Reviews - AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition CPU review

[HEXUS]

AMD ramps up the clock and sics the Phenom II X6 on Intel's Core i7 chips.

Read more.

[kalniel]

The HEXUS.PiFast test, however, relies on frequency above all else, and the CPUs' Turbo ability is more important than number of cores.

Presumably you mean frequency x IPC. If it were raw frequency then the X6 should be beating the lower frequency chips from Intel, which it's not.

Otherwise, tasty review and product. Amazing how much AMD are managing to squeeze out of the process. We could have just done with it a bit earlier to directly compete with Intel.

[this_is_gav]

Yes, the £727 Intel Core i7 980X EE slaps it into submission when the going gets tough, but one could build a reasonable PC around the 1100T

Just reasonable?!

[Tarinder]

Yup, should read like-for-like frequency, or IPC x frequency, as you've pointed out.

[Tarinder]

Just reasonable?!

You can tell I've been using GTX 580 and HD 5870 GPUs for too long.

[crossy]

AMD is releasing the Phenom II X6 1100T - a drop-in replacement for the current range-topping 1090T.

And guess what I bought last week ... doh!

That said, if it's only a tiny speed bump over the/my 1090T then I suppose that I shouldn't be too unhappy.

One big advantage that AMD has over Intel is that the latter seem hellbent on introducing a new socket pretty much every 12-18 months - which surely isn't the best idea ever.

Good review from Hexus (as usual?) - and I think that the point about being able to make up a system that comes some-way to a 980X based one, for a fraction of the outlay, is well-made. Certainly that's the argument that persuaded me to stay loyal to AMD (K6, then Duron, Athlon, Athlon64, and now PhenomII-X6) for my tower PC (portable devices though have all been Intel). Close-run thing this time - the 800 series i7's looked very inviting.

[zoomee]

Glad hexus made the point about the 980x - fraction of the cost this CPU is

You won't be dissapointed with your 1090T crossy - had mine sitting at 4Ghz rock solid stable since they first launched in April/May time :>

[rox0r]

I'm in the same boat having just built a new rig around a 1090T but I'm certainly not phased by this, mine is running at 3.9 with a meager piffle of air from some 140mm Noctua fans (It will do over 4 quite happily but I'm a real stickler for noise) and not much else meaning a near silent machine so I'm a perfectly happy chappy for a good year or two to come

There's never any point getting irked by a new shiny being released with bigger numbers than the one you just bought, it only leads to sorrow and financial ruin.

[crossy]

You won't be dissapointed with your 1090T crossy - had mine sitting at 4Ghz rock solid stable since they first launched in April/May time :>

Thanks for the support (and you too Rox0r) - think 4GHz is way out of my scope - got a 6 year old CM ATC-210 case, which is narrower than normal. So I'm limited to those coolers that are really designed for HTPC's - nothing higher than 140mm and no water cooling (80mm fan mounts only).

Maybe next year I'll be able to afford some nice replacement case (and an upgrade to Noctua NH-D14) but all the gear I just splashed out on (mobo, ram, SSD, etc) has emptied my wallet. :'( Darn these computers are expensive...

On the upside, if the 1100T has just come out then I'm pretty sure that I can look forward to a year or three's satisfied running.

[scaryjim]

... no water cooling (80mm fan mounts only). ...

That doesn't have to stop you - just use your imagination a bit

[nibbler]

Or just buy a dual 80mm radiator

[crossy]

That doesn't have to stop you - just use your imagination a bit

I bow low in the presence of greatness
me+water+leccy = smell-of-burning + blown-fuses-everywhere.

Nice idea - or I could just try and sell/recycle the old CM case and get something that has proper fan provision. Think missus would be happier with that - certainly my insurance company would be!

Although, there's space for a 120mil fan (or radiator) in the roof of the case if I'm okay to lose a 5 1/4 bay. Hmm, got that new Dremel accessories kit I haven't tried yet ... mwahaahaa!

Got to wonder what possessed Coolermaster to design a case with a single top-mounted 80mil intake and a single 80mil exhaust ... and that's it as far as cooling. Not one of their (or my) better decisions.

[nibbler]

Watercooling is possible in a case under £100, especially if it's only 1 waterblock in the loop.

[crossy]

I'm in the same boat having just built a new rig around a 1090T but I'm certainly not phased by this, mine is running at 3.9 with a meager piffle of air from some 140mm Noctua fans (It will do over 4 quite happily but I'm a real stickler for noise) and not much else meaning a near silent machine so I'm a perfectly happy chappy for a good year or two to come

Okay, you've convinced me - I'll raid the kid's piggy banks to get an Coolermaster HAF 932 (on special @ Scan) or Antec 1200 case (reduced at Amazon) and a nice Noctua NH-D14.

[zoomee]

If you've got space for a 120mm fan you could always cheat like I did and go for the Corsair H50 watercooler

Don't have the time / patience / money for true watercooling these days lol

[crossy]

If you've got space for a 120mm fan you could always cheat like I did and go for the Corsair H50 watercooler
Don't have the time / patience / money for true watercooling these days lol

Just bought a CM HAF932 (Amazon - same price as Scan and I get the Nectar points - picked the CM over the Antec 1200 because the former has castors, so easier to clean under) so I've got many, many fan mounts...

Checked out the what benchmarks I could at lunchtime and it seems that the H50 is pretty sensitive to it's positioning, plus the DH-14 is (reputedly) better at cooling. Although I'm frantically working out whether the Corsair Vengeance memory I bought will fit - pretty sure it will if I use the higher setting of the rear fan on the DH-14.

Leave the watercooling for next year - double radiator and maybe look at a new gfx card and w/c that too.

Thanks for the thoughts though.

Got to wonder though if the combo of HAF's cooling and DH-14 will let me upclock the 1090T (when it arrives - stuck with the courier) to the level of the 1100T. From the info I've got here, the answer is definitely yes.

Although I'll take some time to bask in the stock speed before I start fiddling "under the hood".