AMD Unleashes the Dragon

By Kevin Parrish
published

Consumers looking for elite-level computing branded with a low-end price tag should look no further, as AMD today launched its "Dragon" platform technology featuring the new AMD Phenom II X4 processor.

In fact, AMD is shooting for elite-level performance for under $900 USD with its just-announced Dragon desktop platform technology. The system comes jammed-packed with powerful AMD goodness including the Phenom II X4 processor (clocking up to 3.0 GHz), the ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series graphics processors, and AMD 7-Series chipsets. But don't let all that smoking-hot hardware scare off the wallet: AMD expects the maximum consumers will need to pay for a Dragon platform is $1,200 USD.

If fact, according to the company, a Dragon platform desktop PC consisting of the new AMD Phenom II X4 processor, ATI Radeon HD 4870 1 GB graphics card, the AMD 790GX motherboard and 4 GB of DDR2-1066 memory can be purchased for approximately $900 USD; a comparable platform would cost over $2100 USD. Not too shabby for a desktop computer aimed at delivering quality HD entertainment but not costing a few limbs and gold teeth in the process.

“With Dragon platform technology, AMD is changing the desktop industry landscape by offering affordable performance and maximum headroom for gaming, video editing, and other media-intensive tasks,” said Leslie Sobon, vice president of product marketing, AMD. “Through our Fusion platform approach, AMD is able to deliver CPUs, GPUs and chipsets that work better together to meet the industry’s evolving needs today and well into the future.”

While the AMD Phenom II X4's intelligent multi-core technology provides processing power during multitasking, the ATI Radeon HD 4800 series graphics and the AMD-7 series chipsets deliver a superior visual experience with smooth video game display resolutions in-game, limited only by the resolutions of gamers' monitors. The Dragon platform also boasts energy efficiency, using AMD's Cool'n'Quiet 3.0 that offers low processor temperatures and quiet fans, keeping those all-night n00b hunting escapades down to a hushed breeze.

“As a result of its exceptional energy efficiency advances and an affordable price/performance ratio, AMD Phenom II X4 deserves our seldom-granted Recommended Buy award," states Bert Toepelt and Frank Voelkel in Tom's Hardware's benchmark article. Head here to read the full story.

According to AMD, the $900 system mentioned above benchmarks an average of 38 frames per second in the hit PC game, Crysis. Systems featuring the Dragon platform should start rolling out soon. PC builders looking to buy the processor without the entire scaly Dragon can pick up the 3.0 GHz version (Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition) for $275 USD and the 2.8 GHz version (Phenom II X4 920) for $235 USD.

Kevin Parrish
13 Comments Comment from the forums
  • one-shot
    Hopefully AMD will make a shift towards a better position than it currently is in with the hardware advances it has made recently.
    Reply
  • Pei-chen
    The Phenom II article is the only "Recommended Buy" ever on Tom's as Tom's don't have that category. Bert cut and pasted the conclusion from somewhere.
    Reply
  • blackened144
    If fact, according to the company, a Dragon platform desktop PC consisting of the new AMD Phenom II X4 processor, ATI Radeon HD 4870 1 GB graphics card, the AMD 790GX motherboard and 4 GB of DDR2-1066 memory can be purchased for approximately $900 USD; a comparable platform would cost over $2100 USD.

    Exactly what "comparable platform" would cost $2100?
    Reply
  • Master Exon
    "in the hit PC game, Crysis"
    Reply
  • seems like a reasonable buy indeed!

    I would prefer if the device was not very powerhungry, since the majority of the people use their pc's for office tasks, and it would be a waste to buy a 350W idle pc, to do my mails, and my office documents; for the few hours of gaming I do per week.

    I wish AMD would optimize their systems still more,reaching a sub 150W system in idle, that would still have the horsepower to run latest games. I understand that computing power is needed, and requires a higher wattage under full load.
    However it seems to me AMD relies too much on software matic powerdown of a system, and has too little hardware support (eg: that would hardwarematic power down, or completely shut off parts of the internal hardware that are not needed (eg: Voltage capacitators (or something), shutdown of unused cores, reduction in USB Bus speed, ram speed, and PCIE speed when not needed; Run the 4800 card on 10% of it's hardware or less when doing 2D tasks like internet browsing, watching a normal non HD movie, doing Ms Word documents etc... In fact shutting down unused VRAM would be nice (reduce to eg:128Mb for 2D)!)

    Something Windows 7 should need to support to be greener is relocating unused RAM, and shutting down RAM sticks that are not used.
    Opposing Windows Vista which uses all RAM possible,even when not really necessary.

    but this seems like a nice buy for the coming 4 to 5 months!
    Reply
  • edit on prev post:
    When running a graphics card on such low levels it would be nice to have 2 cores on a graphic card.
    a powerful one, and a very tiny one; the tiny one that can get by being passively cooled by the large fan.
    If gaming is extreme, it would be nice to see the small GPU helping out the larger GPU, and work in "raid" so to say, freeing the larger one from some tasks that only fill the pipelines and use threads in the VPU.
    Reply
  • squatchman
    blackened144Exactly what "comparable platform" would cost $2100?
    AMD still has it in their head that the PII can keep up with the i7.
    Reply
  • that_aznpride101
    Pei-chenThe Phenom II article is the only "Recommended Buy" ever on Tom's as Tom's don't have that category. Bert cut and pasted the conclusion from somewhere.I'm pretty impressed already, I
    If you actually read the hardware reviews for Tom's Hardware, you would know TH does give "Recommended buy" for their hardwares. But I guess you're new.
    Reply
  • grieve
    ""In fact, AMD is shooting for elite-level performance for under $900 USD with its just-announced Dragon desktop platform technology. The system comes jammed-packed with powerful AMD goodness including the Phenom II X4 processor (clocking up to 3.0 GHz), the ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series graphics processors, and AMD 7-Series chipsets. ""



    Last time i checked i could build a Q9550/4870 under $900... whats the deal here? i7 with a 4870 is under $1100.
    Reply
  • caamsa
    grieve""In fact, AMD is shooting for elite-level performance for under $900 USD with its just-announced Dragon desktop platform technology. The system comes jammed-packed with powerful AMD goodness including the Phenom II X4 processor (clocking up to 3.0 GHz), the ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series graphics processors, and AMD 7-Series chipsets. ""Last time i checked i could build a Q9550/4870 under $900... whats the deal here? i7 with a 4870 is under $1100.

    Wow you are good.."sarcasm"...you can build an i7 system cheaper than Dell and use the 4870 where they had to use the 4850. Did you ever think that these AMD systems are complete system with OS and all for 900 bucks?

    http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dxdozy2&cs=19&dgvcode=ss&c=US&l=EN&dgc=SS&cid=27399&lid=627062

    According to AMD, game benchmarks show a $900 Dragon configuration matches the performance of a $2,100 Core i7 system setup. Desktop vendors will ship Dragon machines later in the first quarter of this year, with Dell planning to use the platform in a new XPS 625 gaming PC. If this is true then that is an amazing deal.......

    http://www.internetnews.com/hardware/article.php/3795306/CES+Inside+Palms+and+AMDs+Comeback+Plans.htm
    Reply