The FX-60 is AMD’s newest and most powerful desktop dual core processor solution. This chip is based on the Toledo core and runs at an impressive 2.6GHz with a 13x unlocked multiplier and 200MHz HTT speed. This is the fastest production AMD dual core processor available, and is a pretty impressive piece of hardware with an equally impressive price tag.
In general, a dual-core processor does not benefit the hardcore gamer, as most PC games are not optimized for multi-threaded processing. However, both ATI and nVidia have released drivers supporting dual-core processors (driver version 81.97), which provide a noticeable performance improvement in most games. The hardcore PC enthusiast now has a no-compromise solution for games and applications. Because the working frequency of this new FX is 200Mhz lower than its single-core brother (the FX-57), it may not perform as well with workloads that are not multi-threaded. It is 200Mhz faster than the fastest single-core X2 4800+, which runs at 2.4GHz.
The only thing stopping the hardware enthusiast from purchasing it is the fact that the AM2 will be released and shift to DDR2 some time around the middle of 2006, this is subject to change.
Features
The Athlon 64 FX-60 is based on the Toledo core, which is a unique dual-core chip, being the first FX with multiple cores. Its base speed is 2.6Ghz (derived from its default 13x multiplier), which is the same frequency of the popular single-core FX-55.
The main feature of the FX line of processors is that the clock multiplier is completely unlocked, which allows for easy overclocking. You can easily run this processor at 2.8GHz by increasing its stock 13x multiplier to 14x. It is based on a 90 nanometer technology and has 233.2 million transistor, covering 199 square millimeters. Each core has 1MB of L2 cache onboard (for a total of 2MB). All these specifications can get confusing, so let’s lay everything out and compare what has changed and what remains the same.
As can be seen in the chart below, the FX-60 shares many of the same features of the 4800+ and FX-57, but there are a few differences. Because the 4800+ has two cores, there is double the total amount of cache on-die. The die is actually quite large at 199mm2, which is only a little larger than the older Athlon 64s using .13 micron process.
Nothing about the memory controller has changed. It is still 128 bits wide and works with 400Mhz DDR memory, for a maximum of 6.5GB per second. HyperTransport is still 1GHz, providing 8GB of bandwidth to the bus. The transistor count is upgraded from the FX-57 at 233.2 million transistors. The FX-60 is 200MHz faster than the 4800+ but with a lower thermal barrier, so any heatsink that works on a 4800+ should also be adequate for the FX-60.
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Power Consumption:
AMD reduced the power consumption, and thus the thermal power of the FX-60, which allows it to reach faster clock speeds at a lower core temperature. Many new motherboards are not designed for any higher power, so AMD may have been forced to reduce power requirements to push the current manufacturing process any further. This may be another reason for the upcoming form factor, as the newer AMD chips are rumored to have a thermal power of 125W. Cool’n’Quiet helps by reducing the voltage to 1.1 and operating frequency to 1.2GHz, reducing the thermal power to 47W.
Gamers have enthusiastically embraced the FX line, as it outperforms current Intel processors and overclocks well. Many games are not multi-threaded, so gamers would get little benefit from a multi-core processor. So Why did AMD gamble on a dual-core FX for their target audience instead of releasing an upgraded single-core solution? Here is a quote from AMD on this decision:
It made great sense for us (AMD) to maintain FX on single core throughout 2005. That was our plan and that was our execution. The benchmarks proved that out as FX has become the defacto CPU to have for ultimate PC gaming. Now it is our intention is for FX to once again stand for the ultimate desktop PC processor, not just the ultimate gaming processor. At 2.6GHz, the FX-60 replaces the FX-55, but it is much more than that. Combining dual-core at this higher frequency (than previous X2s) with our graphics partners’ new dual-core optimized drivers make the FX-60 the perfect processor for not only gaming, but for all those multi-threaded or multi-tasking projects you would have rightfully chosen an X2 processor for. FX-57 will remain and be sold next to FX-60, eventually to be replaced with a dual-core FX at some point in the future as well.
Overclocking
The Athlon 64-FX-60 is very easy to overclock, unlike its X2 siblings. The clock multiplier is unlocked, as in all FX processors, which means the CPU can be overclocked not only by raising the bus frequency, but also by increasing the clock multipler. It is very easy to find the maximum frequency of this CPU by raising the multiplier, as other system components do not share the stress of the CPU. We were looking forward to some good results out of this chip, since the Opteron 170s overclock well, even with air cooling. For our results on air we were only able to obtain a max Overclock of 2.92 (225 HTT X 13) stable in to windows to bench without failing.
The core temperature reached 154 degrees while overclocked, but only 125 degrees at stock ratings. 29 degrees is quite a hefty thermal cost for an extra 320MHz!
Testing
The new nVidia 81.97 drivers were used for the benchmarks, which support dual-core processors. We did notice an improvement over previous drivers, but not all problems have been worked out. For example, the FX-60 must disable multi-threading support if the game already supports multi-threading.
The hype surrounding this processor is immense, with boasted improvements over the existing 4800+. We ran AMD’s new flagship processor through some standard benchmarks to see how it performed against its predecesors. Below are the specs of our test system:
- AMD Athlon 64 FX-60
- AMD Athlon 64 FX-57
- AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+
- DFI LANParty UT NF4 Ultra-D (NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra)
- 2048MB DDR400 SDRAM (Corsair CMX1024-3500LLPRO, 2 x 1024 MB, 2-3-2-10)
- NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT 256MB
- Microsoft Windows XP PRO SP2
- DirectX 9.0c
I have nothing against the FX line of CPUs, but the Opteron 939 series is an overclocker’s godsend I own a Opteron 148 939 (the sister of the 3700+ San Diego), and with multiple hours of testing it is rock solid at 3.1ghz (nearly 1GHz over stock)! It is a bonifde FX-57 (without an unlocked multiplier). The opeteron 170, and the 175 denmarks will also reach the same speeds as this one, most toping out at 1.95, while some of the lucky ones reach 3.0GHz or more.
Opterons cost about one-quarter the price of the FX-60, With a little patience and overclocking know-how an Opteron can reach similar performance of the FX-60. If you absolutely had to have a new processor now, an Opteron would be a better choice, especially since the AM2 architecture will be released later this year.
The FX-60 is a top-of-the-line dual core processor that issues Intel a big challenge. The chip does not overclock as well as other Athlon processors, so more extreme cooling measures are required to really reach this chip’s full unlocked potential.
The overall performance is outstanding, but its value is questionable, especially as the AM2 release nears. The hefty price of $1000 keeps it out of reach for the average hardware buff. For the hardcore enthusiast, there is no compromise, and won’t look at the price tag, anyway.
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