We obtained almost the entire dual core Turion 64 X2 processor lineup between model TL-56 (1.8 GHz) and TL-68 (2.4 GHz). The only processor that is missing is the entry model TL-53 at 1.7 GHz, which you shouldn’t find on the market anymore. All Turion 64 X2 TL dual cores are based on the 65-nm Tyler core today. The first generation Turion 64 X2 processors were based on AMD’s 90-nm process (Trinidad and Taylor cores – not to be confused with Tylor).

We received different hardware revisions: Some are based on the G1 stepping and others are based on G2, but we didn’t find any measurable performance difference between them. The models TL-53 to TL-60 (up to 2.0 GHz) are rated at a 31 W thermal design power (TDP), while all faster models are rated at a maximum power requirement of 35 W. This is considered mainstream for mobile processors today.

All these processors are based on the AMD64 architecture and hence are one generation behind the Phenom processors’ Stars core. Each of the two cores has a dedicated 512 KB L2 cache and 64 KB data as well as 64 KB instruction cache. All Turion 64 X2 processors inherit the architecture’s HyperTransport system interface and the dual channel DDR2-667 memory controller. The HyperTransport interface runs at 200 MHz, which results in an effective 800-MHz link speed for the HyperTransport system interface. If you add upstream and downstream, you receive the HT1600 speed, which you may be more familiar with. DDR2-667 memory for notebooks is increasingly attractive thanks to recent price drops. Even 4 GB of DDR2 SO-DIMM memory has become extremely affordable.

The processors all support AMD’s power saving technology PowerNow!, which must be enabled in the system BIOS. With Windows versions before Vista, you may also have to install AMD’s processor driver to enable PowerNow!. The feature automatically reduces the voltage from 1.1 V to 0.8 V, and it adjusts the clock speed to a low 800 MHz to minimize power consumption in idle mode. PowerNow! works very much like Cool’n’Quiet on the desktop; AMD simply decided to introduce a different product name.

Unlike early Intel Core Duo mobile processors, the Turion 64 mobile processor family has always supported 64 bit extensions for 64-bit operating systems.