Tom's Hardware > All Reviews > Components > CPU > Feeling the Squeeze: AMD's Athlon 64 X2 6400 Black Edition

Conclusion

02:16 - Monday 10 September 2007 by Tom's Guide Team

The New Black Edition Disappoints

Today, it seems almost embarrassing for a company to release a new processor that features nothing more than a 200 MHz speed bump to an existing (and aging) design. The performance improvements offered by this new processor are comparatively slim.

We can’t help but ask ourselves why AMD gave the new Athlon 64 X2 6400+ the name “Black Edition”. The buyer gets no additional features or value added – aside from the black box which is exclusive to this model. The only thing AMD can effectively hope to achieve with this maneuver is to draw the buyers’ attention to the fact that it has released a new processor. The problem is that most retailers will be selling the try version that comes without the black box, making that point moot. Additionally, many comparison shopping sites will only find a listing for “6400+”, but not for “Black Edition”.

For buyers, the decision between AMD and Intel is easy right now. Intel’s processors offer much better value for money from a performance perspective and are also more energy efficient.

AMD, on the other hand, finds itself between a rock and a hard place. Competitor Intel sells its smallest quad-core processor Core 2 Quad Q6600 for the same price that AMD asks for its new 6400+.

Half a year has passed since AMD last increased the performance of its desktop processors. This launch seems like an effort to gain attention.

The Athlon 64 X2 6400+ is certainly a fast CPU that offers sufficient performance for most users’ needs. However, it is not exactly a forward-looking investment, not least because it is likely among the last processors for its platform. Especially gamers and workstation users may find themselves wishing for (still) more performance.

In the end, it’s a matter of a simple side-by-side comparison – and at the moment, Intel offers the better bargain. It’s high time that AMD’s Phenom made its appearance. As this launch has made perfectly clear, AMD’s hopes of once again becoming competitive with Intel depend completely on the new chip.