Foreword

AMD has left plenty of time to still above to expand its own processor portfolio. End of may which came 64 X 2 4800 + 2.4 GHz on the market until now fastest dual-core processor, the Athlon, followed in June 2005 the mandatory speed upgrade which Athlon 64-FX series on 2.8 GHz and AMD’s world was back in order. But something had changed for the buyer.

With the introduction of the dual-core processors, it turned out that you had to apply for this AMD so deep as never before with the bag. Intel’s dual-core processors for the mass market, the Pentium D CPUs (away from the “Extreme Edition” and “Extreme Price”), were to have, what had to be put on the table when AMD for a fraction of.

This is also today. For AMD’s cheapest Athlon 64 X 2, the 3800 +, often more than 310 euros must be put at best on the table, while Intel’s (considerably slower) Pentium D 820 for 230 euros for dual-core fun – invites gaming on the other processor core – video encoding on the one hand. While the front lower-priced seems to be clear, the fight at the front today was newly reignited.

In the right corner with a trained 233.2 million transistors and 199 mm 2 in 90 nm fine structures, the world champion! The incredible AMD Athlon 64 FX-60! He has used the summer to anzutrainieren a second heart, and to increase the bounce rate from 2.4 GHz to 2.6 GHz. The strategy of Californian: the combination of strong left and resounding right hook to at 2.6 GHz has early lead to victory. Earlier, when it was strong, unilateral Dampfhammer the case with the 2.8 GHz over half a year ago. You’ll feel well prepared for tonight’s rematch.

But also the challengers in the left feel very well prepared. Intel has deleted the Pentium Extreme Edition 840 from the squad and now attacks with the model number “955″. He has become leaner. With advanced 65-nm manufacturing technology have been increased agility and reduced leakage currents according to own. Despite the muscle mass significantly built up from 230 million to 376 million transistors, one could square the area and socket 775 easily holding class with 280 mm. The stroke rate rose with two fists at 3.46 GHz.

It promises an interesting battle to be so and we say one ring freely for round immediately: “Technical data and features”!

Bookmark

Due to the complexity of the subject “Processors”, it is not possible all subtleties repeatedly to us. At this point it should be referred to interesting related publications.

• Living room PC: Intel’s Viiv takes off
• Intel’s “core solo” and “Core Duo”
• Display driver for dual core from ATi and nVidia
• Intel announces new processor architecture for second half of 2006
• Pentium D 840 and extreme Edition 840
• Intel: Great progress at 65 nm

Specifications and features

Although the performance of processors in the foreground, it is with the car from the House to make themselves familiar AMD and Intel. To do this, we opted to present the most important information in a tabular overview.

< div >

The view of the table makes one quite clear: the new Athlon 64 FX-60 is nothing but a higher an Athlon 64 X 2 with Toledo core. Contrary to original plans, AMD so has two 2.6 GHz fast cores go first left and dispensed a 3.0 GHz single core fast cars. This makes sense, because the range of “threaded” applications, which are in the tall, to charge more than one processor, growing steadily. With only a core, no flower pot is ongoing in 2006 with all its innovations in the field of multimedia to win, as we shall see in the course of the article.

< div >

How is FX series all Athlon 64 processors also equipped the FX-60 with a free multiplier. Factory 13 as multiplier may be set, nothing in the way is a stroke of 2.8 (14 x 200) but due to the 90-nm manufacturing technology and known moderate power consumption. Unlike the normal Athlon 64 or Athlon 64 X 2 must be filmed here for overclocking not on the reference clock.

Something has done more, however, is new in Intel’s Pentium Extreme Edition 955 and the associated Pentium D 900 Mainstreamfamilie. The processors developed under the code name “Presler” are the first manufactured in advanced 65-nm manufacturing technology. Once again, Intel therefore underlines its leadership in semiconductor. AMD will change the structure in half a year. Corresponding 65-nm products will come from AMD’s half wire factory Fab 36 in Dresden. Intel, however, can draw Arizona and Ireland with D1D, Fab 12 and Fab 24 (conversion Q1. 2006) on three 65-nm 300-mm-fabs in Oregon, which have already started mass production.

