AMD cuts prices on energy-efficient Athlon II processors

Earlier this week, on September 21, AMD unveiled 10 new desktop microprocessors. New models included 6 standard-power CPUs, one ultra-low voltage processor, and three energy-efficient "e" models. We just found out that, on top of adding new microprocessors to Athlon II and Phenom II families, AMD also cut prices on energy efficient parts. We also learned prices of recently introduced "e" models.

New dual-core Athlon II X2 low-power microprocessor has model number 250e, operates at 3 GHz and fits 45 Watt thermal envelope. The processor is priced very attractively at $77, or just $1 more than the newly released Athlon II X2 265. The Athlon II 250e replaced Athlon II 245e CPU, which has 100 MHz lower core frequency. The price of the 245e model was slashed from $77 to $69.

Athlon II X3 420e is the latest triple core energy-efficient CPU with 2.6 GHz core frequency and 45 Watt TDP. The CPU is $30 more expensive than Athlon II 250e, which still can be considered a passable deal for three cores. The price of the former top X3 model, Athlon II 415e, was cut from $102 to $97. The price of 405e microprocessor was also reduced to $97.

Athlon II X4 615e is a brand-new quad-core CPU, that superseded X4 610e model. The 615e runs at 2.5 GHz, and, like other "e" microprocessors, has 45 Watt or lower power consumption. Official AMD price of this CPU is $143 in quantities, while prices of older X4 processors with model number 610e and 605e were dropped from $143 to $133.

The summary of all prices changes is provided in the table below:

Processor	Cores	Frequency	Old Price	New Price
Athlon II X2 245e	2	2.9 GHz	$77	$69
Athlon II X2 250e	2	3 GHz	-	$77
Athlon II X3 405e	3	2.3 GHz	$102	$97
Athlon II X3 415e	3	2.5 GHz	$102	$97
Athlon II X3 420e	3	2.6 GHz	-	$107
Athlon II X4 605e	4	2.3 GHz	$143	$133
Athlon II X4 610e	4	2.4 GHz	$143	$133
Athlon II X4 615e	4	2.5 GHz	-	$143