Latest AMD quad-core Phenom reviewed

Try as they might, AMD just can't seem to catch up with rival Intel lately. Maximum PC tested out AMD's latest quad-core CPU--the Phenom X4 9850--and while the chip alleviates the performance issues that plagued previous quad-core offerings from the company, it still looks like a bit of a slouch next to Intel's Xeon line. In their tests, Maximum PC benchmarked the 9850 against two Intel chips--the Core 2 Quad Q9300 and the Core 2 Q6600--and unsurprisingly, the Q9300 "owned the night,"with the Q9300 not far behind and the 9850 in a distant third place. While the 9850 represents a marked improvement over AMD's previous quad-core offerings, "it doesn't quite go head-to-head with the Penryn lite." Better luck next time, AMD.

For the full story:
- see this Maximum PC article