As most enthusiasts can tell you, the Intel Core i7 lineup is a formidable powerhouse of processors. But you will likely also hear in the next breath that they are very expensive. Both statements are true, and I doubt many people can argue those facts. However, there is also a flipside to that equation, that processors exist that offer far better value or performance-for-dollar. While these chips may not garner the same buzz or hype as the flagship Intel chips, they do occupy a large share in the market, and many mainstream users, and even enthusiasts on a tight budget, can benefit.
Typically these cheaper processors have largely been dual core, or even the odd tri-core CPU, but AMD has now made a considerable push into this segment by offering a truly "affordable" quad core chip, the Athlon II X4. Priced around $100 USD{RS 5000(APPROX.) IN INDIA}, it breaks a psychological barrier that many consumers, AMD is betting, are likely to jump onto the bandwagon and overlook the powerhouse, expensive processors dominated by Intel.
Not since the heyday of the original Athlon has AMD really stuck it to Intel, but this new Athlon II X4 sounds very promising. Sure it's inexpensive, but what about performance? Is it completely handicapped by the lack of L3 cache that its larger sibling the Phenom II carries? Can the new Athlon Quad overclock any better than recent AMD offerings, and if so, just how far can it go? We'll answer these questions today, and we promise you, there are some very interesting surprises in store.
Specifications & Features
The specifications for the AMD Athlon II X4 620 are as follows:
L1 Cache: 64K instruction and 64K data cache per core (512KB total L1 per processor)
L2 Cache: 512KB per core (2MB total L2 per processor)
The notable bit of information here for the Athlon II X4 is that both DDR2 and DDR3 Dual Channel memory continue to be supported, similar to the Phenom II lineup, thus allowing AM2+ motherboards (with either Phenom or Athlon CPUs) and DDR2 to be utilized. However, moving to DDR3-capable boards later is also an option as well, so the flexibility that AMD is known for continues as usual. With the move to 45nm process, this allows the Athlon II X4 to run at lower voltages and higher frequencies, and the 620 with a stock clock speed of 2.6GHz, has a TDP of 95 Watts. This will allow the chip to run cooler than the higher-end ones we've seen lately, and our suspicion is this will result in higher proportional overclocks as well. With the Athon II X4 obviously a budget chip, the distinction between it and the flagship Phenom II chips are essentially found in the cache. There isn't much difference in the outward physical appearance, so the internals are where they diverge. While the L1 and L2 caches are the same, the Athlon II is essentially handcuffed by comparison, with the absence of L3 cache, which is indeed found in the Phenom II lineup. We know that the L3 can supplement the chip's horsepower considerably in some applications, so we'll see during testing what sort of difference this makes today for the Athlon II X4. AMD is currently listing both an X4 620 and X4 630 as the available models in their budget arsenal, and each are identical except for clock speeds. The 620 comes in at 2.6GHz, while the 630 is clocked at 2.8GHz. As you'll soon see during our overclocking sessions, these Athlon II chips have some serious overhead potential, so we actually recommend the 620 model, as it's not only cheaper but can far exceed the extra 200MHz of the 630 without even batting an eye. With that said, let's look at the setups and test systems, and get this chip juiced up.
