AMD has expanded its Phenom II X6 market lineup with the Phenom II X6 1075T Black Edition model (model number: HDT75ZFBGRBOX), which has started hitting stores in Europe for as low as 227.35 EUR. Although the 1075T model has stayed in leaks and BIOS support lists ever since the series first surfaced, it is only now that we get to know that it’s a Black Edition part. The chip carries a clock speed of 3.00 GHz, and with its unlocked BClk multiplier, helps with overclocking the chip. AMD already has a higher-priced, higher-clocked model, the 3.20 GHz Phenom II X6 1090T, and there’s no indication that 1090T will be displaced from its current price point of ~250 EUR.

Based on the 45 nm “Thuban” die, the Phenom II X6 1075T features six cores, with a nominal speed of 3.00 GHz, that can increase by up to 400 MHz with load thanks to the TurboCore feature, the cores have dedicated L2 caches of 512 KB, and share an L3 cache of 6 MB. The chip comes in the AM3 package, and is backwards compatible with AM2+ socket, it supports both DDR3-1333 MHz and DDR2-1066 memory types, with room for higher frequencies. It has a TDP rated at 125W.

In what could come as a bad news to enthusiasts looking forward to the AMD Phenom II X4 960T “Zosma” quad-core processor, AMD has scrapped plans to release it, at least to the retail market. The chip could still be available to OEM vendors designing their desktop products around it. In a circular to the press, an AMD representative said “I’ve been asked the question about whether there will be a Phenom II X4 960T "Thuban" quad-core by enough individuals, that I think it is a good idea to proactively share the answer to everyone. While there are indeed engineering CPU samples floating around of a 4-core Thuban 960T, I do not expect that processor will be released for general availability. Perhaps it may make its way to OEMs by special request, but that remains to be seen.”

Phenom II X4 960T was a certain release from AMD until now. Various motherboard vendors released beta BIOS that could support the chip, and some enthusiasts with access to engineering samples were even successful in unlocking its disabled cores. The prospect of unlocking disabled cores to yield a six-core processor at the price of a typical quad-core processor is what garnered interest among some sections of the enthusiasts. For AMD, the adverse effect Zosma could have on the sales of more expensive Phenom II X6 seems to have outweighed propagating its new Turbo Core technology at more mainstream prices.

Source: Legit Reviews

AMD announced the immediate availability of the AMD Phenom II X6 processor and AMD 890FX chipset ushering in a new era of immersive 3D entertainment and visualization. Trailblazing consumers seeking immersive 3D entertainment and high definition multi-monitor display now can affordably upgrade to six-core performance and award-winning ATI Radeon HD 5000 series graphics. Today also marks the availability of the flagship AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition processor, AMD’s fastest and most tunable desktop processor ever.

"With AMD Phenom II X6 processors, discerning customers can build an incredible, immersive entertainment system and content creation powerhouse," said Bob Grim, director of Client Platform Marketing at AMD. "AMD is answering the call for elite desktop PC performance and features at an affordable price."

Retailers have started shipping AMD’s Phenom II X6 series of desktop six-core processors. The Phenom II X6 is AMD’s first consumer six-core processor for desktops, which intends to compete with Intel at aggressive price-points. AMD is starting the series with two models, the Phenom II X6 1055T and Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition. German retailer VV Computer priced the 1055T under 200€ at 198.7€, while the 1090T Black Edition goes for a little over 300 €, at 309.9€.

The Phenom II X6 1055T runs at 2.80 GHz, with Turbo Core speed of 3.30 GHz, while the Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition runs at 3.20 GHz with 3.60 GHz of Turbo Core speed, and an unlocked bus multiplier to help overclocking. Both chips have 9 MB of total cache, and TDP of 125W.

Source: TechConnect Magazine

To facilitate the upgrade to AMD’s next-generation processors, world-renowned mainboard and graphics card manufacturer MSI has announced that all AMD series products will be compatible with the Phenom II X6 6-core processor. With a simple BIOS update, older MSI AM3 mainboards will be capable of supporting this processor.

The all-new Phenom II X6 processor features 45nm processing technology, a true six-core design which can execute 6 threads simultaneously and the AMD Turbo Core Technology. What’s more, with up to 9 MB cache, overall performance is significantly enhanced compared to the previous generation Phenom II X4 processor. The Phenom II X6 is the best option for the latest and most powerful MSI based AMD platform.

