AMD launches new Athlon II processors

Posted on 20 Oct 2009 at 10:55

AMD has launched several new Athlon II processors which use even less power than previous models. In addition to the standard power processors, the full Athlon II family now includes high-performance, low-power dual-, triple- and quad-core models.

AMD is aiming to undercut Intel's low-end Core 2 Duo desktop processors, claiming that the new 2.8GHz Athlon II X2 240e processor performs up to 70 per cent better in media and entertainment benchmarks than a 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo E7400. Due to its low power consumption of just 45W, compared to the E7400's 65W, it should allow system builders to install it into all-in-one and small form factor cases without any overheating problems.

Another newcomer is the triple-core Athlon II X3 435. AMD claims this is up to 75 per cent faster than a Core 2 Duo E8500 in certain benchmarks. It has the highest clock speed in the new Athlon II range at 2.9GHz.

UK pricing of the new models hasn't been finalised, so until they're available to buy, we can't say whether they're better value than their Intel counterparts. However, we'll bring you reviews of the new chips as soon as we can.

Here's a summary of the family:

AMD Athlon II X4 605e, 45W, 2.3GHz
AMD Athlon II X4 600e, 45W, 2.2GHz
AMD Athlon II X3 435, 95W, 2.9GHz
AMD Athlon II X3 425, 95W, 2.7GHz
AMD Athlon II X3 405e, 45W, 2.3GHz
AMD Athlon II X3 400e, 45W, 2.2GHz
AMD Athlon II X2 240e, 45W, 2.8GHz
AMD Athlon II X2 235e, 45W, 2.7GHz

Author: Jim Martin

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