It's a brand new world for computer enthusiasts today. No longer is it necessary to drop a small fortune on a 6-core processor, because now that AMD has joined in the fun, you have options, and that's always a good thing. When it was just Intel and its Core i7 980X, you weren't sticking a 6-core chip in your system for less than a $1,000, but with AMD getting in the game, you can now spend as little as $200. Pick your jaw up off the floor.
 
There are two parts shipping right now, including the Phenom II X6 1055T ($200) and Phenom II X6 1090T ($295). Those price points represent trays of 1,000, so you can expect street prices to run a little higher. But even with a slight markup (Newegg has the 1055T listed for $210 shipped), AMD has done something pretty remarkable here. Before we get to that, let's look at what each chip brings to the table.

 

Processor	Clockspeed	Turbo Speed	L2 Cache	L3 Cache	Manufacturing Process	Voltage	Max Temp	TDP
Phenom II X6 1055T	2.8Ghz	3.3GHz	3MB	6MB	45nm SOI	1.25-1.40V	62C	125W
Phenom II X6 1090T	3.2GHz	3.6Ghz	3MB	6MB	45nm SOI	1.25-1.40V	62C	125W

 
Both chips, as well as all upcoming Phenom II X6 parts, feature AMD's new Turbo Core technology, which as we previously covered is AMD's answer to Intel's Turbo Boost mode. AMD's solution isn't quite as elegant as Intel's, but when three or more cores aren't being utilized, Turbo Core will kick in and overclock the remaining cores by up to 500MHz. By doing so, AMD ensures you won't sustain a performance penalty versus faster clocked quad-core chips in programs that aren't necessarily optimized to utilize multiple cores.
 
Ready for the best part? These new chips will work in your existing AM3 and AM2+ motherboards with nothing more than a BIOS update, so unlike the Intel side of the fence, you don't have to juggle multiple socket types based on what your upgrade path looks like. If building an Intel system, you have do decide right away if you're going to want a 6-core chip sometime in the future, because if you do, you'll need a socket 1366 board (X58 chipset). What makes this a difficult decision is that X58 boards tend to run quite a bit higher than socket 1156 (P55 chipset) motherboards, but P55 boards are dual- and quad-core only. AMD avoids these headaches, and what's more, the low price points means you can drop a 6-core chip into your existing setup today and still have a enough left over to pay the bills (or upgrade your GPU).
 
If you're building from scratch, you might as well go all out and jump on AMD's new 890FX chipset. This new chipset brings some high-end features to the table, including 42 PCI Express for true x16 / x16 CrossFire support. You'll also find native SATA 6 support for up to six devices and a full 5.2GT/s link between the CPU and Northbridge, but no USB 3.0.
 
So the big question is, should you pick up one of these chips? If you're currently rocking an AMD platform that supports the new CPUs, the easy answer is yes, you should. They're both affordable, and they're both equipped for six cores, for Heaven's sakes. But if you're a new PC builder, the answer isn't quite as clear. While we have yet to test one of these chips ourselves, looking over the results of some sites we trust, performance is bit of a mixed bag. At the same price points as the 1055T and 1090T, you can pick up an Intel Core i7 750 (2.66GHz) and Core i7 860 (2.8GHz), both of which are quad-core parts. Even so, there are some situations in which AMD's new CPUs lag behind, most notably in gaming performance and video encoding. That's a hard pill to swallow for a processor series with a 2-core advantage, and you also have to wonder just how long AMD can keep using the AM3 socket. AMD launched AM3 over a year ago, and while the chip maker is getting good mileage out of it, we wouldn't be surprised if something new was on the horizon.
 
Are you surprised at how low AMD priced their 6-core chips? Is anyone planning on upgrading to either 1055T or 1090T?
 
Image credit: Anandtech