AMD's Phenom II X6 processors
 

When we asked AMD about the possibility of a six-core desktop processor last summer, shortly after the six-core Istanbul Opteron launch, the company inquired whether we would personally buy such a product. Perhaps not, we replied, but we know some folks would enjoy the option. AMD's head of server and workstation marketing fired back, "If you have a million friends that need it..."

Barely a month later, AMD officially confirmed plans for a six-core desktop product code-named Thuban, which would be based on AMD's second-generation six-core Opteron design, complete with DDR3 memory support, HyperTransport 3.0, and likely higher performance. Thuban would come out at some point in 2010. Between then and now, Intel has managed to beat AMD to the punch with the Core i7-980X Extreme. When it hit stores last month, the 980X simultaneously became the world's first six-core desktop processor and the world's first 32-nm six-core chip.

Today, AMD finally lifts the veil on the Phenom II X6—to undoubtedly high expectations. Is this the design that will let AMD re-enter battlefields long conceded to Intel's Core i5 and i7 CPUs, or does it only serve to cement Intel's leadership in high-end desktop processors?

http://techreport.com/articles.x/18799