For the complete review with benchies go to : DriverHeaven
Intro :
The FX-60 is a 90nm part based on AMD’s Toledo core. AMD pack over 233million transistors into the FX60 at 90nm and end up with a die size just over 199mm2. The chip comes clocked at 2.6ghz and features 2 cores (like the X2 range of CPU’s). Cache levels are set to 64kb of both L1 data and L1 code and L2 cache is 1mb (per core). The chip supports all the usual technologies such as SSE3 and x86-64 and has a reasonably low operating voltage of 1.3-1.35v. We say low because the same Toledo core was used on the X2 4800+ and on that chip the voltage requirement is 1.35-1.4v for a slower 2.4ghz clock.
The FX-60 is, like previous high end Athlon’s, a Socket 939 part and will work in almost all 939 motherboards available since the launch of the platform (bios updates might be required). Like the FX-55 single core chip the FX-60 uses a HTT of 200 and multiplier of 13x to reach the 2.6ghz Clockspeed. This brings it in at only 200mhz slower (in terms of clock speed anyway) than the FX-57.
The FX-60 will be AMD’s last speed bump on the Socket 939 platform though with future chips being based on the AM2 socket which should launch some time in Quarter 2 2006. With this being a FX chip you can experiment a little more with your own Clockspeed increases as the multiplier is unlocked.
Cool n Quiet is also supported by the FX-60 and with its TDP of 110w you will be pleased to hear no massive new cooling solution is required, any good socket 939 cooler (FX55 compatible and up) will do the job nicely. Additionally, if you enable Cool N Quiet the chip will further reduce heat and therefore noise by reducing the core speeds to 1.2ghz when idle.
So in summary… this chip is close in spec to two FX-55’s on the same die or a 4800+ with a 200mhz speed increase (and unlocked multiplier) ... depending on how you wish to look at it.
Overclocking :
As the FX-60 comes with an unlocked multiplier we couldn’t resist a little overclocking. For this test we are using an ATI reference Crossfire board as it allows us to choose half multipliers and is a very stable board at enhanced speeds. So off we headed to the bios… From a stock HTT 200 and multiplier of 13x we found that the best achievable overclock was to raise the multiplier only and the highest stable setting we found was 14.5x giving us an overall CPU speed of 2900mhz (or 2.9ghz). The voltage used to achieve this was 1.4v.
This was an excellent performance increase and takes the CPU well ahead of the X2 4800+ and FX57 in any scenario.
Conclusion :
AMD haven’t disappointed with the launch of the FX-60. When compared to the other dual core Athlon CPU’s we have one here which not only operates on a lower voltage ... it actually runs at a higher speed than any X2 and on top of that comes with an unlocked multiplier meaning that if you’re an enthusiast you are going to have a hell of a time with this CPU.
Benchmark results show that this processor is one of the best performing products currently available, if not the best. Whilst the FX-57 will gain a slight advantage when running an application that doesn’t utilise 2 cores this advantage will only be minor. Additionally as we move further into 2006 more and more software will be released which benefit from dual cores making the long term investment even more attractive.
It's all very good being one of the fastest products on the market however the other major factor when choosing a CPU is the stability of your system. We’ve used the FX-60 for about one month running it all day every day and not once did we experience any stability issues which is a great sign. Additionally, the low power requirements and minimal heat generation mean that your CPU wont turn your PC into an oven ... not only benefiting the life of the CPU but also benefiting the overall system lifespan.
Overall this is a first class product from AMD, it may be expensive however this really is a case of you get what you pay for. The FX-60 should keep any enthusiast happy for a long time to come. Highly Recommended.
The FX-60 is in store now and can be purchased for£763
Intro :
The FX-60 is a 90nm part based on AMD’s Toledo core. AMD pack over 233million transistors into the FX60 at 90nm and end up with a die size just over 199mm2. The chip comes clocked at 2.6ghz and features 2 cores (like the X2 range of CPU’s). Cache levels are set to 64kb of both L1 data and L1 code and L2 cache is 1mb (per core). The chip supports all the usual technologies such as SSE3 and x86-64 and has a reasonably low operating voltage of 1.3-1.35v. We say low because the same Toledo core was used on the X2 4800+ and on that chip the voltage requirement is 1.35-1.4v for a slower 2.4ghz clock.
The FX-60 is, like previous high end Athlon’s, a Socket 939 part and will work in almost all 939 motherboards available since the launch of the platform (bios updates might be required). Like the FX-55 single core chip the FX-60 uses a HTT of 200 and multiplier of 13x to reach the 2.6ghz Clockspeed. This brings it in at only 200mhz slower (in terms of clock speed anyway) than the FX-57.
The FX-60 will be AMD’s last speed bump on the Socket 939 platform though with future chips being based on the AM2 socket which should launch some time in Quarter 2 2006. With this being a FX chip you can experiment a little more with your own Clockspeed increases as the multiplier is unlocked.
Cool n Quiet is also supported by the FX-60 and with its TDP of 110w you will be pleased to hear no massive new cooling solution is required, any good socket 939 cooler (FX55 compatible and up) will do the job nicely. Additionally, if you enable Cool N Quiet the chip will further reduce heat and therefore noise by reducing the core speeds to 1.2ghz when idle.
So in summary… this chip is close in spec to two FX-55’s on the same die or a 4800+ with a 200mhz speed increase (and unlocked multiplier) ... depending on how you wish to look at it.
Overclocking :
As the FX-60 comes with an unlocked multiplier we couldn’t resist a little overclocking. For this test we are using an ATI reference Crossfire board as it allows us to choose half multipliers and is a very stable board at enhanced speeds. So off we headed to the bios… From a stock HTT 200 and multiplier of 13x we found that the best achievable overclock was to raise the multiplier only and the highest stable setting we found was 14.5x giving us an overall CPU speed of 2900mhz (or 2.9ghz). The voltage used to achieve this was 1.4v.
This was an excellent performance increase and takes the CPU well ahead of the X2 4800+ and FX57 in any scenario.
Conclusion :
AMD haven’t disappointed with the launch of the FX-60. When compared to the other dual core Athlon CPU’s we have one here which not only operates on a lower voltage ... it actually runs at a higher speed than any X2 and on top of that comes with an unlocked multiplier meaning that if you’re an enthusiast you are going to have a hell of a time with this CPU.
Benchmark results show that this processor is one of the best performing products currently available, if not the best. Whilst the FX-57 will gain a slight advantage when running an application that doesn’t utilise 2 cores this advantage will only be minor. Additionally as we move further into 2006 more and more software will be released which benefit from dual cores making the long term investment even more attractive.
It's all very good being one of the fastest products on the market however the other major factor when choosing a CPU is the stability of your system. We’ve used the FX-60 for about one month running it all day every day and not once did we experience any stability issues which is a great sign. Additionally, the low power requirements and minimal heat generation mean that your CPU wont turn your PC into an oven ... not only benefiting the life of the CPU but also benefiting the overall system lifespan.
Overall this is a first class product from AMD, it may be expensive however this really is a case of you get what you pay for. The FX-60 should keep any enthusiast happy for a long time to come. Highly Recommended.
The FX-60 is in store now and can be purchased for£763
