ASRock recently stated it wanted to start targeting the enthusiast crowd, and making good on that intention, the company will start slapping a new UCC chip onto its motherboards.

So what's the big deal? UCC stands for Unlock CPU Core, and as you might have guessed, it's designed to make easy-work out of turning AMD's triple-core processors into unlocked quad-core parts. All you do is go into the BIOS, enter one of the options, and if the parts play nice together, you'll be sitting pretty with four cores where previously there were three.

The best part about this is ASRock said it intends to plop the UCC chip onto entry-level motherboards too. This tactic of putting high-end features onto lower-priced parts has helped ASRock build a following, and something like this could go a long way in upping the company's geek cred.

Image Credit: Fudzilla

ASRock recently stated it wanted to start targeting the enthusiast crowd, and making good on that intention, the company will start slapping a new UCC chip onto its motherboards.

So what's the big deal? UCC stands for Unlock CPU Core, and as you might have guessed, it's designed to make easy-work out of turning AMD's triple-core processors into unlocked quad-core parts. All you do is go into the BIOS, enter one of the options, and if the parts play nice together, you'll be sitting pretty with four cores where previously there were three.

The best part about this is ASRock said it intends to plop the UCC chip onto entry-level motherboards too. This tactic of putting high-end features onto lower-priced parts has helped ASRock build a following, and something like this could go a long way in upping the company's geek cred.

Image Credit: Fudzilla

This board is prepped for the hexacore AMD Phenom II X6.

Excerpt from: 
AMD Launches 6 Core CPU-ready 890GX Mobo

Archos is sporting a meatier Archos 9 tablet at ceBIT 2010.

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Windows 7 Tablet Gets CPU Upgrade, More

Ready or not, six-core computing is coming, and it's coming from both sides of the tracks. We all know about Intel's plan to move to six-core chips, which will start with the Core i7 980X, a pricey processor (think at least $1,000) designed for socket 1366 systems. Look for this one to debut around the end of March.

But AMD also has plans to compete in the six-core sector and, according to news and rumor site DigiTimes, will launch three six-core desktop chips under its new Phenom II x6 1000T series in May 2010. These will consist of the Phenom II X6 1075T, 1055T, and 1035T, each of which is being built on a 45nm manufacturing process.

Coinciding with AMD's six-core parts will be a couple of new chipsets, the 890FX (RD890) and 890GX (RS880D).

No official word on pricing from either side just yet. 

The Asian press got a sneak preview of AMD’s processor roadmap at the launch event for the new Phenom II and Athlon II chips. It’s no secret that AMD has been lagging behind rival Intel, but if the slides are to be believed, AMD could still come back.

It looks like AMD plans to release the “Leo” platform later this year with a 6-core 45nm process. This would be in competition with Intel’s Clarkdale CPUs at 32nm. The Leo is slated to be replaced with the 32nm Scorpius platform in 2011. This platform would apparently be equipped with a “next-generation discrete graphics solution”, Bulldozer Zambezi CPU, and up to eight cores. We will also see the mid-range Lynx platform in 2011 with "next-generation integrated graphics". Could this be what happened to Fusion?

Sure, this is just a quick presentation of a theoretical roadmap, but maybe AMD has an ace up their sleeve. If the Leo platform make the scene in 2010, that will be a good start.

Attention bargain shoppers, AMD has just released a handful of new CPUs starting at only $74 and finishing at a still budget-friendly $169 price point.

These are all desktop chips aimed at the mainstream market, and it starts with the Phenom II X2 255. This one comes clocked at 3.1GHz with a 65W TDP. Also of note is the sub-$100 (by a buck) Phenom II X2 555. Clocked at 3.2Ghz, this is now AMD's fastest dual-core chip available.

Upping the core ante, AMD also introduced the tri-core Athlon X3 440. This one comes clocked at 3GHz with a 95W TPD and runs $84.

On the quad-core front, there's the Athlon II X4 635 clocked at 3GHz with a 95W TDP and $119 price tag. Finally, there's the quad-core Phenom II X4 910e. This $169 chip scoots along at 2.6GHz and features a reduced TDP of 65W.

According to Fudzilla, AMD will also soon introduce the Phenom II X4 975 Black Edition (3.6GHz) and Phenom II X4 820 (2.8GHz), as well as a new 800 series chipset in a few months.

AMD is launching a broad spectrum of new CPUs today. And while most are simple speed bumps, today we’re pitting its fastest dual-core model, the Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition, against Intel’s LGA 1156-based Pentium G6950 to see who rules for under $100.

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Phenom II X2 555 Vs. Pentium G6950: New Budget Dual-Core Titans

AMD has the Athlon II X4 and the Phenom II X4. Intel offers Core 2 Quad, Core i5, and Core i7

Excerpt from: 
Experiment: Comparing Four Quad-Core Architectures At 2.8 GHz

The new dual-core Clarkdale CPUs from Intel are here, and they deliver impressive performance. Today, we look at how Core i5-661 compares to AMD’s Athlon II X2 and Phenom II X2 on the 785G platform. Who’s king of the ring from an efficiency standpoint?

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Clarkdale’s Efficiency: Core i5-661 Versus Core 2, Athlon II, And Phenom II