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The new Core i5 6xx and Core i3 5xx series of processors are now amongst the fastest dual-core processors money can buy. Even some quad-core processors fell victim to the Core i5 661, as it defeated the AMD Athlon II X4 620 in virtually every test. The AMD Phenom II X2 550 also struggled to keep pace with the Core i3 540 in most tests. Priced at $196 US the Core i5 661 costs as much as the Core i5 750, which we found to be a superior product in terms of performance. However the overall system build will be around $100 US cheaper with the Core i5 661 as you save on a budget graphics card, while H55 motherboards should retail for under $100 US, where as P55 boards are priced up around $170 US. However the real competition for the Core i5 661 and the 6xx series in general will come from the AMD Phenom II X4 processors and the flagship model being the Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition can be had for just under $200 US. In fact the Phenom II X4 945 which we used for comparisons sake today, costs just $165 US while the faster 965 costs just $195. Either Phenom II X4 processor is going to be superior to the Core i5 661 in terms of performance, and I believe our testing proved that. Also unlike the Core i5 750 processor which is limited to the P55 platform, the Phenom II X4 processors can be coupled with the AMD 790GX chipset. Supporting motherboards can be had for as little as $70 US, so as it stands the Phenom II X4/790GX combo will cost you no more than the Core i5 661/H55 combo, while it will deliver better processing and graphics performance. This is certainly something worth considering when purchasing a new Core i5 6xx series processor. Unfortunately the Core i5 650 will not be much better in terms of value with a suggested retail value of $176 US, while the Core i5 670 will go for an insane $284 US, so you can forget that product even exists. The Core i3 540 is considerably cheaper at $133 US, and in terms of performance is not a great deal slower than the Core i5 661. In fact, if you plan to overclock it’s not really any slower at all. Still, even at just $133 US the Core i3 540 will face a great deal of competition from AMD. The Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition retails for just $100 US, while the Athlon II X4 630 can be had for just $113 US, or the Phenom II X3 710 for just $120 US. Then for around the same price as the Core i3 540 we have the AMD Phenom II X4 810, while the Phenom II X4 925 clocked at 2.8GHz steps in at $145 US. For the most part the Core i3 540 blew away the Athlon II X4 620, so even at $113 US the 630 version is an inferior option in our opinion. However processors such as the Phenom II X3 710 for just $120 US are a serious threat, as are the Phenom II X4 810 and Phenom II X4 925 processors. Again all these AMD processors can be coupled with a 790GX motherboard for as little as $70 US. Still, given the performance provided by the Core i3 540 processor, we feel that it is exceptional value, particularly for those willing to overclock it a little. The Core i3 540 is also very light on power and does consume considerably less than the AMD competition. Had the performance of the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD been just a little bit better we would be far more excited about these new processors. However truth be told it’s just good enough to play 1080p HD content and that’s about it, which we guess is all it needs to do for now. The problem with this being that AMD is gearing up to release its fastest desktop IGP platform yet, with the first of their new 800-series chipsets early this year. Combined with that, AMD will be launching at least five new budget processors, including the AMD Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition (3.2GHz) which will be their fastest dual-core yet, along with a low-powered Phenom II X4 910e (2.6GHz) quad-core. Also on the cards are three new Athlon II processors, which will be the Athlon II X4 635 (2.9GHz), X3 440 (3.0GHz) and X2 255 (3.1GHz). Clearly AMD wants to try and minimize the damage the new Core i3 and Core i5 processors may have of their low-end market share. The first quarter of 2010 is going to be a busy time for AMD, as they also plan to extend their Radeon HD 5000-series with multiple, new more affordable models, the first of which should happen in late January. Overall we are impressed with the level of performance provided by the Core i5 661 and Core i3 540 processors. That said, the Core i5 6xx series has not won us over entirely, as it is still possible to build an equivalent AMD system for less. In fact, it could be argued that a superior AMD system can be built for less, especially if you are just taking raw performance into account. The Core i3 5xx series on the other hand seems like the way to go at this stage, though we will know more once motherboards start becoming available. Reviewed By Steven Walton |
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