Turion X2 50% Faster!

http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=2&id=1904&pg=6

Here's the preliminary benchmarks.

 

I'd say your correct, that is, when comparing a single-core Turion to a dual core version. The margin is 50% on the spot because the Turion X2 brings no improvements to the K8 architecture, only adds another core.

Chaz

 

Totally situation dependant, if you look at gaming performance it will be the same (unless specifically coded, i think oblivion loads the next area with the other core) while video encoding where most programs are multithreaded you will get a much better result.

 

Can't wait to see the first useage benchmarks as opposed to the theoreticals, I'm a little confused why that site didn't bother to benchmark it against a Core Duo (since realistically that is the competitor for the X2) but... guess they just couldn't be bothered.

Anyway, definately will be interesting to see, and hoping for some great results.

 

There are benchmarks comparing it to the Core duo. And the core duo is faster.. The turion x2 is just two turions with a new socket type to add DDR2.

 

Here's one of the reviews so far (in French, but pictures defy language):
http://www.matbe.com/articles/lire/299/amd-turion-64-x2-socket-s1-et-ddr2/page1.php

 

Based on the graphs in that French review, it looks like the Core Duo comes out ahead...

 

And just to keep this thread-centric, here is the Goog translation of the matbe.com review that I dropped into another thread on the same subject --> http://translate.google.com/translate?sourceid=navclient&hl=en&u=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2ematbe%2ecom%2farticles%2flire%2f299%2famd%2dturion%2d64%2dx2%2dsocket%2ds1%2det%2dddr2%2fpage1%2ephp

On a somewhat related note but w/out benefit of the Tx2 samples here is an interesting article on how Core Duo (current) stacks up against several AMD processors when put on a desktop mobo....lots of benchmarks relevant to gamers...

Edit: just to be completely fair, here is some commentary from AMDZone on the bit-tech bake-off....

Edit[2]: And here is an article I just found (catching up on tech reading tonight) on the Tx2 w/ a fair amount of meat on the bones....

Edit[3]: More on the Tx2 launch and who will be playing....and now to bed....

 

Nah the core duo is two pentium Ms stuck together, the Turion is made from two cores designed to fit and work together with cross die communication links and a low latency memory controller cappable of feeding both. Intels dual core technology does not scale aswell as the A64s.

 

And just to make life a little more interesting, according to the Inquirer (yeah, I know!!!) in an article entitled " AMD readies notebook chip unheaval" there is a new AMD mobile architecture on the way "real soon now" to compete w/ the next-gen Intel chippies...let the wars continue and the consumer benefit!!!!

 

Wow, yeah looking at that French article at least it looks like the Core Duo wins hands down, in fact it looks like even a Pentium M beats the core duo for some things (Super PI, although how good that test is for anything is questionable).

 

No one has mentioned the fact though that, because the Turion64 X2 is 64 bit, future O.S.'s like Vista and future applications should run faster. Today buying a processor because it is 64 bit is not that worth it, as only linux and the crappy WindowsXP-64bit and Windows 2003-64bit support it. But if one is looking at the future with the introduction of vista it should be worth it, especially now that AMD have the dual core 64 bit.

So if one wants a reseanably fast processor which is still good for future use, the AMD Turion64 X2 is quite good.

On the other hand if one wishes to wait a few months (about 4-6 more months), Intel is getting out the Merom which is like the TurionX2, ie. dual core and 64 bit. This processor though will be completely rebuilt so it should be better than the X2.

With such tight competition you can keep on waiting forever, because every few months a new technology comes out. One has to make a decision and buy.

 

Any word on when one can purchase a laptop with a Turion X2?
Thanks