Dual-Core AMD Opteron, Athlon 64 X2 Previews

AMD’s dual-core Opteron processors are extremely well executed on all fronts, based on what we’ve seen. AMD’s dual-core design has a technical elegance that Intel’s can’t match, and that design brings superior performance. One Opteron 175 performs slightly better than a pair of Opteron 248s running at the same clock speed, and it does so while consuming less power than a single-core Opteron 152. All in all, very impressive.

AMD’s dual-core Opteron processors @ The Tech Report

On the desktop side, we are extremely excited about the Athlon 64 X2. The 4400+ that we compared here today had no problem competing with and outperforming Intel’s fastest dual core CPUs in most cases, and at a price of $581, the 4400+ is the more reasonably priced of the X2 CPUs. That being said, we are concerned that availability of the lower cost X2 CPUs will be significantly more limited than the higher priced models. At the ~550 marker, your best bet is clear - the Athlon 64 X2 will be faster than anything that Intel has for the desktop.

AMD’s dual core Opteron & Athlon 64 X2 @ Anandtech

So who should get a Dual-Core CPU? Well, if you read the article, you’d know that the answer is everyone – by the end of the year, when things move from the workstation to the home desktop. How about right now? Well, people who’ve always looked to dual processor machines (IT infrastructure, custom software, digital media) should strongly consider these new systems. Professional photographers who regular work with hundreds to thousands of images a day with cameras such as the 1Ds or 1D Mark II from should strongly consider getting a Dual Opteron system as their next upgrade. It truly is the “hardware accelerated RAW processor” that many have dreamed of.

Hands on with Production Dual-Core AMD Opteron @ FiringSquad
AMD Dual-Core Opteron Performance Preview @ FiringSquad