Hardware Information

To Upgrade or Not?


To upgrade or not? That is the question. At least, since the release of the new Athlon 64 FX-57, that is the question I have been pondering. Even though the FX-55, (which I am currently running), was everything I had hoped it would be, is the new FX-57 that much better? Well let's take a look.

The Athlon 64 FX-57 has an increased clock speed of 200 MHz bringing it to 2.8 GHz, up from the 2.6 GHz found in the FX-55. AMD didn't stop there though, they added a few extras to improve performance.

The chip's core is actually based on a revised K8 core code named San Diego (1 MB L2 cache), which bring's the size of the chip's die down to 90 nm from 130 nm. this is made possible by building the chip on AMD's latest SOI (Silicon and Insulator) technology.

The FX-57 has an improved memory controller, making it more flexible in terms of allowing you to use different size DIMM's on the same channel.

So is the FX-57 fast? It's screaming fast, but is it an enough of an improvement to warrent an upgrade? Well that depends a little on you. If you have to have the latest and greatest then this is the processor for you.

With a $1000+ price tag, I would be willing to say that the Athlon 64 FX-57 is a little too pricey for most mainstream users or enthusiasts (myself included). Especially if you just dropped $800-$900 on an FX-55 just six months ago like I did.

One other factor to consider is the future direction of processors. With an industry shift to dual-core processors, such as the Athlon 64 X2, the Athlon 64 FX-57 may be AMD's last installment in the single core processor market.

Now having said that, the FX-57 still out-performs (in terms of gaming) even the fastest dual-core processor such as the Athlon 64 X2 4800+. This is largely due to the fact that most games are not built to take advantage of a dual-core processor, not yet anyway.

So for the time being, the FX-57 will remain the fastest gaming processor on the market.

Nicholas Spriggs is the author and creator of desktop-computer-guide and is dedicated to bringing you the most accurate information on computers and all things related

http://www.desktop-computer-guide.com - Your guide to computers


MORE RESOURCES:

Wall Street Beat: Hardware Taking Brunt of Recession
PC World - 10 hours ago
Analyst Tristan Gerra cited, among other issues, weakness in the notebook market, which has been a driver for growth in the hardware market. ...


Prevent Unnecessary Hardware Upgrades
TMCnet - 9 hours ago
A company budgets its funds for a quarter or for a year, and having an unexpected hardware failure necessitating a replacement or upgrade turns that budget ...
Fully Automatic Defrag:The Key to Hard Drive Longevity TMCnet
all 2 news articles


Oregon lumber-hardware company closes up shop
kgw.com, OR - 14 hours ago
Chairman Brad Pence says the family owned hardware store and lumber supplier couldn't survive the housing collapse and tight credit. ...


CNET News

AT&T: Hold the Java
CNET News, CA - 9 hours ago
Java doesn't reach down far enough into the lower levels of the phone to exploit hardware in the manner that full-fledged operating systems do, he said. ...


Texas QB McCoy, DE Orakpo win Big 12 hardware
SI.com - Dec 3, 2008
AP AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- In a season where Big 12 quarterbacks dominated the league, Texas' Colt McCoy stood out in a crowd. The junior set school passing ...


Axiotron Unveils Updated Modbook
MarketWatch - 11 hours ago
Axiotron has upgraded the Modbook's hardware controller board for improved sleep, battery and system performance. In addition, specially designed radio ...


Hardware Sales Outlook Headed in Wrong Direction
Internet News (subscription), CA - 8 minutes ago
By Andy Patrizio: More stories by this author: Projections for hardware sales have been plummeting for some time, but Thursday's warnings from AMD and ...


The Truth About Linux Hardware Compatibility
Intranet Journal, CT - 8 hours ago
By Matt Hartley If there is one Linux myth that must be put to bed, it's that desktop Linux has terrible hardware support out of the box. ...


Thieves are stealing hardware equipment
Concord Monitor, NH - 1 hour ago
AP Armed with surveillance video, the police are looking for thieves who have been stealing thousands of dollars in hardware and landscaping equipment in ...


Tougher computer security means more hardware
R & D Magazine, NJ - 15 hours ago
RIT scientist and entrepreneur Roger Dube takes a close look at user authentication and computer security in his recently published book "Hardware-Based ...

Hardware - Google News

home | site map
© 2006