Five desktop quad-core solutions compared
March 6th, 2007 by jamesThe Tech Report weighs in with a review of five quad-core desktops. Those that need some serious compute power or just like to have the fastest machine on their block, should take a look at their review.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, we’ve already reviewed the top-end desktop quad-core processor rigs from Intel and AMD. We examined the Core 2 Extreme QX6700 upon its debut, and we covered AMD’s Quad FX platform even before it hit store shelves. What we found, in a nutshell, is that four processor cores is a wonderful thing to have, but only if you have some heavy multitasking to do or you happen to make extensive use of one of the few applications out there capable of taking full advantage of four cores simultaneously. But things have changed somewhat since our last dance with quad-core systems, and so we’re gathered here today to take another look.
Chief among the new developments is the availability of cheaper—err, less expensive—quad-core options like the Core 2 Quad Q6600 and Athlon 64 FX-70. Intel and AMD like to showcase their top performing chips in order to show off what they can do, but top-speed-grade processors are rarely the best values. What’s more, we’ve found that practically any top-speed-grade incarnation of a processor tends to be in a rough spot with respect to heat and power consumption. Lower speed grades promise higher performance per watt.
Read the rest of The Tech Report review.
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