Comparison of Intel Core 2 Duo & AMD Athlon Dual Core Processors
AMD Athlon X2 dual-core processor and Intel's Core 2 Duo dual-core processor have been competitors for years, but the two brands have more in common than you'd think.
History
Both the AMD Athlon X2 and the Intel Core 2 Duo have their origins in 2005, the year both AMD and Intel launched their first dual-core products. Although Intel's products did not take the Core 2 Duo name until 2006, AMD's had the Athlon X2 name from the start.
Similarities
Both the Athlon X2 and the Intel Core 2 Duo are dual-core x86 processors. The range of clock speeds is similar, with both beginning at about 1Ghz on the low end and topping out at about 3.33Ghz on the high end.
Differences
Intel and AMD have unique sockets and chipsets to accompany their processors, so Core 2 Duo and Athlon X2 processors require different motherboards. Intel has also generally enjoyed a lead in manufacturing technology, resulting in better energy efficiency.
Compatibility
Both Core 2 Duo and Athlon X2 processors can run a wide variety of Windows operating systems and will both run the same programs. However, some early Intel Core 2 Duo processors lacked the x86 64-bit instruction set and so are unable to run 64-bit operating systems.
Performance
The Intel Core 2 Duo has generally been faster than the Athlon X2. However, some Athlon X2 processors, known as "Black Edition" processors, are easier to overclock, which can result in better overall performance.
Tags: Intel Core, Core Athlon, Athlon processors, Athlon Dual, Athlon Dual Core, Athlon Intel