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

Summary: Second Choice, If At All

Though AMD has not landed a great coup with the Turion 64 X2, the first 64 bit CPU with two execution units for laptops, the engineers in Dresden and Sunnyvale deserve commendation. They have succeeded in developing a laptop CPU that provides considerably more performance than its single-core predecessor Turion 64, but whose power consumption is the same or only slightly higher.

However, compared to an Intel platform based on the Core Duo and the company's own GM 945 chipset, the combination of AMD CPU and ATI chipset is inferior in terms of battery time and multitasking performance. Therefore, under equal conditions, it can only be regarded as the second choice - if it is worth getting at all. The Core Duo 2, Intel's next generation of laptop processors is already at hand, and first measurements show that the Core Duo 2 is even more powerful while not consuming more power.

However, this should not prevent potential laptop buyers from purchasing a Turion 64 X2 laptop. After all, a Turion 64 X2 laptop, like the MSI S271 or HP Compaq nx6325, also provides that "dual-core experience" with almost no delays when switching between concurrently running applications.

In our opinion, the most critical issue is that AMD has, for the first time, lost a vital sales proposition for its processors, namely the price advantage. Nevertheless, we continue to encourage users to purchase AMD laptops. Otherwise, Intel may become a second Waterloo for all users, relegating AMD laptop processors to the dustbins of history.

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