SiSoft Sandra Results
Cache Bandwidth

Cache bandwidth in gigabytes per second (GB/s)
Longer bars are better
System Memory Bandwidth

System memory bandwidth in gigabytes per second (GB/s)
Longer bars are better
System Memory Latency

System memory latency in nanoseconds (ns)
Shorter bars are better

COMMENTS
Multitasking
What's the chance of Windows multitasking properly on a quad core processor when it can't even do it properly on a single core!! Come to that, it can't even multitask properly on my dual core machine.
If I copy 20Meg files I want windows not to lock-up, is that really too much to ask?
LOL
All the AMD fanboys out there, that just like backing the underdogs, despite knowing deep down they are buying inferior product.
Bit like people buying XBox, not because it's actually any good, but because they don't want Playstation to win again due to better product, better games and a better long-term strategy.
FLAWED REVIEW
What the hell? Where are the real world tests?
How well do they run Crysis etc?
Plus those graphs are difficult to read, there are three different tests being shown in the same graph, all bunched together with no seperator. Plus there are different devices being shown with the same colour FFS!
Plus what we are seeing at the moment with memory bandwidth is similar to what happened at the beginning of the shift to DDR2. DDR running at 500+MHz with tight timings totally kicked the arse of any DDR2 on the market. Gradually DDR2 got better, lower latencies and it took over the speed crown.
Same thing will happen with DDR3 - but the beauty of the AM3 / AM2+ scenario is that I can pop an AM3 CPU in my existing board with DDR2, and in a year or so when DDR3 is cheaper and faster I can upgrade without having to buy a new CPU.
i7
It looks like even with DDR3 AMD can't touch an i7 for main memory bandwidth. Which may not mean all that much for most people. Maybe AMD should have a promo t-shirt: "AMD programmers do it with more math".
@ Mark
Ha ha ha ha, righttttt.....
If it wasn't for AMD, Intel would charge what they bloody well like. Sure Intel are on top at the moment (and have been for a while) but it wasn't that long ago when Intel were being thrashed by AMD.
Looks like I'll be sticking a Phenom II in my AM2+ board (£60 well spent if you ask me).
Rob
P.S. Yes I do also have a Core 2 Duo notebook, Pentium Dual Core desktop and I recently installed a Xeon server as it was quicker buck for buck than the Phenom X4 I was considering.
