Review: Core 2 Duo – Is it Better Than the Athlon 64s?

As many of you know, Intel has lost some ground in the processor market to rival AMD in recent months. However, with the highly anticipated release of the new Core 2 Duo series, hopes are high that Intel can regain the CPU performance throne.

Well, the verdicts are in.

Reviews:

Tom’s Hardware: First of all let me sort the facts: As soon as Core 2 Duo hits the market, it will…

• be the fastest x86 processor (both single and dual core models)
• make the Pentium D and all predecessors look like antiques
• be the clear choice for performance users despite its rather expensive price
• outperform the complete Athlon 64 family (X2 and FX) in all areas, including gaming, where AMD has traditionally been very strong
• consume less energy than other standard desktop processors
• transform the whole Intel platform from an energy-hungry beast to a reasonable solution that is competitive in terms of performance per Watt

Bit-Tech: “So then, it turns out that the performance numbers that we ran on the Intel-built Core 2 Duo E6700 system are as good as they looked the first time around. The performance capabilities of Intel’s Core architecture are now clearer than ever. There wasn’t a single test where the Core 2 Extreme X6800 fell behind AMD’s current flagship processor – the Athlon 64 FX-62. Arguably though, the more intriguing processors are the lower-end Core 2 Duos, namely the E6600 and the E6400.”

Trusted Reviews: “As with everything, it’s not just about the technology, it’s the final product. The Athlon 64 architecture might not be as far behind as we thought – clock for clock. However, pushing an Athlon 64 beyond 3GHz is currently a difficult task and even with a future die shrink to 65nm I don’t see it scaling as well as Core 2 Duo. If you take a close look at our benchmark results, you’ll see that the 2.66GHz E6600 is faster than an FX-62 in almost all cases and costs around a third of the price. Things don’t look good for AMD at all if its flagship product can’t stand up to a mid-range part.”

Click here for more reviews.

Product Information:

(Via bit-tech)

Bottom Line: It looks like we have a new champion in the CPU market. If you desire the best in performance, look no further than the Core 2 Duo series.

Posted by Sean