| For a few years now AMD has dominated the | | | | quieter systems, using fewer fans. |
| performance PC market, but the latest release of | | | | Another major feature of Intel's new chip |
| Intel's new desktop chips has changed that | | | | architecture is the development of multiple CPU |
| virtually overnight. Intel's new Core 2 Duo chips do | | | | cores. This allows the chip to be more adaptable |
| not simply outperform AMD's fastest chips; they | | | | and better able to deal with bottlenecks. A great |
| leave them in the dust. Preliminary benchmark | | | | deal of the increase in performance comes from |
| testing puts Intel's fastest chip, the Core 2 | | | | an extra executable core. While the Pentium D |
| Extreme X6800, 17 percent faster than AMD's | | | | had 3, the new Core 2 Duo has 4 executable |
| Athlon FX-62 on the World Bench 5. The World | | | | cores. That extra core along with some coding |
| Bench 5 consists of a multi-tasking test encoding | | | | have allowed the chip to read multiple sets of |
| a file with Windows Media Encoder while browsing | | | | instructions as if they are a single set. Intel has |
| the net with Mozilla. Even Intel's more affordable | | | | also eliminated another major bottleneck with its |
| Core 2 Duo E6700 can beat the Athlon FX-62 by | | | | huge 4 MB cache. Though most dual core chips |
| 12 percent. This makes a huge difference in the | | | | allocate a specific amount of cache, to each core, |
| microchip market where gains of 10 percent or | | | | the Core 2 Duo is able to share the entire cache |
| less are more common. | | | | across both cores. Amazingly, it is able to |
| Intel's Core 2 Duo line ranges from a 1.86 GHz | | | | distribute that shared cache as needed to the |
| E6300 to the 2.93 GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800. | | | | core working on the more complex task. This |
| These chips are already available in Dell's XPS line | | | | core might use 3 MB of he cache to complete a |
| of desktops, in Alienware's Area-51 and ALX | | | | difficult task while the other core uses the other 1 |
| series, and in ABS Ultimate computers. Many of | | | | MB for a simpler, though necessary, task. |
| these desktops with new chips are more | | | | So, these developments beg the question, has |
| affordable than you might think. | | | | Intel finally defeated AMD? It certainly looks that |
| How did Intel do it? One of the major features | | | | way for the remainder of 2006 and perhaps |
| Intel improved upon in their new chip architecture | | | | through 2007. AMD has a new chip architecture |
| was power consumption. While the Pentium | | | | for the desktop due out in 2007. AMD is |
| Extreme Edition was burning 135 watts, the latest | | | | attempting to stay competitive with Intel with |
| Core 2 Extreme X6800 burns only 75 watts. That | | | | some dramatic price cuts. The FX-62 has gone |
| is a 44 percent increase in efficiency. This means | | | | down in price by over $200. They have a CPU |
| the new Intel Core Duo chips run a lot cooler. For | | | | package for multisocket PCs called "Torrenza". |
| the hardcore gamers and those needing the | | | | Torrenza will debut on servers where multi-socket |
| ultimate performance, such a low base | | | | configurations are already common. This will not |
| temperature allows for more stable overclocking, | | | | be their answer to Intel's Core 2 Duo. AMD's next |
| and ABS has proven this with the ABS Ultimate | | | | generation chip architecture is due out in 2007 and |
| X9. The Ultimate X9 runs the Intel Core 2 | | | | it has been called "K8L". No one really knows how |
| Extreme chip overclocked to 3.5 GHz for even | | | | these and quad core chips will be able to perform. |
| stronger performance on the World Bench 5. This | | | | So, while AMD is still in the race for the long run, |
| decrease in core temperature also means PC | | | | for the next 6 months to 1 year, Intel is now the |
| manufacturers will be able to build smaller and | | | | unquestioned leader in high performance chips. |