For those of you looking to build or upgrade a PC rig, Techspot just ran a ton of benchmarks on AMD's newest Phenom processors, alongside Intel Core2Duo and Core2Quad processors. The verdict? The Phenoms did pretty well, shining the most in Crysis and FEAR (though performing less optimally during UT3, Company of Heroes and Prey). It can never be cut and dry, can it? But one important point: go with the Intel Core2Duo over the Intel quad-core because, with many games, the Duo still performs better than the Quad—give software time to catch up with the hardware.

AMD Phenom processor family performance [techspot]

Back in late December, AMD saw fit to send me one of their new Spider systems, which combines the AMD Phenom Quad-core processor, the new ATI Radeon 3800 series of graphics cards, and AMD's 790FX chipset to create what AMD considers a complete gaming platform, with the processor, chipset, and graphics all created by AMD and designed specifically to work in conjunction with each other. Over the past several weeks I've been putting the system through it's pace, playing copious amounts of Stranglehold and Crysis - which were provided with the system - along with a selection of my own games, including World of Warcraft, The Witcher, and for some stupid reason, Second Life. Yeah - not a game, I know.

What follows is a look at what it is like using this particular system - how it feels to have one at your disposal, and ultimately if it is worth spending upwards of $US 1200+ for a similar system. What you won't find is benchmarks and technical specifications. If you're into that sort of thing, you already know where to go and most likely can look at the system specs and guess how the system is going to perform.

Speaking of which...

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This may look like a giant black metal box on top of my dining room table, but inside said box is AMD's answer to the gaming PC. This is Codename: Spider. The system combines the AMD Phenom Quad-core processor, the new ATI Radeon 3800 series of graphics cards, and AMD's 790FX chipset to create what AMD considers not just a computer, but a platform all its own. With the processor, chipset, and graphics all created by AMD and designed specifically to work in conjunction with each other, they are calling it "the ultimate computing experience with amazing scalability and exceptional efficiency." As a testament to their faith in the system, AMD included both Stranglehold and Crysis with the Spider to aid me in testing system performance. Yes, that Crysis. Bold move, AMD.

Truth be told, I was a complete AMD man until a friend of mine convinced me to ditch my aging Athalon 64 FX for an Intel dual core processor. We'll see if they manage to win me back with what they've packed inside this demo system.

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