Processors Test

"Intel Core i7"

Issue: 1/2009

On test: Intel Core i7-920, Intel Core i7-940, Intel Core i7-965 Extreme Edition

Intel's latest range of desktop processors are set to be the fastest and most efficient processors they have released. With four cores and using the previously discarded HyperThreading technology to allow two instructions to be run on each core simultaneously, will the Core i7 live up to the hype? → More

"AMD Phenom X3 8750"

Published on: 5/2008

On test: AMD Phenom X3 8750

Since they first burst onto the scene Dual-core CPUs have become standard in most computers. Quad-core CPUs are to be found in most high-end gaming rigs computers but where products like the AMD Phenom X3 8750 fit in is yet to be seen. → More

"Kingston ValueRAM 2x1GB PC2-6400 FB-DIMM"

Published on: 5/2008

On test: Kingston ValueRAM 2x1GB PC2-6400 FB-DIMM

Is FB (Fully Buffered) memory the way to go for your memory needs? Kingston certainly seems to think so. → More

"AMD Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition"

Published on: 4/2008

On test: AMD Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition

The Phenom X4 9850 Black Edition is AMD's latest flagship CPU. It runs at 2.5GHz and is manufactured using AMD's 65nm Silicon on Insulator technology, which gives it a nominal TDP of 125W. The big trick up its sleeve, though, is its unlocked CPU/FSB multiplier that gives it a huge amount of potential for great overclocking. → More

"Home Server CPUs"

Issue: 12/2007

On test: AMD Sempron 3200+, Intel Core 2 Duo E6750

It's an easy assumption that a server needs more processing power than a desktop. After all, big businesses regularly deploy multiple-Xeon configurations, and they should know. But big iron is designed to service hundreds of concurrent threads in an environment where time is money. Your home server, by contrast, will generally be undertaking simple file-serving duties for just a few clients at once, and most of its tasks will be bound by disk and network throughput rather than processor speed. In practice, therefore, we'd expect a Home Server to derive little benefit from a super-powered CPU, and to do its job just as well with a far humbler processor. → More