Dual Core processors are the latest addition to the CPU market, hitting the streets almost a year ago. In August 2004, AMD was the first x86 processor manufacturer to demonstrate a fully functioning dual-core processor on a shipping platform. Placing two computing cores on a single processor opens up a world of new possibilities. More efficient processing power can more easily handle multiple tasks simultaneously while there is a base for future, more demanding software and games.

Features

The AMD64 core provides leading-edge 32-bit performance and support for future 64-bit applications

• AMD64 technology provides full-speed support for x86 code base for uncompromising 32-bit performance, ready for 64-bit applications
• 40-bit physical addresses, 48-bit virtual addresses
• Eight new (sixteen total) 64-bit integer registers
• Eight (sixteen total) 128-bit SSE/SSE2/SSE3 registers
• Including support for 3DNow!™ Professional technology and SSE3

• Inter-core communication at CPU speed
• Direct access to memory controller & HyperTransport™ technology link

• Recognized in 2005 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the advancement of energy efficient computer technology.

• One 16-bit link at 2000MHz
• 8 GB/s HyperTransport™ technology I/O bandwidth
• 14.4 GB/s total delivered processor-to-system bandwidth

• 64KB Level 1 instruction cache per core (128KB total)
• 64KB Level 1 data cache per core (128KB total)
• Up to 1MB Level 2 cache per core (2MB total)

Immediate customer benefits of multi-core processors:
• Multi-core processors have the potential to run applications more efficiently than single-core processors - giving users the ability to keep working even while running the most processor intensive tasks in the background, like searching a database, rendering a 3D image, ripping and burning music files to a CD, or downloading videos off the Web
• Multi-threaded software applications - programs that run multiple tasks (threads) at the same time to increase performance for heavy workload scenarios, such as data mining, mathematical analysis, and Web serving, are already positioned to take advantage of multi-core processors
• Multi-core processors offer increased productivity within the same computing infrastructure companies are using today

Long-term benefits of multi-core processors:
• Multi-core computers have the ability to run today’s applications as well as tomorrow’s more complex applications, which means that the hardware will retain its value over time
• The growing complexity of software, as well as the desire of users to run multiple applications at the same time, will accelerate widespread adoption of multi-core processor-based systems. This will give commercial applications the ability to handle large amounts of data and more users faster and more efficiently, while consumers will experience richer features and more functionality, especially for applications like digital media and digital content creation
• Next-generation software applications will require the performance capacity provided by multi-core processors. Software destined to break barriers in the user experience, like voice recognition and/or artificial intelligence (AI), will be possible with multi-core processors
• Expanded roles for PCs due to increased performance capacity,multi-core processor based PCs will be leveraged for new tasks, including serving as the hub for digital entertainment in the home

Up until now, we have had the opportunity to review two Dual Core processors from Intel, the D 820 and the D 840. In this review, it's AMD's turn with the 4200+ X2 processor. The CPU runs at 2.2GHz while each core has 512KB L2 Cache.

The retail box includes the processor, the stock cooling system and the warranty. In our case, we only received the processor, without a cooling system so we used a readily available cooler from Thermaltake.

Throughout this review, we will be posting the test results for the AMD 4200+ X2 along with the results of the two other dual core processors from Intel that we've tested, the D 820 and D 840.