Get a socket change, a new dual-channel DDR2 memory controller, double the processing cores, improved power management and you have a recipe for the new Turion 64 X2 processor. Read on as we take MSI's S271 Turion 64 X2 Mobile Technology pre-evaluation notebook for a quick spin. Like the original Turion 64, the newer X2 version shares some of its roots with that of the desktop Athlon 64 X2 variant. Using two processing cores, each with its own dedicated Level 2 cache memory and integrating a System Request Switch and a Crossbar Switch that interface the processing cores with the on-die memory controller and HyperTransport interconnect, the basic structure largely remains the same. The Turion 64 X2 has been designed with an integrated DDR2 memory controller. Not only that, but the once single-channel memory controller on the Turion 64 has been bolstered to a dual-channel controller, identical to that of the upcoming AM2 processors. Supports DDR2-400, DDR2-533 and DRR2-667 for up to 10.7GB/s total memory bandwidth.

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