All AMD FX processors are based on the concept of 4,6 or 8 cores with totally unlocked multipliers which allow for overclocking. However, what AMD has decided to do is make a new line of processors from locked Bulldozer processors and they are using the Phenom II branding for this. There will be 4, 6 and 8 core variants like with the FX processors with 8MB of cache and either 95W or 125W TDP. Clock speeds will vary between 2.4GHz and 3.6GHz depending on the model. You can see the range of models in the provided tables.
You can expect these processors will hit similar price points to their FX equivalents except probably at about 10-20% less to account for the locked multiplier. The reason for this new line of CPUs? We expect it is because the production process has left a lot of chips which do not overclock very well or have faulty cores which are best left locked at lower clock speeds and hence the Phenom II line emerged. We are not quite sure why AMD hasn’t gone with Phenom III branding…maybe it’s because even they recognise the step up in performance is so minimal it isn’t really advancing.
Source: Inpai.com.cn
