AMD to launch a cheaper Athlon 64 X2

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Bit-tech are reporting that they have learned that AMD are close to shipping a more affordable addition to its superb Athlon 64 X2 architecture.

After the initial launch, which was out of the financial reach of many consumers, AMD have extended its line of Athlon 64 X2 processors with the 3800+. This fits at the bottom of the line up which already contains the 4200+, 4400+, 4600+ and 4800+ and we envisage that there will also be a 4000+ at some point, too.

The Athlon 64 X2 3800+ will be clocked at 2.0GHz and will feature 512KB of L2 cache on each core - totalling to 1MB - while It is based on the same core that is used for the 4200+ and 4600+.

The processors are not currently available to buy just yet, and there has been no official announcement from AMD either. However, AMD Zone came across this the product on pre-order from an American firm called Page Computers for a little under $370.

News source: Bit-tech

Cont...

The top 10 software titles for the first six months of the year were dominated by PlayStation 2 games. Sony's console had six games in the top 10, including Sony Computer Entertainment's Gran Turismo 4 in the top slot.

Nintendo had the second most games in the top 10. Game Boy Advance games held two positions with Pokemon Emerald at second place and Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap at seventh. The lone GameCube representative was Capcom's Resident Evil 4 in the eighth slot. But that tied Microsoft's entire Xbox contingent, with the tenth-place Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith lingering at the bottom of the list.

The only 2004 game to crack the top 10 was Take-Two Interactive's controversy-laden Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which was released in October. The complete Top 10 consoles games of 2005 can be seen below.

Rank/Title/Platform/Publisher/Release Date/SRP

1. Gran Turismo 4 (PS2, Sony Computer Entertainment, Feb 05 $49)
2. Pokemon Emerald (GBA, Nintendo, Apr 05, $34)
3. MVP Baseball 2005 (PS2, Electronic Arts, Feb 05, $49)
4. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (PS2, LucasArts, May 05, $49)
5. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2, Take-Two Interactive, Oct 04, $47)
6. God of War (PS2, SCE, Mar 05, $50)
7. Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA, Nintendo, Jan 05, $50)
8. Resident Evil 4 (GC, Capcom, Jan 05, $50)
9. Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition (PS2, Take-Two, Apr 05, $49)
10. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (Xbox, LucasArts, May 05, $49)

#1 Pc_Madness on 31 Jul 2005 - 11:08

$370US? Whats the 4200's price in USD atm?

(1 reply) #2 Neobond on 31 Jul 2005 - 11:18

I believe I saw one at Fry's (in Seattle) for $449 excl tax. (4200 X2)

#2.1 Pc_Madness on 01 Aug 2005 - 00:19

Well the 4200 is $820ish in Australia, so that would mean it would be about $600 is $Aus.

Still to hiiiiiigh.

(4 replies) #3 ACTIONpack on 31 Jul 2005 - 12:20

Does anyone think that AMD will release a 3GHz CPU, anytime soon? There stopping around 2.4GHz for the past 2 years now.

#3.1 RangerLG on 31 Jul 2005 - 13:01

It does appear that their current architecture is limiting the speed right now for some reason, but why worry about the speed of the CPU when it has already been proven that a 2.4GHz chip can run as well or better than some 3.0GHz chips?

#3.2 fackamato on 31 Jul 2005 - 21:48

There is the Athlon64 FX57 which runs at 2.8ghz. And it's fast as hell.

#3.3 xSuRgEx on 01 Aug 2005 - 12:27

that may be so, but not all of us have the money to waste on an athlon FX57.

#3.4 ev0| on 01 Aug 2005 - 14:01

They're releasing a 3.0 Ghz Athlon FX 59 soon, but it will be a while before they ramp the X2's up to that speed.

(7 replies) #4 SVT on 31 Jul 2005 - 13:33

Who cares if they're cheaper, if they still aren't as user friendly as Intel chips?

