclocker, but then you can get a Q6600 b3 and G0 stepping to 3.2/3.6 on stock air cooling i think AMD are up turd creek, sans paddle !

Where did you see this.

All the benchmarks I've seen have only been able to push it up an extra 200MHz or so on air. ( http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3153&p=5 )

Wheras the new 45nm Intel Quad Core can go to 3.8 or sometimes 4.0 on air.

If AMD can price it better then the Intels they'll do okay, but they've probably lost the halo effect that they would have from having high performance chips

Spear

HavoK wrote: »

If clock for clock Intel is still better, why is the, say, 9700@2.4Ghz processor priced at 279 already sold out on Komplett? Hardcore dedication? Maybe I'm missing something massive here but...performance is substandard in comparison to the Q6600 for the same price, up to 30% in certain tests, yet alot of reviews are saying it's a good move for AMD, while virtually evey forum is rife with people saying it's dead in the water. I'd agree with the dead in the water bit myself, but I'm intrigued as to why some reviewers are penning it as a decent alternative to Intel.

The 9700's were recalled due to a bug in the translation lookaside buffer. A newer b3 stepping is out in January.

zilog_jones

I didn't think they were being recalled. AFAIK it was considered an "erratum" that could only be reproduced in labs, i.e. the chances of it happening normally isn't too likely.

SeanW

Yeouch, it looks like AMD has seriously dropped the ball this time.

That there has been almost no interest in the Phenoms here, and little elsewhere, suggests it's not going to do much against Intels current offerings.

Just one question comes to mind, were these Phenoms supposed to be AMDs pièce de résistance, or are there better parts to come out at some point in the coming months?

Between this and Intels upcoming move to 45nm fabrication, does this mean that AMD is seriously screwed?