On a repeated, detailed treatise on Intel’s 65-nm process P1264, do we not want at this point and point to an older article on the subject. In summary, it is said that Intel with P1264 will have reduced the disturbing leakage currents in the 90-nm fabrication (P1262) and thus reduces power consumption and higher compared to the competition. For ultra low-power products such as processors for mobile phones and PDAs in the under 1-Watt class a further 65-nm process in the development is with P1265.

As his predecessor is also the “Presler” to the NetBurst architecture of the Pentium 4 with all’ their advantages and disadvantages. However, he is the last of its kind. On the Developer Forum in August last year Intel has already introduced its new, yet unnamed processor architecture, which erase the brand name “Pentium” in the second half and as a “core solo” and “Core Duo” in the desktop segment entry will hold. The first harbingers are now immediately in notebooks on the basis of the new Centrino platform “Napa” to find that we have dedicated a separate article. There we also on the Desktop agent “Conroe”.

< div >

Among the new features of “Presler”, a doubled to a total of 4 MB L2 cache, which swell the transistor count to gigantic 384 million. Also, were – at least for the extreme Edition – the frontside bus to 1066 MHz speeds up, and the stroke increased to 3.46 GHz. The predecessor had to be content with 3.2 GHz and FSB800. Otherwise Intel dual-core idea behind the expanded “Smithfield” core: let of the Smithfield from none other than two Pentium 4 (Prescott)-Kernen on a monolithic silicon chip, from the outset two physically separate 65-nm chips are in the Presler used. The individual chips to listen to the code name “Cedar Mill” and used 1 to use solo in the revised Pentium 4 6 x. Intel is able to increase the yield of dual-core processors.

Another innovation of the Presler family revealed the following feature table.

< div >

Apart from the in the current B1 stepping of unfortunately still defective battery-saving features enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) and C1E (Errata AA30), which will only work with the new revision appearing in the next quarter or a BIOS-update perfectly Intel with the new Pentium offers now hardware supported Systemvirtualisierung, as she was emulated by VMware, Xen or Microsoft’s Virtual PC so far entirely in software. Intel’s approach to listen to the code-named Vanderpool and bears the marketing label of Intel virtualization technology. AMD is working on a similar, but incompatible technology code named Pacifica. She will be entering in the future generation of processors with new base and DDR2 memory support.

Processor platforms

Gone are the days in which a processor was purchased solely due to his performance. Today is also the overall package, you get “AMD or Intel” after the landmark next to the performance or the power consumption. Just Intel gave up here much effort, to strengthen the idea of the platform and to strengthen the omnipresent brands such as Centrino Mobile technology or – brand new – Viiv. For us as a tester, this means one in the first place: lots more code name.

Centrino – or new Centrino Duo – has come to an end of the year in the third generation at the start. Within the newest platform, it is important to keep four code name: “Napa”, the name of the platform, “Yonah” for the processor, “Calistoga” for the chipset and “Golan” for the improved WLAN module. And Gigabit-Ethernet-controller of Napa had as there were “Azalia”, now better known as a code name as HD audio. So much for the NAPA platform, which is considered in more detail in another article.

Intel’s desktop platforms of 2006 are the code names “anchor Creek” and “Lyndon” and be in the second quarter of “Bridge Creek” and “Averill” replaced. You can safely forget the code name of Lyndon and Averill, which stand for the current and future enterprise platform (SIPP, stable image platform program) with integrated graphics (i945G) and active management. For us interesting anchor remain Creek and bridge thus Creek.