SVT

#4.1 Chicane-UK on 31 Jul 2005 - 14:01

lol.. i'm glad you're just doing this as a bit of fun. I don't think any serious person could be so biggoted and full of crap.

#4.2 RangerLG on 31 Jul 2005 - 14:26

He still hasn't provided one bit of support for this User Friendly crap he keeps spewing. Both chips slip into a socket on a board and are locked in. Thats it, end of story.

#4.3 VikingStorm on 31 Jul 2005 - 14:34

Yeah, SVT is right. Intel chips are made of out of potatoes, while AMD chips are made out of corn. I mean really, potatoes are a whole lot more user friendly than corn.

#4.4 sinatosk on 31 Jul 2005 - 15:07

what?

#4.5 BBinder on 31 Jul 2005 - 15:38

ohhh wise SVT pls can you help me i just brought an AMD and i've drilled holes in my desk and secured the processor and it wont work pls help me

(hint of sarcasm there)

so SVT whats so hard about plonking and AMD on a Mobo and sticking a heatsnk on top i think it only takes 30 seconds to do nothing non user friendly about that.

but then again maybe you made one from plastercine thats why your having problems with it, you really do need to get a clue in life

#4.6 Dayon on 01 Aug 2005 - 01:46

User friendly? How the hell can a processor be user friendly?

If anything, the Intel offerings are worse. The socket on the mobo is more prone to being destroyed if you aren't careful.

#4.7 Adamb10 on 01 Aug 2005 - 04:11

Yeah those Intels feature a point and click install while AMDs you have to crack open a shell and do stuff.

#5 lylesback2 on 31 Jul 2005 - 15:27

awesome, i was just looking at buying an AMD 4400+, but with 3800+.. i might switch

#6 dave164 on 31 Jul 2005 - 18:01

These are on tekheads for £265, but i think id rather have 2 x 1mb cache, not sure, worth £100 more hummm

(2 replies) #7 Yogurth on 31 Jul 2005 - 20:28

While this is good news, new AMD vanilla is still ~150$ more expensive than same offer from Intel. I hope that the price will be dropped further.

#7.1 fackamato on 31 Jul 2005 - 21:57

Well, it depends on what you want. If you want a hot product that can't run at full speed without throttling down itself because of the enormous heat generated, go for the slower Intel dualcores. If you want a cool, kickass CPU with lots of performance while still being cold as ice, and, a dualcore cpu which is actually build for dualcore and not just two singlecore cpu's put together you would go for the A64 X2's. They are damn worth their money. A 3500+ (2.2ghz, 512kB) is $249 (USD) while an X2 4200+ (2x 2.2ghz, 512kB/core) is $537. If you split the X2 in half, it's only about 20 bucks more per CPU. I don't find that expensive, but it's a lot of money, yes. Don't forget the performance you get though.

heh

#7.2 TheSarge on 01 Aug 2005 - 03:21

Hot? That's what liquid cooling is for.

#8 Samoa on 01 Aug 2005 - 02:24

There needs to be a 1.8ghz version of X2 for 280.00 US. Which can be OC'd to 2.6ghz - 2.8ghz

#9 Enigma-Penguin on 01 Aug 2005 - 08:42

I wouldnt mind grabbing a lower end one myself, but its all a pipedream >_<

(2 replies) #10 king_turkey on 01 Aug 2005 - 12:43

That's great news, when I finally decide that this crappy box I'm running now can't hold up anymore and decide to part with my hard earned money, I'll probably be getting one of those or similiar. I want to upgrade but I don't want to spend the money

#10.1 bigl523 on 01 Aug 2005 - 13:05

take the plunge, its well worth it. i know i'm not regretting a thing.

#10.2 kronik on 01 Aug 2005 - 13:50

I'm in the same position, but this POS im using atm is gonna make me go crazy if I keep using it for any longer, so I will take the plunge also

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