AMD’s upcoming series of Phenom II X4 900T series that supports AMD Turbo Core technology, and which are based on the “Zosma” die, have been confirmed to be able to unlock both its manufacturer-disabled cores to work as a six-core processor. Zosma is a “cut-down” version of AMD’s Thuban six-core die, where two of its cores are disabled. With the remaining four cores, two can function with increased clock-speeds in boost-state as Turbo cores (3/6 could on the X6 chip).

The core unlocking is said to have been done on an AMD 890GX chipset based motherboard, in the same way disabled cores on Phenom II X3 and X2 chips are unlocked. One of the first models based on Zosma are the Phenom II X4 960T and X4 940T, which operate at 3.30 GHz and 3.00 GHz, respectively. Their Turbo Core speeds are up to 500 MHz over clock speeds, depending on the model. The X4 T-series could form AMD’s mainstream processor in the sub-$200 range.

Source: OCWorkbench

Here they are, boxes that carry AMD’s first desktop six-core processors, the Phenom II X6. This line of “true six core design” processors from AMD target performance/price sweet-spots in the sub-$300 segment, targeting higher-end Intel Core i5, and even Core i7 series processors from Intel. The Phenom II X6 is based on the 45 nm “Thuban” core, and comes in the socket AM3 package. The processor is said to be backwards-compatible with socket AM2+ on motherboards with a BIOS update. Expreview sourced pictures of three Phenom II X6 processor-in-box (PIB) units, of model 1055T.

A set of new slides by AMD to sections of the industry spills the beans on AMD’s processor offer outlook for perhaps the rest of the year. It shows AMD to maintain focus on value-oriented models that etch away Intel’s market share on grounds of price/performance, while the higher-end of the spectrum keeps up with the latest technologies including the industry-wide advent of the six-core processor era, as well as new power-state management technologies such as TurboCore, which steps up clock speeds of certain cores of the processors while powering down others, which the load is low or less-parallel.

Front-line processor lineups include the Phenom II X6, and Phenom II X4, including a new T X4 series that includes TurboCore support. AMD’s transition towards these chips from the existing Deneb-based quad-core ones starts within this quarter lasting throughout Q2 and part of Q3 2010. It includes Phenom II X4 960T, a 3.00 GHz (3.40 GHz turbo) chip based on the Zosma die. It goes up with the Phenom II X6 1035T, a six-core chip clocked at 2.60 GHz (3.10 GHz turbo). A notch higher up is the Phenom II X6 1055T, clocked at 2.80 GHz (3.30 GHz turbo), which comes in 95W and 125W variants. At the top is the Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition, an overclocker-friendly chip that runs at 3.20 GHz (3.60 GHz turbo). A little later in Q3, AMD will add in the Phenom II X6 1075T, clocked at 3.00 GHz (3.50 GHz turbo).

In a few weeks’ time, AMD will be releasing its brand new set of six-core Phenom II X6 processors. These processors are based on the “Thuban” core, which is a socket AM3 implementation of the Istanbul six-core architecture. Along with as many as four Phenom II X6 models including a high-end Black Edition part, AMD will be introducing new quad-core processors under the Phenom II X4 T series. Some of the first two models in this series includes the Phenom II X4 960T and Phenom II X4 940T.

The Phenom II X4 960T operates at 3.30 GHz, while the 940T runs at 3.00 GHz. What makes these chips different from existing chips based on the Deneb die is that it is in fact based on the Thuban die with two cores disabled. The resulting quad-core chip is codenamed Zosma. The other characteristic feature about not only Zosma, but also Thuban in general, is the introduction of a feature called “Turbo Core”. The feature senses performance needs and steps up clock speeds of some cores, while powering down others. The stepping up of clock speed happens on the fly, and using a jump in BClk multiplier by a few units. The new chips also come with the unofficial incentive of being able to unlock the two disabled cores to turn it into a six-core chip. Unlocking may not work in all cases.

Source: Silicon Madness

AMD’s lineup of six-core desktop processors under the Phenom II X6 banner indeed includes a high-end part. A Bahrain-based etailer disclosed prices of some of the models, which includes a Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition. This chip operates at 3.20 GHz, with a TDP of 125W. Being a Black Edition part, it sports an unlocked BClk multipler that helps overclocking. AMD plans to sell this chip at US $295. The Phenom II X6 1055T is the other part with a price-tag. This 2.80 GHz chip also has its TDP at 125W, although we’ve lead to believe that AMD will release a 95W variant, too. The 1055T goes for US $199. Both chips are based on the “Thuban” core, which feature six cores on a monolithic die, with 9 MB of total chip cache (512 KB L2 per core, and 6 MB L3 shared).

Source: Alienbabeltech