Anchor Creek is the commercially available platform currently based on the i945 family including the i955 chipset and can thus be seen as the basis for products with Viiv logo. Anchor Creek supports already the newly introduced Pentium-D processors with the “Presler” core manufactured in 65 nm, can’t extreme Edition 955 vibe but with the new, as shown in the following table:

< div >

Even if it is technically not really be justified, the Pentium presented in this article will run extreme Edition XE 955 exclusively on the i975X-express chipset upscale specially from the baptism. The differences compared to its predecessor, the i955X, are limited to the ability to split the x 16 PCI-Express slot into two x 8 lanes, as it is for the use of two video cards advantage. Intel’s chipsets (starting with the i955X) have received the release as the first non-ATi chipsets CrossFire. The whole works also already pretty well how we recently were able to demonstrate. Also NVIDIA SLI would be purely technically easily feasible. However, the ForceWare driver of the Californian at all non-nForce-4-chip sets very effectively, however, locks itself.

It otherwise looks still very lean to the official support of new Intel processors. NVidias nForce 4 with “Presler” theoretically can handle, but the official confirmation we lack this.

By the way: None of the chipsets listed in the table above will support the current state of affairs after the appearing in the second half of 2006 (codename Conroe) processors with Intel’s new processor architecture. Only the Bridge Creek platform with the Broadwater chipset will change this to the middle of the year. A revised version of the i975X chipset with support Conroe will also appear, and then sail under the flag of Bridge Creek over the oceans.

In the camp of AMD is better, the offer although here processors and chipset not from a single source. This should be the quality of processors used high and when the substructure for a wider choice be ensured as impressively confirmed the following overview:

< div >

With one exception (i.e. the products of VIA) are all commercially available socket 939 motherboard already been prepared to present a half year ago for the generation of dual core. AMD has done really good work here. A simple BIOS update was enough, and nothing in the way was a switch from Athlon 64 on Athlon 64 X 2.

This is also when the new Athlon 64 FX-60 otherwise. In our test Board, an ASUS A8N-SLI Premium, runs the CPU with BIOS version 1009 already and Beta 1 is a recognized with version 1010 correctly FX-60. Stability problems were not determine.

Power consumption

Performance is not everything, as semiconductor giant Intel “impressively” demonstrated 4 with the introduction of the Pentium manufactured in 90 nm. The processor made even such problems that although a 3.4 GHz fast model was introduced was to test only the slightly more fuel-efficient 3, 2-GHz variant available. The times of a quick and “energy saving” desktop processor from the House of Intel were over.

To enter into the topic of “Power”, the official data of the manufacturers are to serve us. It is worth noting that Intel and AMD determine these numbers in different ways. AMD specifies the maximum consumption. Intel, however, called the numbers “thermal design power”, so the performance that has to curb a cooling solution in common application scenarios. The actual maximum consumption can be higher.

Despite the refined structures remains design power of Pentium XE 955 130 Watt thermal unchanged at the level of Pentium XE 840. Thus, the models of 1.25 V – 1,388 1,200 V – V voltage window was lowered 1,3375 V. The voltage is of particular importance, since it squarely in the consumption (P = f * C * U m²) is received. At AMD, there are no surprises. With 110 watts, it holds the class of the fastest Athlon 64 X 2. However was filmed also here on the operating voltage. It was from 1.35 V – 1.40 V (X 2 4800 +) lowered to 1.30 V – 1.35 V (FX-60).

So much for the theoretical values of the respective manufacturer. Now follow our measurements with a standard Voltcraft energy-check-3000-meter. None of the processors, special settings have been made. The Windows XP power management was set to the Profil “Desktop”. AMD’s Cool’n’ was cool quiet so not active, because for this profile “Minimum energy” would have to be loaded. Tests with enabled cool Cool’n’ quiet however showed that this power consumption in the idle state to further 10 Watt can be reduced.

Intel’s power C1E (but not enhanced SpeedStep, EIST) was active, because it works operating system transparent by the processor clock is automatically reduced at up to 2.8 GHz. This applies to in our case but only on the Pentium 4 670. The extreme Edition 840 offers no C1E or EIST and for the XE 955 this feature due to a defect is initially deactivated.

