New range of AMD energy efficient CPUs just released (1 Viewer)

etheesdad

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  • November 8, 2008
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    For those in the process of building / considering build options, AMD has just released a new range of energy efficient CPU's which are a very nice prospect for HTPC use.

    All are 45W parts
    AMD Athlon™ II X4 605e 2.3 GHz
    AMD Athlon™ II X4 600e 2.2 GHz
    AMD Athlon™ II X3 405e 2.3 GHz
    AMD Athlon™ II X3 400e 2.2 GHz
    AMD Athlon™ II X2 240e 2.8 GHz
    AMD Athlon™ II X2 235e 2.7 GHz

    AnandTech review (20 October 09)
    AnandTech: AMD's Athlon II X3 435 & New Energy Efficient CPUs: Killing Intel Below $90
     

    MLH01

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    For those in the process of building / considering build options, AMD has just released a new range of energy efficient CPU's which are a very nice prospect for HTPC use.

    All are 45W parts
    AMD Athlon™ II X4 605e 2.3 GHz
    AMD Athlon™ II X4 600e 2.2 GHz
    AMD Athlon™ II X3 405e 2.3 GHz
    AMD Athlon™ II X3 400e 2.2 GHz
    AMD Athlon™ II X2 240e 2.8 GHz
    AMD Athlon™ II X2 235e 2.7 GHz

    AnandTech review (20 October 09)
    AnandTech: AMD's Athlon II X3 435 & New Energy Efficient CPUs: Killing Intel Below $90
    I have been looking into these and the Phenom II X4 905e for a potential upgrade. From what I can gather, the main difference between the Athlon IIs and the 905e is the L3 cache, and the subsequently higher 65W TDP in the 905e.

    Is the L3 cache in the Phenoms important for a HTPC that is mainly used for watching/recording HD, and sometimes - maybe 30% of recordings - converting videos?

    Only problem is, I haven't been able to find a supplier of these or the 905e in Australia. Maybe they'll be more available in the near future...
     

    etheesdad

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    Only problem is, I haven't been able to find a supplier of these or the 905e in Australia. Maybe they'll be more available in the near future...

    they have literally only just been released. It may take a couple of weeks before theyre available here.
     

    MLH01

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    Only problem is, I haven't been able to find a supplier of these or the 905e in Australia. Maybe they'll be more available in the near future...

    they have literally only just been released. It may take a couple of weeks before theyre available here.
    That would explain it then :)

    I know the 905e has been out for a short time on Newegg.com. I've just checked and the Athlon II 'e' series are not. Thanks for the heads up though.
     

    pilehave

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    Current reviews are positive, but the difference in price compared to Phenom II X3 is not big...after all the missing L3 cache has a big impact on performance.
     

    MLH01

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    Current reviews are positive, but the difference in price compared to Phenom II X3 is not big...after all the missing L3 cache has a big impact on performance.
    Can you please explain what the performance impact is? Is L3 cache important for general HTPC use, or is it more useful for video conversion, comskip, recent games etc? I use comskip on the HTPC and currently do video conversion on a separate PC using a Phenom x4 9750. I don't plan to do any serious gaming on the HTPC though.

    :D
     

    nchopp

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    Current reviews are positive, but the difference in price compared to Phenom II X3 is not big...after all the missing L3 cache has a big impact on performance.
    Can you please explain what the performance impact is? Is L3 cache important for general HTPC use, or is it more useful for video conversion, comskip, recent games etc? I use comskip on the HTPC and currently do video conversion on a separate PC using a Phenom x4 9750. I don't plan to do any serious gaming on the HTPC though.

    :D

    Performance Index And Conclusion - Review Tom's Hardware : Athlon II Or Phenom II: Does Your CPU Need L3 Cache?

    I'd have to disagree with Pilehave on this one.

    I'm definitely upgrading my current Due 6600 with the 630.
     

    pilehave

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    If you need it ONLY for HTPC use I don't see any point in going beyond dual-core anyways, but soon the Athlon II X4 will be is as cheap as the current 45W TDP Athlon X2's, and then everybody will buy quad-core. If you need it for gaming I would shell out the extra cash on the Phenom for sure.

    What is really impressive is that AMD has managed to go from 45W TDP on a dual-core almost directly to 45W TDP on a quad-core within a reasonably limited timeframe. Intel hasn't been as fast on that front.
     

    tourettes

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    If you need it ONLY for HTPC use I don't see any point in going beyond dual-core anyways, but soon the Athlon II X4 will be is as cheap as the current 45W TDP Athlon X2's, and then everybody will buy quad-core. If you need it for gaming I would shell out the extra cash on the Phenom for sure.

    Actually ffdshow multicore builds are taking advantage of those additional cores. I don't know how stable that ffdshow version is.
     

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