Join for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation plus sign you up to our newsletter.
By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over,
have read our
Privacy Policy
and agree to the
Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.
Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Join the club
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Alongside the new Phenom processor, AMD is also introducing three new chipsets for the AM2+ socket, all of which are compatible with the PCI Express 2.0 standard. The biggest of the three chipset versions, the 790 FX, supports up to four graphics cards running in a Crossfire-X configuration. This functionality will only be unlocked in January of 2008 through a new driver. AMD promises that the four-card configuration will offer three times the performance of a single card.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
AM2+ Chipsets with DDR2
Row 0 - Cell 0
790FX
790X
770
Hypertransport
3.02.0
3.02.0
3.02.0
PCIe 2.0
2x 16X1x 16X + 2x 8X4x 8X
1x 16X2x 8X
1x 16X
Crossfire X
max. 4 Cards
2 Cards
not supported
Code Name
RD790
RD780
RX780
MSI demonstrates AMD quad Crossfire
In addition to the PCIe lanes for the graphics cards, the chipset offers six additional PCIe lanes to attach other devices such as a network adapter etc.
For now, the chipsets will be paired with the SB600 southbridge. Starting in January of 2008, the motherboard manufacturers will be able to use AMD's newer SB700 southbridge in its place. This brings the following changes to the table:
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Comparison SB600 vs. SB700
Row 0 - Cell 0
SB600
SB700
SATA
4
6
IDE
1
none
USB
10
12
One of the most noteworthy features of the AMD chipset is its low power consumption. The chipset is rated at a TDP of only 10 Watts, which is due in large part to its 65 nm production process. For reference, Intel's chipsets are rated at a TDP of 26 Watts and use a 90 nm process.
The pricing of the chipsets is another highlight, as boards built around the smallest version will be available starting as low as €69.
Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Tom's Hardware is the leading destination for hardcore computer enthusiasts. We cover everything from processors to 3D printers, single-board computers, SSDs and high-end gaming rigs, empowering readers to make the most of the tech they love, keep up on the latest developments and buy the right gear. Our staff has more than 100 years of combined experience covering news, solving tech problems and reviewing components and systems.
good review but you should have had included more result of the overclocked phenom. i just want to know how much juce i you can push out of it for me it is a must it beats the 6400+ otherwise its not worth purchasing in my opinion, it just has to beat its older generation when its running at same clocks.that is why amd has to work on its clock speed and cache. hopefully deneb will be out soon. i would also realy appriciate it to see some review about the phenom 9850 black edition compared against both the 6000+ 6400+ and q6600 and q9300 and maybe some e8xxx model. with overclocked results. pushed it to the maximum. would be realy cool hehe :)
