Archives

04/21/2009 Casting a Smaller Die
In a trend that could bode well for smartphones and mobile Internet devices, chip manufacturers are in a race to the bottom in terms of die size.
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02/17/2009 Socket AM3 Arrives: AMD Joins the DDR3 Revolution
AMD has finally unveiled its Socket AM3 platform, including newly revamped Phenom II X3 and X4 models sporting a dual-mode DDR2/DDR3 memory controller, and with compatibility for both AM2+ and AM3 motherboards, this effectively puts the just-released AM2+ models out pasture.
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01/08/2009 Notebook Quads Go Mainstream: Intel Releases the Core 2 Quad Mobile Q9000
Mobile quad core processors used to be the domain of the rich and famous, but that all changed once Intel released the Core 2 Quad Mobile Q9000. This mainstream processor is designed to bring quad core to the mobile masses, while extending the notebook market even more.
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12/22/2008 AMD Introduces the New and Phenom-enal Athlon X2 7000 Series
Hardware aficionados have been waiting for AMD to release its dual-core version of the Phenom, and now the company finally has - under the guise of a new Athlon X2 processor. The Athlon X2 7750 Black Edition is the flagship model, but at 2.7 GHz, it's still in tough against both the Core 2 Duo and Athlon 64 X2 models.
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11/24/2008 The New Core i7 Processor: Intel's Quad-Core of Solace
A new Intel CPU + Socket announcement isn't exactly a rare occurrence, but the Core i7 is far more than just a simple revision or die shrink. Instead, it changes the way Intel views a processor, adding functionality like an integrated memory controller and Hyper-Threading, while setting desktop performance records on demand.
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09/30/2008 The Intel Nehalem Readies for Take-off with the X58
Intel has decided that four years is enough for the old LGA775 socket and is set to introduce its next-generation replacement. The Core i7 "Nehalem" processor is matched up with the Intel X58 platform, incorporating killer features like a three-channel memory controller, the Son of Hyper-Threading, a real surprise on the SLI front.
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08/18/2008 Intel and their World's Smallest Super-CPU, the Atom!
The official announcement of the Intel Atom didn't make a lot of waves, but now that we're seeing end products like the Acer Aspire One and MSI Wind, the processor deserves a lot more attention. With speeds of up to 1.6 GHz with Hyper-Threading technology, and a thermal design power as low as 0.65 watt, this diminutive challenger offers a very potent one-two punch.
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04/30/2008 AMD Hits a Triple with the Phenom X3
The Phenom X3 triple-core processor is looking to fill the gap between dual and quad-core models, and AMD is hoping that its "three cores for the price of two" sales pitch comes off as well. The new X3 definitely has some positives, such as lower power and thermal envelopes, but also entails risks like demand exceeding the supply of not-quite-ready-for-primetime quad core silicon.
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