First be said that above all the measurements in the Windows desktop with associated fluctuations (in places +/-10 Watts) were connected and we have chosen for a typical value. The peak power was, however, considered under full load. The consumption of the entire system was measured.

Short and concise: AMD cuts off usual well and can help with active cool even more power saving Cool’n’ quiet. Intel’s new Pentium XE 955 can not really convincing. Consumption without load is too high because of the mentioned defect. Under full load, a first move towards the positive is to recognize, but AMD seems far enteilt. This image is probably only change with the new processor architecture.

Also the temperatures were anything but pleasing at Intel. Boxed fan we had to plague us in the BIOS with frightening 70 ° C, while the Athlon convinced 64 FX-60 with approx. 40 ° C.

Overclocking

We have to do it in this test with the top representatives of both processor forging. With the high price it paid a very special bonus: free choice of the multiplier. The Intel Pentium XE 955 may be freely elected between 12 and 60. In the FX-60, the list goes up to 25 (including half multipliers). Our expectations were correspondingly large.

< div >

Intel’s new silicon is very willing to clock. With air cooling, we could easily achieve the 4,533 GHz. However, was the firebrand under load almost all the time on the “throtteln”, appealed so internal clock breaks to die not the heat death. With sufficient cooling (e.g. water), there is plenty of potential. With commercial air cooled we had to content ourselves despite repeated attempts with stable 3.73 GHz (no temperature problems). The operating voltage (1,3500 V, since engineering sample) had to not be raised during the test.

At AMD, we had already major problems. Really the FX-60 with 3.0 GHz was not stable. We can not present more than a screenshot of Windows therefore despite the increased on 1,4625 Volt operating voltage. The 2.8 GHz were, however, easily possible with standard voltage, so that the measure of single-celled Athlon 64 FX-57 has been reached. More is also here in with more elaborate cooling it.

The results speak for themselves. Due to relatively low clock increases was however also not great jumps to be expected.

Test systems

To allow a possible fair comparison between the competitors, all tests in a closed MIDI tower with complete fan Assembly (two inlet at the back, blowing one side when the hard drive cage) were carried out, to be attentive so also on thermal problems with the car.

There up to Intel’s new mobile processors “Core Duo” and “core solo” all introducing from now on will be equipped with 64-bit support, have we us to resolutely all measurements on Microsoft’s Windows XP Professional x 64 carry out again to reveal advantages and disadvantages of the implementation. All in all thought the problems within limits. Only Aquamark 3 completely refused and the PCMark05 disturbed on the 64-bit version of Windows Media Encoder 9. Here, only the 32-bit version may be installed. More details will follow in the section “Benchmarks”.

• Processor
  • AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 (2.6 GHz)
  • AMD Athlon 64 FX-57 (2.8 GHz)
  • AMD Athlon 64 X 2 4800 + (Toledo E6)
  • AMD Athlon 64 X 2 4600 + (Manchester E4)
  • Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955 (Presler B1)
  • Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840 (Smithfield A0)
  • Intel Pentium D 670 (Prescott 2 m E0)
• Motherboard
  • Athlon 64 Socket 939 platform:
    ASUS A8N-SLI Premium (nForce 4 SLI) – BIOS: 1009

  • Pentium 4-socket 775 platform:
    Intel D975XBX (i975X Express)-BIOS: BX97519J. 86A. 0354 2005. 1208-1112
• Memory
  • 2x512MB DDR400 Corsair TwinXP1024-3200XL (2-3-2-6)
  • 2x512MB DDR2-667 crucial Ballistix (CL5-5-5-12)
• Graphics card
  • Gigabyte GeForce 7800 GT (PCI Express)
• Peripherals
  • Hitachi HDS722516VLSA80
• Power supply
  • Tagan TG480-U22
• Driver versions
  • nVidia detonator 81.98 (x 64)
  • nVidia nForce 4 AMD Edition 6.69 (x 64)
  • Intel chipset driver 7.2.2.1006 (x 64)
  • Intel audio driver 5.10.4825 (x 64)
  • Intel network driver 10.2 (x 64)
  • Intel southbridge drivers 5.5.0.1035 (X 64)
• Software
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional x 64
  • Microsoft DirectX 9.0 c December 2005
  • Microsoft Windows XP x 64 security patches < div > show all < div >
    KB898715, KB890046, KB893756, KB896358, KB896422, KB896424, KB896428, KB896688, KB899587, KB899588, KB899591, KB900725, KB901017, KB902400, KB904706, KB901214 (patches on SYSmark 2004 SE were not installed)

