Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Thursday, 27 March 2008 14:29
Opinion and Analysis
Page 3 of 4
AMD say the Phenom X4 9100e is “the world's first energy-efficient desktop quad-core processor” which provides “customers with a cool and quiet digital media workhorse.”
Although we’ll no doubt hear what Intel has to say at their IDF conference in Shanghai next week in response, AMD say the 9100e enables “digital media enthusiasts and performance-hungry users [to] experience the powerful computing capabilities of a true multi-core architecture with a processor operating at a maximum of 65-watts.”
Rather than working with AMD’s 790 chipset, as AMD recommends for the other X4 processors, AMD ssays the 9100e is designed to work with the AMD 780 chipset, the same one they recommend for use with the triple-core Phenom X3’s.
AMD touts the benefits as offering an “efficient PC platform that plays Blu-ray movies and delivers a rich computing experience for casual gamers and multimedia enthusiasts”, while giving “consumers extensive multi-tasking capabilities like creating digital content while checking and writing e-mails and simultaneously downloading music files off the Web”, making the 9100e and 780 combination “ideal for consumers and business customers looking for cool, quiet, energy-efficient PCs.”
AMD says the Phenom X4 9100e processor embodies “a series of AMD energy-efficient innovations”, including:
- Cool'n'Quiet 2.0 technology, the next generation of AMD's award-winning power saving technology;
- AMD CoolCore technology, which helps users achieve more efficient performance by dynamically activating or turning off parts of the processor as needed;
- Independent Dynamic Core Technology, which allows a fully independent frequency control per processor core that can reduce processor energy consumption by adjusting power usage according to core utilization;
- Dual Dynamic Power Management, which enables a split power plane design, allowing independent voltage planes for processor and memory controller for greater control over performance based on system demands;
- AMD Wideband Frequency Control, for simplified performance state transitions to help reduce power consumption, latency and software overhead of performance states changes; and
- Multi-Point Thermal Control, multiple sensors across processor silicon designed to reduce speed and heat when temperature exceeds pre-defined limits.
For more AMD commentary on the 9100e X4, and the curiously missing price details, please read onto page 4.
