Introduction

First of all, I would like to thank Links for providing the hardware used for testing and AMD for providing the tested processor samples.

A couple of months ago in one of the review intros I mentioned that both Intel and AMD look like they're done with frequency wars, and are preparing for processor core wars. Well, things are changing, and the light skirmishes that we had so far are heating up into a full scale war. Intel definitely threw the first punch with its return of HyperThreading, and AMD kindly responded by flooding the market with affordable triple and quad core models, leaving Intel pretty much helpless in lower segments of the market.



This time, AMD is taking the fight to Intel. With the new six core Phenom II X6 models based on the Thuban core the goal can't be more clearer, and yet again we see the same strategy at work that held AMD together in lower segments - offer more for less money. The first two models to enter the battlefield are 2.80 GHz based 1055T and a much faster 3.20 GHz 1090T model - our test sample.
AMD set the bar quite high for these newcomers and Intel surely won't go easy on them just because they're new in the game, but Phenom II X6 doesn't really look like a pushover, at least on paper. Quite the opposite seems to be the case: nice pricing, acceptable power consumption, high clocks and a few technology tricks, but most of all - backward compatibility. These features will make these processors a formidable opponent in their price segment.

Packaging and Contents

We received our test sample in tray together with a very nice MSI 890FXA-GD70 motherboard. Unfortunately the supplied motherboard had stability issues, so after much testing, the even better ASUS Crosshair IV Formula was used to complete the benchmarks.