Difference between Opteron and Phenom
It is no secret today that Intel’s architecture and nano technology have an edge over AMD’s. When AMD was first released they were the ones that had the advantage and it wouldn’t surprise me if this seesaw of power continued to go on for ages. But right now, let’s focus on AMD’s Opteron and Phenom processors. If you’re a gamer that fell in love with AMD before and refuses to move on to Intel products, then your best choices are AMD’s Opteron and Phenom products. Although Opteron is older than Phenom, don’t underestimate its value and capabilities.
Background
Back in the day, AMD’s Opteron processor was way superior over others as it took advantage of the 64 bit architecture and only one other processor had the same specs, Intel’s Itanium, but this ran at a significantly slower speed than the Opteron. The Opteron is a server and also a desktop processor that makes use of AMD’s x86. This was the first ever processor that used what is known today as AMD’s 64 instruction set architecture. It was first released on the 22nd of April 2003 andis architecture has been the base for AMD’s Phenom processor that features a quad core capability and is also used as a base for the super Intel i7 processor.
AMD’s Phenom processor is the more popular of the two. It is a desktop processor that makes use of the new K10 micro architecture or as is called by AMD, the Family 10h processors. Now if you give it some thought, AMD’s Phenom quad cores are actually the first true quad cores on the market. Intels core 2 quad have an MCM (multi-chip module) design whereas the Phenom has all its cores on the very same silicon die.
More Advantageous
Okay, before we go to the advantage, let me state this real quick. The Opteron and Phenom are two processors that are not really far apart. They have the same capabilities with little difference. Now with Opterons, you can image them to be like an underground bomb shelter because these processors are built to withstand a higher level in heat temperatures compared to most desktop processors over a long period of time. Phenoms on the other hand are built for common uses like multimedia, games, etc. If you’re going to assemble your own desktop, go for Phenom processors as they are able to have do the exact same things as an Opteron and cost much less.
Overclocking
So you’re a computer wizard and want to know which one will yield best results in overclocking. If you’re looking for more speed than what is offered by safe standards, Opteron is the obvious choice. Like I stated above, they can wiwithstand high heat temperatures and that is important in overclocking as we all know how hot a system can get when overclocked.
Summary
- Opteron and Phenom are processors built by AMD.
- Opteron was introduced in 2003 and Phenom in 2007
- Opteron’s design is being used a base till today with regards to architectural design in AMD Phenom x4 and Intel’s superpower chip core i7.
- Opteron and Phenom chips have the same functionality with the edge going to Opteron but with the price it is offered, Phenom is the obvious choice.
- If you plan to overclock you CPU, Opteron will give you outstanding performance as it is able to work under high heat temperatures.
