FX-74 4x4 Performance Preview

[CAD4466HK]

Looks to me as if AMD is blowing smoke up the consumers ass:p
I'll admit, I'm rather pissed with the performance vs. the C2D:o
I guess I'll be going over to the dark side, once again;)
Mabey with Vista and more multi-threaded apps and games, we'll see a better outcome:confused:

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/amd_athlon_64_fx_74_4x4/default.asp

[jonnyGURU]

Actually, that's correct.

Simply put, it's difficult to benchmark these CPU's with current benchmarks. You need Vista just to really get the full potential out of them. I think it's rather premature to do such a comparison. Especially since Asus/AMD just came out with a new BIOS this week for the board that addresses SEVERAL known issues.

But despite the fact that I sound like I'm somehow defending AMD, I'm still not. The 4x4 is a band aid. They're going to have a native quad core next year. This creature is more of a niche product and perhaps a look into the direction AMD is going with their new CPU's (I'm certain this is the socket we're going to see from here on from AMD.)

Intel even admits that there's going to be some catch up required in Q3 2007 when AMD plans to release it's native quad core. Even considering rushing through their 2007 roadmap.

If I'm going to be pissed at AMD for anything, it's the changing of the sockets and the inability to move a CPU across from one platform to another. Yeah, changing up sockets is a given, but Intel only did it three times across four years with the Pentium 4. In the same period of time, we've now seen four different sockets from AMD for their Athlon64 product.

[Super Nade]

Look at the power consumption! That is just ridiculous for a home user system. I think the culprit here is NVidia and their hogger chipsets. Even on the Intel side of things, the 680i is one hot and hungry mutha. :)

[jonnyGURU]

Right... and here you have TWO.

The 680a isn't really a chipset. It's two 570a's bridged together. Hot + Hot = HOT!!!

[Super Nade]

This guy says his NVi chipset is hitting a freaking 90+ C! Could be an eVGA only problem.

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=485886

[uOpt]

The high power consumption is certainly a chipset issue.

There is no way the CPUs could be stable with those stock coolers in a closed case if they drew 250 watts each. Not to mention even the TDP is only 125 W.

I think the performance is fine for what it is trying to do and fine-graded multithreaded applications should run nicely.

However, the chipset seems to be a power-hog and I don't like the board either. And the preview boards didn't overclock the FSB even one MHz according to at least 2 reviews.

[Super Nade]

The cost for an overclocker-friendly board would be astronomical, especially if independent OC'ing of two CPU's is supported. Given the distance between the CPU's, I'd imagine two completely seperate Buck-regulator loops would be required.