AMD's Dual Core Laptops Have Arrived: Introducing the Turion 64 X2

Model Nomenclature, Models, And Pricing

We thought you might be interested in seeing some information about currently available Turion 64 X2 models, their nomenclature and prices.

Since the introduction of the Turion 64, AMD has designated every mobile processor with an alphanumeric code consisting of two letters and two numbers, such as "MT-40". The first of the two letters of single-core Turions is always "M", evidently implying that the CPU was designed for use in mobile devices (laptops). If this is the case, it is not really necessary. Maybe it stands for "mono core" - who knows? The first letter of all dual-core Turions is "T", perhaps indicating the two identical cores ("T" for twin).

The second letter designates the processor's level of mobility. The closer the letter is to "Z" in the alphabet, the more mobile the CPU is; i.e., the less power it "consumes" or the less its theoretical maximum power consumption.

So far, there have been two maximum power consumption classes. Variants with the letter "L" in the model name consume up to a maximum of 35 W, while those with a "T" go up to 25 W. All currently available Turion 64 X2 models have an "L" and a theoretical maximum power consumption between 31 and 35 W. These values are also theoretical, because they merely serve as a reference value for laptop manufacturers. They indicate the maximum amount of heat that the processor may emit inside the laptop case, and thus what type of cooling system is needed.

The hyphen is followed by a two-digit number. This number indicates the relative performance within a processor class. The higher it is, the more powerful the CPU.

Nomenclature of Turion 64 X2 processors

This results in rather odd designations, such as AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52 and TL-50, which both have the same maximum core clock rate but different L2 cache sizes. To tell you the truth, I can hardly imagine that any user is still able to find his way through this jungle of hieroglyphs, or that any salesperson still actually knows what he is trying to sell...

In terms of pricing, AMD used to be that manufacturer that offered decent laptop and desktop CPUs at a relatively low price. Since the introduction of the Turion 64 X2, though, this is definitely no longer the case. A Turion 64 X2 TL-60 2.0 GHz currently retails at $354, while an Intel Core Duo T2500 with the same clock rate costs "just" $294! AMD's recent price adjustment of July 24, 2006, did nothing to change this, so AMD has lost an important value proposition for its CPU products.