Date:
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Author:
Kyle Bennett
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AMD Phenom II X4 Model 940 Black Edition Processor

We have been waiting for this CPU, but hardly with bated breath. While we had high hopes, the Phenom II is already waning in enthusiast circles. We pit it against the Intel Core 2 Quad and Intel Core i7, clock for clock. Isn't that what we really want to see?

Introduction

Let’s all just be honest with each other on this. Phenom II is no big surprise to anyone. AMD has more leaks in it than a poorly constructed Chinese trawler. Hell, our readers have been posting Phenom II performance numbers long before us. A handful of “legitimate” websites have already posted Phenom II articles already as well. Certainly we don’t feel like we have anything special here. Anyway, Phenom II hardware and information are not exactly in short supply, so we will give you the quick and dirty run down on this new processor. And trust me, it is dirty for the enthusiast.

What’s in a Name?

AMD has supposedly built a better CPU than its previous 65nm Phenom processor that has fallen flat on its face in the computer enthusiast realm. And quite honestly, I think once you read through this article, you will find out AMD has done that. The fact of the matter is AMD’s competition is not its aging Phenom processor. AMD’s competition is Intel’s Core 2 Quad and Intel’s Core i7 processors. No matter how many times AMD PR tells me differently, when it comes to suggesting hardware to our readers, there are some huge caveats that go along with suggesting you buy a Phenom II. Overall I like the Phenom moniker and you will see that it is fitting. And while I generally don’t dwell on branding semantics the way some of the crybaby journalists in this world do for months and months, I have to touch of the following.

AMD is pushing forward with its “Fusion” branding even though there no sight of the original fusion in any of the product definitions that we have here today. At this time, we are hearing that real fusion is now pushed out to 2010, and surely time will tell. I think “Fusion’ is a great brand for the right product, and AMD is already sullying a good name before its time has ever come.

The other crazy branding move is that Phenom II platform is now called “Dragon.” Here is the official definition: “"Dragon" is a synthesis of power, strength, and wisdom. ” Please for the love of someone’s god, put down the bong and get sober before you mail this crap out. So as to not take it out of context, here is the rest of the Dragon story, which OK makes some sense but in no way makes me think of a Dragon. “Specifically, it is the fusion of the AMD Phenom™ II processor, ATI Radeon™ HD 4800 series graphics, AMD 7-series chipsets and AMD software that puts you in control. It’s the PC platform designed for high-definition gaming, video processing and entertainment at an affordable price. The AMD Phenom II processor at the heart of Dragon platform technology is AMD’s highest performing processor ever with superior efficiency. Consider the fact that AMD is the only company in the world that can deliver all three essential technologies giving you the power to do it all. And please consider the price of not only the processor, but the entire platform and the great value it represents.”

All this conjures up a reptile equivalent to the Type R on the side of a ratty Ricer with a coffee can extended out beyond the back bumper. OK, I am done. I will not mention this again…well likely the Fusion part next year maybe.

What’s New with Phenom II?

First off, we have two new processors being kicked off. The model 940 that we are looking at here today which has a 3GHz stock clock speed at a 125 watt TDP. It is the "Black" edition, which of course has the unlocked multiplier. For the most part, trying to overclock any AMD processors of late via ramping the CPU is laughable, so you will want to go with a Black Edition processor if you intend to overclock. Otherwise you are just asking for heartache. The PII 920 is multiplier-locked and clocks at 2.8GHz, so all you guys stay clear.

Suggested per 1,000 pricing:

$275 - AMD Phenom™ II X4 940 Black Edition

$235 - AMD Phenom™ II X4 920

The rest I will just cut and paste.

  • 45nm immersion lithography manufacturing technology enables higher frequencies, tighter tolerances and lower current leakage

  • 6MB L3 cache (up from 65nm Phenom's 2MB)

  • 2-cycles faster than 65nm Phenom L3

  • Increased DRAM bandwidth

  • Cache flush on halt: Core's L1 and L2 flush into shared L3 after a core enters a halt state allowing the core to drop to a lower speed and save power

  • Path-based indirect branch prediction

  • 2x increase in core probe bandwidth

  • Larger load/store buffering / larger floating point buffering / reduced MAB (missed buffer) lifetime

  • Improved LOCK pipelineing(sic): (LOCK is an instruction prefix) this improves performance when multiple LOCKS are in process simultaneously

  • FP MOV compute optimization: Floating point register-to-register move instruction improvements

Where do I Stick It?

Now here is the good part about the whole Phenom II deal, besides better performance and clock.

The AMD Phenom II X4 940 and 920 processors launching in January are socket AM2+ compatible and support DDR2 memory. However, in early 2009 AMD will release its first AM3 Phenom II processors in both X4 and X3 flavors. These new AM3 processors will be compatible with both the current socket AM2+ and the upcoming socket AM3, supporting both DDR2 and DDR3. This approach allows users, businesses, system builders and OEMs to migrate across memory technologies at their own pace, when the time is right. AMD's approach continues to be one of flexibility and compatibility to maximize platform longevity. In the current economic climate, we believe this approach makes more sense than ever.

Yes, if you already have a AM2+ motherboard, you can most likely just drop this new Phenom II in.