AMD release gamers dream processor: The FX-57.

AMD are sticking with single core chips for its videogame-focused processors, but Intel has already begun its foray into dual core gaming processors with the dual core Extreme Edition chip.

AMD has introduced the Athlon 64 FX-57, which lines up alongside the existing FX-55. The FX-57 retails at $1,031 and runs at 2.8GHz. The FX-55 runs at 2.6GHz, retails at $827 and it built on the 130-nanometer process, whereas its more powerful brother is built on the 90-nanometer process. The FX-57 will also contain several added features no present in the FX-55. It is unusual for AMD to manufacture two current gaming processors.

"We think growth is such that we can support two now," says Jonathan Seckler, Athlon 64 product manager. "I think this is an indicator of the size of the market."

AMD looks set to focus its dual core processors on servers and desktop computers but currently will not push that architecture into its gaming chips. Intel, on the other hand, has already introduced the dual core Extreme Edition processor targeted at gamers.

This move would seem a sensible one from AMD as dual core processors are yet to offer any benefit to gamers, and are unlikely to do so until games emerge that take advantage of multiple cores. However, AMD do plan to make the move when necessary. "When those games are out there, we will shift the FX to a dual-core product," said Seckler.

Judging from benchmarks on the internet it would seem the FX processors offer little real world performance increase over the more wallet friendly 64 bit AMD processors. There is no doubt that the FX chips offer the best performance available in gaming, but the money you could save by buying a Athlon 64 4000+ instead of an FX processor could be used to buy a spanking new Geforce 7800 GTX.