AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Black Edition
November 1st, 2007 | by Fitri |
It’s been with us a venerable time, but it seems that the curtain begins to close on the AMD K8 micro architecture. AMD launches Athlon 64 X2 6400 + Black Edition shortly before the announcement of the quad-core Barcelona / Phenom so it is fair to say that the 3.2 GHz processor is the last hurrah for core K8. To add to the excitement that we are claiming this review as a world exclusive, as AMD has not sent examination of the samples from any computer in the living memory of the processor - our last sample was an X2 5000 + — we took the bold step and radical Deal buying a X2 6400 + from Overclockers.
As we are a paying customer, we would like to make a few comments about this processor box at retail. First it comes without a heatsink / fan and secondly Overclockers said he will provide a copy of Call of Juarez “until stocks are exhausted.” We could not make the game that we assume that stocks n have not lasted long. Thirdly, we have absolutely no idea what the Black Edition is monicker. This is a processor in a box. End of story.
So what is new in 6400 +? There is a complete picture of X2 AMD on the Web site, then quickly identify key characteristics. The 6400 + is the only processor at 3.2 GHz with 1 MB of L2 cache range for each core. The fastest models - 5400 + and higher using the 90nm manufacturing process, while the older models from 5000 + and the slowdown in the use 90nm and 65nm either. This is significant because the 90nm models have a TDP of 89W while 65nm processors are only rated at 65W, suggesting that the 125W 6400 + operates at the edge of the K8 architecture on 90nm.
It was a toss-up motherboard that has been used to test the X2 6400 +. If you run a Socket 939 Athlon 64 and an upgrade of fantasy AM2 then you will need to purchase a new motherboard and processor and DDR2 memory in this case, you would be barking mad if you did not go to the ‘Intel Core 2 Duo.
The only candidates for one X2 6400 + are already running slower processor Socket AM2 in this case, we doubt that they are much more interested in the games. Yes, the nForce 570 and 590 chipsets competent provided a platform in mid-2006, but the only chipset deserves to be considered for an Athlon 64 in 2007 is that we AMD690 grabbed an Asus M2A-plateau of the VM motherboard and get down to work.
The other ingredients were Reaper 2 GB OCZ PC2-9200 memory, a hard drive and a Hitachi 7K1000 Sapphire X1950 GT graphics card with Windows XP SP2. We ran three tests; PCMark05, and DVD 3DMark06 record with a 350MB AVI file in Nero 7. 3DMark06 is almost exclusively a test of the graphics card, but it also shows flaws in the system’s performance, PCMark05 testing the entire system and gives a breakdown of sub-systems, while making video is a pure test of CPU.
First place was a 2.6GHz Athlon 64 X2 5000 + which gave us the figures as a basis, followed by the X2 6400 +. AMD model codes suggest that X2 6400 + is 28 percent faster than the 5000 +, but the clock speed of 3.2 GHz the X2 6400 + is only 23 percent faster than the 2.6GHz X2 5000 +. The overall result in PCMark05 gave the X2 6400 + the nod to the tune of a little over 14 percent, while the CPU element of the benchmark rose 23 percent, which is exactly conform to the clock speed.
In rendering test video X2 6400 + has made the film nearly 20 percent faster than the X2 5000 +. As both X2 processors share the same L2 cache and data bus, it is a mystery why AMD sticks to its absurd model codes when it is clear that the X2 6400 + is more akin to an X2 6150 +, and it Only if you take the X2 5000 + at their face value.
It is all very well to compare an AMD with another person, but contemplating a new CPU should consider a Core Duo 2 we connected a Core 2 Duo E6750 in a Foxconn G33M-S motherboard with the same memory, hard drive and graphics card. The E6750 running at 2.67GHz on a 1333MHz FSB and costs £ 126 to Overclockers so it is cheaper than the X2 6400 + and theoretically, it is slower.
Test results show clearly that the E6750 is four percent faster than the X2 6400 + in PCMark05 and is 12 percent faster in the test graphics rendering, but it is only half the story. The Athlon 64 X2 can be overclocked by a small amount if you work very, very hard-working, but the Core Duo 2 overclocks like a dream. We cranked the FSB 1333MHz on the E6750 at 1600MHz to give a clock speed of 3.20 which decreased the time to record video of seven minutes and 59 seconds and raised the score PCMark05 to 7896, and all the tensions that standard with a beautiful environment CPU cooler.
Verdict
The Athlon 64 X2 6400 + takes the K8 processor family to new and unexpected heights, but the cruel truth is that it is completely overshadowed by Intel Core Duo 2, which is better in every department.