CPU Buyer's Guide: Quick Reference Charts
Find top specifications and prices for today's crop of desktop processors.
Performance CPUs | High-End CPUs | Midrange CPUs | Low-End CPUs
Performance CPUs
|
Cores |
Clock Speed |
L2 Cache |
System Bus Speed |
64-Bit Support |
Virtualization Support |
Socket |
Fabrication Process |
Price |
|
4 |
3.0 GHz |
4 MB |
2000 MHz |
Yes |
Yes |
F |
90nm |
$999 |
||
Athlon 64 FX-72 |
4 |
2.8 GHz |
4 MB |
2000 MHz |
Yes |
Yes |
F |
90nm |
$799 |
|
Athlon 64 FX-70 |
4 |
2.6 GHz |
4 MB |
2000 MHz |
Yes |
Yes |
F |
90nm |
$599 |
|
Athlon 64 FX-62 |
2 |
2.8 GHz |
2 MB |
2000 MHz |
Yes |
Yes |
AM2 |
90nm |
$699 |
|
Cores |
Clock Speed |
L2 Cache |
Front-Side Bus Speed |
64-Bit Support |
Virtualization Support |
Fabrication Process |
Price |
|
Core 2 Extreme QX6700 |
4 |
2.66 GHz |
8 MB |
1066 MHz |
Yes |
Yes |
65nm |
$999 |
|
Core 2 Extreme X6800 |
2 |
2.93 GHz |
4 MB |
1066 MHz |
Yes |
Yes |
65nm |
$999 |
|
Pentium Extreme Edition 965 |
2 |
3.73 GHz |
4 MB |
1066 MHz |
Yes |
Yes |
65nm |
$999 |
|
Pentium Extreme Edition 955 |
2 |
3.6 GHz |
4 MB |
1066 MHz |
Yes |
Yes |
65nm |
$799 |
Notes:
1. Prices for these charts are current as of mid-December 2006; however, processor prices are always subject to change and will drop over time.
2. Intel and AMD CPUs run at different clock speeds. Clock speed alone is not the sole indicator of performance.
3. AMD's Socket AM2 incorporates AMD's virtualization technology, as does Socket F, originally developed for multiprocessor enterprise servers and now incorporated into the quad-core FX-7x processor line. Older sockets, such as Socket 939 or Socket 754, do not support virtualization.
4. The 65-nanometer (nm) fabrication process is a new chip-manufacturing technology that results in more energy-efficient CPUs than the older 90nm process. Intel began using the 65nm method for many of its processors (particularly its higher-end models) in the spring of 2006, while AMD has only recently begun making the transition to 65nm with a few of its Athlon 64 X2 CPUs.
5. You can find more detailed specifications for the two companies' entire processor lines at the AMD site and the Intel site, respectively.
Performance CPUs | High-End CPUs | Midrange CPUs | Low-End CPUs
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