Benchmarks

All benchmarks were carried out in a resolution of 1280 x 1024 at 75 Hz. Also, 2xFSAA and 8xAF in the driver has been enabled for all games.

• Synthetic
  • PCMark05 1.1.0
• System
  • 7-Zip 4.32 32-bit
  • 7-Zip 4.32 64-bit
  • SYSmark 2004 SE
  • Photoshop CS 2.0
  • WinRAR 3.51
• Rendering
  • MAXON Cinebench 2003 32-bit
  • MAXON Cinebench 2003 64-bit
  • Newtek Lightwave 8.5
• Multimedia
  • Nero Recode 2.0 (Nero 7.0)
  • Tsunami MPEG video encoder Xpress 3.3.7.116
  • Apple QuickTime 7.03 Pro
  • Microsoft Windows Movie Maker
  • Apple iTunes 6.0
  • Vorbis Oggdrop XP
  • Lame 3.97 (b) 32-bit
  • Lame 3 97a 32-bit
  • Lame 3 97a 64-bit
• Games
  • 3DMark03 3.6.0
  • 3DMark05 1.2.0
  • Battlefield 2 1.03
  • FarCry 1.31 32-bit
  • FarCry 1.31 64-bit
  • Fear multiplayer demo
  • Half life 2 lost coast
  • Painkiller battle out of hell 1.50
  • Quake 4 1.04
  • Serious Sam 2 demo
  • Unreal Tournament 2004 32-bit
  • Unreal Tournament 2004 64-bit

PCMark05

The Athlon 64 X 2 4600 + with E4 stepping wanted to include this test not with faster 1T-Command-Rate. For this reason was switched exclusively for the storage test of PCMark05 to 2T.

System

SYSmark 2004 SE

SYSmark is a benchmark suite that consists of several individual applications, which have been combined into two harmonic groups 2004 SE:

Internet content creation (ICC)

• Adobe after effects 5.5
• Abode Photoshop 7.01
• Adobe Premiere 6.5
• Discreet 3ds max 5.1
• Macromedia Dreamweaver MX
• Macromedia Flash MX
• Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 9 series
• Network Associates McAfee VirusScan 7.0
• WinZip Computing’s WinZip 8.1

Office productivity (OP)

• Adobe Acrobat 5.0.5
• Microsoft Access 2002
• Microsoft Excel 2002
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 6
• Microsoft Outlook 2002
• Microsoft PowerPoint 2002
• Microsoft Word 2002
• Network Associates McAfee VirusScan 7.0
• ScanSoft Dragon NaturallySpeaking 6 preferred
• WinZip Computing’s WinZip 8.1

The result of Internet content creation and Office productivity is based, in turn, from the individual tests that are summarized under three different premises:

Internet content creation (ICC)

• 3D creation (3DC)
• 2D creation (2DC)
• Web publishing (WP)

Office productivity (OP)

• (C) communication
• Document creation (DC)
• Data analysis (DA)

The SYSmark2004 result is the rounded average of the individual results. Base system is 0 GHz Intel Pentium 4 with 512 MB DDR266 memory (CL 2.5), Creative Labs SoundBlaster Audigy PCI, Intel i845 chipset, ATi-Radeon 9700 Pro graphics with 64 MB and an IBM 80-GB hard drive, a 2. This system achieved a rating of 100 points. A computer reaches 200 points in the SYSmark2004, this is twice as fast as the base system.

Photoshop

7-Zip

WinRAR

Rendering

Cinema4D

Lightwave