AMD Phenom 9900 Performance Preview - Page 12

Value

Phenom retail pricing is one area that AMD is concentrating on, even if it hurts their bottom line. Current pricing on Phenom 9500 (2.2 GHz) and 9600 (2.3 GHz) models sit at approximately $200-$210 and $240-$250, respectively. The upcoming Phenom 9700 (2.4 GHz) is set to be priced below $300, while AMD states the Phenom 9900 (2.6 GHz) will sport a price of under $350. This compares to the entry-level Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4 GHz) at $280 and the Core 2 Quad Q6700 (2.66 GHz) at $540. In terms of quad core processors, nothing can touch the Phenom in terms of retail pricing, and AMD can position the Phenom against the mainstream Core 2 Duo models as well.

* Please note that these prices were taken at the time of review and are not meant to reflect long-term trends.

Conclusion

The initial release of the AMD Phenom processor was a very rocky one, littered with low clock speeds, poor memory performance scores and TLB errata. Some things have changed since then, and at 2.6 GHz, the Phenom 9900 offers a more competitive part against the Core 2 Quad juggernaut. But with higher clock speeds comes a higher TDP, and at 65nm, AMD has its work cut out moving past 2.6 GHz. The best part of the Phenom 9900 is its price-performance ratio, which not only offers an excellent value for new system builders, but also as an upgrade for current AM2 platforms.

Pros:

• Excellent Media Encoding Results
• Exceptional *Revised* Memory Scores
• Low Price

Cons:

• Lackluster Gaming Performance
• Increased Power Consumption