AMD TURION 64 X2 REVIEW : SOCKET S1 AND DDR2 BENCHMARK OVERLCLOCK

AMD Turion 64 X2 review : socket S1 and DDR2 benchmark overlclock

Introduction

The long lethargy of AMD seems finally finished. Indeed, except one énième variation of K8 architecture at the beginning of the year in the person of Athlon 64 dual FX-60 core, we did not have anything of nine to put to us under the tooth. This May will be different, perhaps. Indeed, AMD does it arrive with a new architecture? Not. Will AMD launch processors engraved in 65 nanometers? Either. Actually AMD draws still more on the rubber band of its K8 architecture, itself derived from K7 architecture. Indeed, on May 23 the Athlon processors 64 AM2 will unload which do not bring enormous innovations, the principal one being the storage medium DDR2 via a passage of the socket 939 with the socket 940.

Side of the processors for portable computers, AMD did not propose anything when Intel launched the third Centrino generation introducing Intel Core Duo and Solo. The giant of Santa Clara thus found himself to only propose processors dual core in the laptops. AMD opposite had only Turion 64 which is only one Athlon 64 proposer a TDP of 35 or 25 Watts. Today, AMD launches Turion 64 X2, pushed back on several occasions. According to various rumours, this delay would have been to allot to the difficulty in reducing consumption to an acceptable level compared to Athlon 64 X2 AM2, other theories justifying this time lengthened by a morose market on the level of the sales of portable PC. But let us not mislead there we, Turion 64 X2 does not have anything again, nor of transcendent. It acts neither more nor less than one Athlon 64 X2 “AM2” socket S1 whose thermal envelope was reduced.

New a socket and support of the DDR2

Processors AMD Turion 64 inaugurate new a socket: S1. It is equipped with 638 pines only whereas the precedents Turion 64 (individual core) functioned on socket 754 pines. These Turion X2 will thus not be usable on the mother charts currently available of office and it is far from probable that board manufacturers mothers leave the models equipped with socket S1 since AMD will decline Athlon 64 X2 AM2 in version EE not meaning here Extreme Edition but corresponding to the versions Low Voltage of the AM2, with a TDP announced for 35 or 65 Watts according to the model.

Initially, Turion 64 X2 will be engraved in 90 nanometers, of the versions 65 nanometers being envisaged later on. Three versions are awaited corresponding to as much value of TDP: Keene with a TDP of 25 Watts, Taylor with a TDP of 35 Watts and finally Trinidad and a high TDP of 62 Watts reserving it for portables DTR (Desktop Replacement). This information however remains to confirm since today, AMD launch only Turion 64 X2 Taylor.

Our specimen of test is the processor most highly given rhythm for the introduction of Turion X2, namely 2 GHz. It names AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile TL-60 and is equipped with 2x512 KB of L2 mask, that is to say a L2 mask by core of execution while the L1 mask is of 128 KB. Its TDP is of 35 Watts since it is about the core Taylor while its revision is the BH-F2. On the level of the supported instructions, one is entitled to the MMX (+); with the 3Dnow! (+), with the SSE, the SSE2, the SSE3 and obviously with the instruction set x86-64. In short, nothing new good compared to Turion 64 of first generation.

What is new on the other hand and which constitutes the principal innovation of processors AMD on socket AM2 and S1: the support of the DDR2 400 and 533 into dual channel. Indeed, these Turion 64 X2 have a controller report allowing the management of memory DDR2 in double channel. The HyperTransport bond on its side is fixed at 800 MHz, that is to say in terms of FSB, a value of 200 MHz. Let us finish by some figures by quoting the size of the die which is 172.1 mm ² while the number of transistors rises to approximately 153.8 million. There in terms of size, the processor in itself is smaller than Turion 64 socket 754 and approaches more than one Core Duo on this level. What strikes on the other hand, it is the size of the die compared to its Intel competitor. On the level of the chipsets compatible with its Turion 64 X2, AMD announces tiddlywinks SiS, VIA, ATI, ULi and NVIDIA.

Classification of the models

Turion 64 X2 preserve the principle of the classification of individual Turion 64 core made up for recall of two digits and two letters. Here, there is TL (Thin and Light) follow-up of two digits:

• TL-60: 2 GHz, 2x512 KB of L2 mask
• TL-56: 1.8 GHz, 2x512 KB of L2 mask
• TL-52: 1.6 GHz, 2x512 KB of L2 mask
• TL-50: 1.6 GHz, 2x256 KB of L2 mask

All are processors dual core and they support all the management of énegie PowerNow. Lastly, they all are compatible with the virtualisation which for recall makes it possible to emulate two machines starting from one only processor, so certain material conditions are respected. It will be noted that the TL-50 is given rhythm at the same frequency that the TL-52 but is equipped with twice less mask. From there with saying that AMD touches the bottom by proposing similar dual processor core, there is only one step that many will not hesitate to crossвЂÂ¦