In looking at a bunch of systems, one of the harder things to decide on is the FX-55 processor vs the various X2 processors.
Here is a bit of info from Alienware's site that shows an example of the price differences:
When I compare two chips, for example the X2 4600 to the FX-55 (since they cost about the same), they stack up like this:
Now, with that information it would seem that the FX-55 would be the slight winner. It bothers me that the X2 4600+ does not seem to have a Level 1 cache (is that just something they left out in the information?).
But then there is this information about the dual-core technology which I cannot tell if it is accurate or just some kind of public relations sales-speak:
So basically, how does one make the decision between the FX-55 chip and one of the X2 chips?
Furthermore, how much power do you need from the CPU if you are planning to run dual NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT PCI Express 256MB cards in SLI?
Thanks for the help.
Here is a bit of info from Alienware's site that shows an example of the price differences:
AMD Athlon 64 FX-55 Processor with HyperTransport Technology - $100 Instant Savings! [+$309]
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ Processor with HyperTransport and Dual Core Technology - [+$556]
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Processor with HyperTransport and Dual Core Technology [+$319]
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ Processor with HyperTransport and Dual Core Technology - [+$53]
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Processor with HyperTransport and Dual Core Technology
When I compare two chips, for example the X2 4600 to the FX-55 (since they cost about the same), they stack up like this:
Code:
FX-55 Specifications:
Processor Speed: 2.6 GHz
Bus Speed: 2000 MHz
Level 1 Cache: 128 KB
Level 2 Cache: 1 MB Advanced Transfer
Special Features: 3DNow!, SSE2, Cool'n'Quiet
X2 4600+ Specifications:
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
Bus Speed: 2000 MHz
Level 2 Cache: 2 x 512KB
Package Type: 939-pin
Special Features: Dual-Core Technology, AMD64 Technology,
HyperTransport, Enhanced Virus Protection,
SSE3, Cool'n'Quiet
Now, with that information it would seem that the FX-55 would be the slight winner. It bothers me that the X2 4600+ does not seem to have a Level 1 cache (is that just something they left out in the information?).
But then there is this information about the dual-core technology which I cannot tell if it is accurate or just some kind of public relations sales-speak:
Dual Core Technology: AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processors feature two processing cores instead of one, which allows the CPU to process multiple application data simultaneously and in less time. The key benefits to this technology are more efficient multitasking and running multiple processor-intensive tasks at the same time with minimal performance degradation. Play games while burning a DVD video and running a virus scan in the background - or process your latest 3D render while working on a DV timeline with Dual Core technology, you can do more than you ever imagined in less time than you every thought possible.
So basically, how does one make the decision between the FX-55 chip and one of the X2 chips?
Furthermore, how much power do you need from the CPU if you are planning to run dual NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT PCI Express 256MB cards in SLI?
Thanks for the help.