January 25, 2010

Intel's launch of its line of Clarkdale CPUs earlier this month introduced six new processors, exclusively intended for budget and mainstream systems. Ranging in price from $113 (for the Core i3-530) to $284 (for the Core i5-670), these chips offered a lot of performance variety for reasonable prices—with the added benefit of integrated graphics capabilities built right in. So it's not that surprising that the competition isn't far behind: AMD announced today that it's releasing five new desktop CPUs of its own, also spread across the lower and middle price ranges.

In terms of big surprises, there's only one: the Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition. AMD boasts that this chip is its "fastest-ever dual-core desktop processor," with a clock speed of 3.2 GHz and, as its name implies, an unlocked multiplier for those who want to sate a craving for overclocking. They don't have to spend a ton of money to do it, however: The X2 555 Black Edition lists for just $99, and its TDP of 80 watts won't be piling onto most people's power bills.

Otherwise, the new CPUs offer a fairly typical blend of filling out and rebalancing the line. There are three Athlon II CPUs, the X2 255 ($74), the X3 440 ($84), and the X4 635 ($119); and another Phenom II, the $169 X4 910e, which has a maximum TDP of 65 watts. All the CPUs use AMD's AM3 socket.

To accommodate the new CPUs, AMD is also renaming the quad-core Athlon II X4 620 the Athlon II X4 630, but keeping its price at $99.

Source:-http://www.pcmag.com/