AMD slashes prices on triple-core Phenom X3 processors
Dec.20, 2008 in
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AMD may have some new dual-core Phenom processors around the corner, but it looks like those wanting to build an AMD rig on the cheap don’t have to wait until then, as the company has just slashed the price on its triple-core Phenom X3 processors, a move that follows some similar price cuts just a few weeks ago. As of now, you can get an X3 8450 for $104 (down from $125 in July), an X3 8650 for $119 (down from $145), an X3 8750 for $129 (down from $175), or even an X3 8750 Black Edition with overclocking support for just $134. As TG Daily points out, that pits the processors up against the low-end of Intel’s Core 2 Duo offerings, which certainly makes ‘em an attractive option for those looking to get the most bang for the buck.
HP unsurprisingly isn’t ready to touch this one in any sort of official way just yet, but BusinessWeek is reporting that at least some folks at the company are “exploring the possibility of building a mass-market operating system,” which would be positioned as an alternative to Vista. That OS, as you might have guessed, would be based on Linux, although BusinessWeek’s sources say it “would be simpler and easier for mainstream users.” By all indications, however, this so-called “skunk works team” within HP doesn’t seem to have moved much beyond the brainstorming stage, and HP is sticking strictly to its official line that it is more interested in “innovating on top of Vista,” with HP chief technology officer Phil McKinney even going so far as to say that the idea that it’s funding a huge R&D team to go off and create an operating system “makes no sense.”
Although Apple just posted some ridiculous quarterly numbers, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to escape the current economic conditions in the US unscathed — like pretty much everyone else, monthly sales are down in Cupertino, according to the NPD Group. The drop is only one percent total, but it’s against a two percent rise in overall PC sales, which could indicate that Apple’s premium pricing is hurting it as shoppers turn to netbooks and other bargain machines. That dovetails nicely with chatter we’re hearing today about updated Mac minis making a debut at Macworld — although Steve famously proclaimed that Apple doesn’t “know how to make a $500 machine that’s not a piece of junk” during the last earnings call, it sure sounds like he’s going to try, with a $499 2.0GHz mini in a new MacBook-esque unibody enclosure rumored to arrive onstage in January. If you believe Wired, it’ll be accompanied by a $700 2.3GHz version with NVIDIA graphics, and both models will feature mini DisplayPorts — nothing shocking there. We’ll see when we see — we’ve been waiting for the mini to be updated forever, and while Apple did just uncharacteristically slam rumors of a new model, times like these could lead to drastic measures.
Hot on the heels of word that the 45nm Phenom II chip is up for grabs, AMD has announced that its 65nm predecessor has been relegated to budget duty. The new Phenom-based Athlon X2 7000 chips are now available, replacing the aged X2 6000 and delivering an affordable HyperTransport bus boost to 3.6GHz, 2MB of L3 cache, but still just 1MB on L2. It’s a dual-core processor, unlike the higher-spec Phenoms, and consumes 95-watts. That’s a handy drop from the X2 6000’s 125-watt rating, but isn’t exactly frugal compared to some of AMD’s other Phenom offerings. The 2.7GHz X2 7750 Black Edition is available now in bulk for just under $80, and appears to be retailing for around $90. Meanwhile a paler, cheaper, 2.5GHz version is shipping just for OEMs — but that shouldn’t stop you home builders from finding one if you’re really inclined.
The Mac cloning soap opera just keeps taking crazy twists and turns — Art Studios Entertainment, makers of the EFi-X dongle, have shut down EFi-X USA’s plans to sell “Millennium” machines capable of running OS X just hours after they were announced. ASE CEO Davide Rutigliano sent us a statement saying that EFi-X USA was misinterpreting ASE’s EFi-X certification program, that ASE will “NEVER sell machines or condone the sale of machines that compete with any brand,” and that he personally ordered the project abandoned. Indeed, a visit to EFi-X USA’s page confirms that the machines have been killed, although we’re unsure what the terse statement “EFi-X USA LLC fights the clones and the clonemakers” is supposed to mean. All part of another strange chapter in the Hackintosh saga, we suppose. Check ASE’s full statement after the break.