AMD on Thursday released its newest 45nm quad-core processor for desktop PCs, the Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition processor. The device, codenamed Dragon, features a stock frequency of 3.4 GHz, 8GB cache, plenty of headroom, and high-speed DDR3 memory support. The processor also supports AMD OverDrive 3.0 technology for enhanced performance.
The device boasts record-setting overclocking capabilities and DirectX 11 support for use with the latest games. AMD will demonstrate the processor's overclocking at QuakeCon Thursday. The company plans to show a liquid helium-cooled version running at 7GHz.
AMD says it is developing so-called Smart Profiles for games and other processor-intensive applications. About 20 profiles are currently available, and users can create their own profiles using AMD Overdrive software. The company says it is also working with memory vendors to provide specific memory profiles for each manufacturer of DDR3 modules.
<>AMD is also releasing a plug-in for Adobe Premiere Pro, which it claims can video rendering times by a factor of 7. Plug-ins for other applications are being planned, executives said.The Dragon also features Cool'n'Quiet 3.0 technology, used to improve efficiency while maintaining a viable computer temperature and keeping the PC quiet. The company says the Black Box uses about 9 watts at idle and about 140 watts under heavy use. The processor is backwards-compatible with the AM II+ platform. The Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition processor is available from Newegg.com for $245.
Source: electronista
