AMD Introduces Spider Platform
AMD today unveiled its new platform codenamed "Spider" that combines the introduction of AMD Phenom quad-core processors, ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series graphics processors with Microsoft DirectX 10.1 support, AMD 7-Series chipsets with CrossFireX and AMD OverDrive software.
The features of the new platform include the new HyperTransport 3.0 that together with a Phenom processor is capable of providing throughput of up to 14.4 GB/s. Also, the memory controller integrated into Phenom CPUs supports DDR2-1066 memory.
The CrossFireX technology allows for using three and even four Radeon HD 3800 graphics cards. Besides, 42 lanes of PCI Express 2.0 supported by the AMD 790FX chipset also promise more than enough performance for enthusiasts.
Another part of the platform, the AMD OverDrive software, allows to tune various Windows parameters for maximum performance.
New chipsets also feature the AutoXpress technology designed to squeeze more from certified memory modules (Intel and NVIDIA also have similar innovations.)
Speaking of energy saving, Phenom processors outran the predecessors. At 95W TDP the claimed average energy consumption is 29-32W. Cool'n'Quiet 2.0 and CoolCore technologies allow to adjust clock rates separately for each of four processor cores.
The 7-Series chipsets have TDP of 10-12W.
So far AMD officially announced only two Phenom CPUs (pricing for 1,000-unit quantities):
- Phenom 9600 (2.3 GHz) - $283
- Phenom 9500 (2.2 GHz) - $251
Also, the ATI Radeon HD 3850 with 256MB of GDDR3 memory begins at $179 MSRP and the ATI Radeon HD 3870 with 512MB GDDR4 memory from $219.
Source: AMD
Write a comment below. No registration needed!
