Latest Athlon CPU Good But

The first AMD dual core processor aimed specifically at desktop users is now available, with the first systems also going on sale today at some retail outlets in the United States. The Athlon 64 FX-60 is also the last processor AMD will make for Socket-939 motherboards. Future processors from AMD will be manufactured for Socket-AM2 motherboards, which is due out in a few months. Reviewers for AnandTech said with this processor "setting records in Winstone, SYSMark and WorldBench, it's clear that for all of your desktop applications you can't get any faster than the Athlon 64 FX-60. . . . "Then there's the issue of AMD's upcoming Socket-AM2; due out in another few months, you obviously won't be able to use any Socket-939 processors in the new motherboards and there will be no upgrade path beyond the FX-60 for current 939 owners, so our recommendation would be to stay away from the FX-60 unless you absolutely have to build the world's fastest system today. If the latter is true, then you can't go wrong with the FX-60, if not however you'll be better off waiting for AM2." AnandTech reports AMD will launch their Socket-AM2 platform in the April through June quarter, "along with AM2 versions of the Athlon 64, Athlon 64 X2 and the FX-62. Given that the AM2 platform adds DDR2 support, it is entirely feasible that the Athlon 64 FX-62 won't receive a clock speed bump over the FX-60 and just use the higher bandwidth memory as justification for the higher model number. "Although we've generally shied away from recommending AMD's FX line of processors, we can't help but be a little excited about the FX-60. . . . Our excitement over the Athlon 64 FX-60 isn't really about its performance, although at 2.6GHz it is quite stellar, rather it is more of an excitement out of principle. We've favored and recommended dual core processors to power users as soon as they were available, even though dual core processors were generally far slower at single threaded applications than their equivalently priced single core alternatives. With the FX-60, at least at the high end, the same is no longer true." AMD says Velocity Micro is one of the first computer manufacturers to use the Athlon 64 FX-60 dual core processor. North American retail outlet Best Buy is featuring Velocity Micro's new Gamers' Edge DualX T1425. "Velocity Micro caters to the needs of enthusiasts and gamers, and makes every effort to offer the ultimate gaming experience," said Randy Copeland, president and CEO, Velocity Micro. "For the first time ever, Best Buy is offering flagship Velocity Micro systems based on the AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 dual-core processor, which verifies our dedication to delivering gaming PCs optimized for ultimate PC performance. Our systems, which utilize the AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 dual-core processor, are designed to offer ultimate performance with the highest resolution and detail, bringing games to life." Availability and Pricing The AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 dual-core processor is available immediately worldwide. The AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 processor is priced at $1,031 in 1,000-unit PIB quantities. For pricing details, please visit: www.amd.com/pricing. Systems based on the AMD Athlon 64 FX-60 dual-core processor are expected to be available from the following companies worldwide: -- Europe: Evesham and Mesh. -- North America: ABS, Alienware, CyberPower, Falcon Northwest, Hypersonic, iBuyPower (AFT), Might Micro, Mighty Micro, Monarch, Overdrive PC, Polywell, Velocity Micro, Voodoo PC, XI Computer, Zipzoomfly, and ZT Group.