Last week I presented the details of the new "Penryn" Core 2 processor from Intel. In that article, I reviewed each new feature of the processor and covered how each feature might affect your PC's performance. Finally, I finished off the article with interviews of software developers that discussed how they expect the new processor to affect their projects. So after all of that, it's time to actually put the new processors to the test. In this review, I put Intel's new Core 2 Extreme QX9650 and Core 2 Extreme QX9770 up against the previous top processor from Intel, the Core 2 Extreme QX6850. We'll see how the new core performs clock-for-clock against the last generation processor and look at where the "Penryn" architecture is going. All of this will be evaluated on Intel's latest chipset, the X38 Express.

On October 28^th, Intel released the reviews on the new "Penryn" Core 2 processor, specifically the Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core QX9650. The QX9650 has a lot of new features and welcomes a new generation to the Core 2 processor family. So what are these features and how will they equate into benefits to the consumer and, more specifically, Linux users? That's what Linux Hardware is here to unravel. In this review I'll cover all the high points of the new "Penryn" core and talk to a couple Linux projects about the impact on end-user performance.

So now that you've got your shiny new dual-core processor, you think you have the most power a single processor can offer. Well Intel today has changed the rules again with the first quad-core desktop processor. The Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 brings server-level processor performance to the desktop for all of your compiling, gaming, and encoding needs. What's new with this processor and how did Intel pull off this leap? Read on for all the details.

By now, you've probably heard that Intel has a new chip out that went by the code-name “Conroe” but now goes by the names Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme. So while you may have read about how great these chips are under Windows, I bet you have heard little to no news about Linux performance or even Linux support. As usual, this is where Linux Hardware comes in to fill in the gaps. I have each of these top two new processors from Intel as well as some DDR2-800 and a new NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT. I'll walk you through the features of this new core processor technology from Intel, take you through support and performance, and end up with a discussion on power, heat, cost, and availability. There's a lot to cover here, so let's get going.

Article notes located at the end of the article updated on: Aug. 23, 2006, 5:30 PM EST.

It's been about 6 months since our last big desktop processor review (July '05: Battle of the High-End CPUs), but here we are at another big release from both Intel and AMD. In this review we'll be taking a look at the new big dogs from both companies. This time they're laying it all down and going for the highest clocked dual-core processors they can pump out. On the Intel side we have the new Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 955 with a new chipset, the Intel 975X Express. From AMD we have a new top-of-the-line Athlon 64 FX processor, the Athlon 64 FX-60. There's nothing new on the chipset front for AMD this time around. First we'll share the background on these new processors and then take a look at Intel's new chipset. Is AMD still top dog in the processor battle? We'll see.

With all of the different processors available today from both AMD and Intel, it can be a tough decision to choose even a high-end CPU from the choices available. After all, with both single-core and dual-core CPUs available today, what constitutes the top processor may be different for the gamer versus the software developer. That's where this article comes in. We aim to show you where three of the top processors from both Intel and AMD line-up and hopefully help show you some clear results on who has the top processors. After we check out performance, we'll take a look at cost and some other factors and come up with some conclusions.

The last several weeks have brought a plethora of previews, reviews, and articles on dual-core processors from both AMD and Intel. Hardware sites have been scrambling to setup testing suites to adequately cover what dual-core can offer performance wise to the end user. Some of these sites have done great and others have fallen flat on their face. Even the better reviews like the two done here Dual-Core Opterons Reviewed on the Linux Front and Dual-Core on the Desktop: AMD’s Athlon 64 X2 have left a lot of readers still confused as to whether or not they need a dual-core system. Along with reviews, we believe that an in depth overview of dual-core was needed to help ease most of the confusion that users are having about this technology. Today’s article will focus mainly on what dual-core is about and why AMD and Intel are pushing for it.

Last month we took our first look at dual-core processors in the form of AMD's Opteron processors. While those processors are targeted at servers and workstations, AMD still had dual-core desktop parts to deliver. Today we bring you the first look at dual-core Athlon 64 parts, dubbed Athlon 64 X2, under Linux. We'll run through the numbers as usual but also throw in a mix of information on support, stability, cost, availability, and a few other key points on these new chips. Will dual-core on the desktop make you run out and buy a new processor? Hopefully our Athlon 64 X2 4800+ will be able to answer that question. Unfortunately, even though they are available, we won't be able to take a look at the Intel dual-core part in this review. The Linux support is not yet ironed out and we're waiting on that to complete the Intel side of things.