A new hexa-core CPU from AMD has been on the radar for a while, but we're now seeing the latest Thuban-based chip - the 3GHz Phenom II X6 1075T BE - appear at European retailers priced at €225.
Oddly familiar
Other than a slightly lower clockspeed and price, the new chip appears to be identical to the range-topping 1090T. Despite losing 200MHz in out-and-out speed, the new 1075T will feature the same 6MB L3 cache, 125W TDP, 400MHz Turbo Core and unlocked multiplier as its bigger brother.
Sounds useful, and we're a little surprised to see this chip being released as a part of the Black Edition range. The part should arrive at UK retail priced at around £185, making it almost £35 cheaper than the range-topping 1090T.
Same bang, less buck?
With an unlocked multiplier, you could easily turn the 1075T into the more expensive model. Equally, we can't imagine that the overclocking headroom on both CPUs will be all that different.
For reference, the 1075T is priced at around £30 more than the multiplier-locked X6 1055T, which currently retails at around £155.
Of course, the new chip means that we're now seeing a six-core CPU with an unlocked multiplier for under £200. Once again, AMD seem to be offering a whole lot of value for money with its CPUs.
We're not exactly sure when the new Phenom II will actually start shipping from domestic retailers, but early listings suggest that availability is just around the corner.
UPDATE: It looks like our surprise was justified. We've had confirmation from an AMD rep that this won't, in fact, be a Black Edition part, which means the multiplier will be locked.
