AMD Launches 8-core "Bulldozer" Processor

***Cosmonautical*** · 10-15-2011, 08:15 AM

Here Come The 8-Core AMD Bulldozer Powered Gaming PCs | Kotaku Australia

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kotaku.com.au

AMD launched its new FX line of processors today, and two gaming hardware builders have already jumped at the chance to provide the world’s first gaming rig powered by a native 8-core desktop processor.

Utilising AMD’s Bulldozer multi-core architecture, the new FX series of AMD CPUs sets its sights on high-end PC gaming, with up to eight completely unlocked native cores ready to tackling the toughest in HD multimedia creation and multi-display PC gaming at a relatively low price.

At least that’s what the marketing materials tell us. It all sounds good on paper, but from what I’m seeing around the web today the FX chips aren’t quite the new power revolution they were expected to be.

That won’t stop high-end PC gaming machine makers from jumping on the FX bandwagon. Both Origin PC and CyberpowerPC sent out announcements this morning, letting the world know that they were ready to build systems featuring the new four, six, and eight core chips.

CyberpowerPC’s Gamer Scorpius line of gaming PCs (pictured above because they sent pictures) start at $US576 and feature all four of the new chip models: The AMD FX-8150 3.60GHz 8-Core CPU; AMD FX-8120 3.10GHz 8-Core CPU; AMD FX-6100 3.30GHz 6-Core CPU; and the AMD FX-4100 3.6GHz Quad-Core CPU.

Origin PC will also be featuring all four chips in its systems, and while they don’t do dedicated product lines (configure your own damn PC!), they do offer quotes.

“Origin PC works directly with the best companies in the industry to deliver our customers with the latest technology first” said Kevin Wasielewski Origin PC CEO and cofounder. “AMD’s new unlocked 8-core processors deliver the best price to performance value that we have ever seen.”

Of course these aren’t the only companies employing the new processor line; they’re just the ones that showed up in my inbox this morning. I’m sure every gaming hardware manufacturer will be tossing these things about like popcorn by the end of the day.

I’ll probably be sticking with my Intel Core i7 for another couple of years. It’s served me well so far, and I’ve not had an AMD-powered desktop since the turn of the millennium. Old habits die hard.

Kargath · 10-15-2011, 08:25 AM

I don't see much use coming for this. The more cores there are, the less work each one tends to be able to do (heat management issues). So you have to do SMP instead of single-threaded apps, and that's hard to do since not many programs can neatly divide work into threads.
SMP's better for data processing, really.

***Cosmonautical*** · 10-15-2011, 08:28 AM

Well, ideally you wouldn't see too much of a reduction in usefulness, although that's wishful thinking.

The ultimate goal is probably something along the lines of being able to take on the workload of several machines.

10-15-2011, 08:25 AM	#2
Kargath et in Arcadia ego Join Date: Jul 2001 Gender: Posts: 8,334 Thanks: 1,226 Thanked 780 Times in 488 Posts	I don't see much use coming for this. The more cores there are, the less work each one tends to be able to do (heat management issues). So you have to do SMP instead of single-threaded apps, and that's hard to do since not many programs can neatly divide work into threads. SMP's better for data processing, really.

10-15-2011, 08:28 AM	#3
*Cosmonautical* Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: I rub my tilde all over your asterisk Gender: Posts: 28,100 Thanks: 2,151 Thanked 5,338 Times in 2,433 Posts	Well, ideally you wouldn't see too much of a reduction in usefulness, although that's wishful thinking. The ultimate goal is probably something along the lines of being able to take on the workload of several machines.