Phenom II naming scheme and launch plans

AMD has dropped the plan of releasing any 45nm Phenoms before the end of this year but is readying a full line-up of processors for next year. Set to debut at CES, the Phenom II family includes the X4 900, 800 (Deneb) and 600 (Propus), X3 700 (Heka) and 600 (Rana) plus the X2 200 (Regor) series CPUs.

In Q1, AMD is expected to introduce no less than 8 processors, two of them, the Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition (3.0 GHz) and 920 (2.8 GHz) being AM2+ parts. The DDR3-supporting AM3 line-up will debut with the X4 925 (2.8 GHz), 910 (2.6 GHz), X4 810 (2.6 GHz), 805 (2.5 GHz), X3 720 (2.8 GHz) and 710 (2.6 GHz). The prices of these models are still unknown but hopefully their'll be very competitive.

The Phenom II X3 600 and X2 200s are set to become available in Q2.

Intel Core i7 priced

Dean Pullen the Inquirer, Monday 17 November 2008. 09:00:00 Available in the UK INTEL'S NEW PROCESSOR brand is now out, in stock, and available in the UK. The new fangled CPU code-named Nehalem, but now branded Core i7, can be picked up at a variety of online distributors for a range of different prices....

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AMD to release Phenom II in January

AMD told analysts yesterday that Phenom II X4 would be launched at CES 2009 in January. This Shanghai-based desktop product of the Deneb core, will serve as a launching platform for AMD's new industry focus, which is on value and mainstream and markedly away from enterprise. AMD's executives also stated that Intel's Nehalem-based Core i7 is out of touch with the marketplace.

The Dragon platform

The Phenom II X4 will be released along with an enthusiast platform called "Dragon." Like the server version announced yesterday, the desktop Phenom II will be a quad-core processor with 8 MB cache (6 MB shared L3, 512 KB L2 per core), support for DDR2 and DDR3 memory. Dragon will provide a range of graphics options from low-end to a "terascale graphics engine," overdrive CPU control and a Fusion optimization tool.

AMD comments on Intel Core i7

AMD's Bob Grim, senior manager of product marketing for AMD's desktop group, categorized Intel's Core i7 as being out of touch with the marketplace. He said, "Expensive motherboards, expensive memory...all expectations says that the processor will be expensive as well." Intel's Core i7 processors priced at $294 for 2.66 GHz, $562 for 2.93 GHz and $999 for 3.20 GHz. See Intel's pricing page.
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Shanghai Chips from AMD now available

AMD has released its new Shanghai platform, signaling a move to 45nm. The first chips out the door are quad-core Opteron parts, which AMD claims will deliver up to 35 percent more performance and up to a 35 percent decrease in power consumption when idle.Acording to CNet, a desktop platform (codenamed Dragon) consisting of 45nm Shanghai desktop CPUs along with AMD 700 series chipsets and ATI Radeon HD 4000 graphics will also see the light of day in the same time frame and attempt to compete with Intel's Core i7 platform.

"This enhanced AMD Opteron processor represents the most dramatic performance and performance-per-watt increases for AMD products since the introduction of the world's first x86 dual-core processors nearly four years ago," Randy Allen, AMD senior VP for Computing Solutions Group, said in a statement. "Simply put, the quad-core AMD Opteron is the right technology at the right time."Shanghai, which is essentially a refresh of Barcelona and not an entirely new architecture, supports DDR2-800 memory and comes with a tweaked Direct Connect Architecture. The current batch of 75-watt Shanghai chips will be followed up by a launch of 55-watt Opteron and an SE 105-watt part in Q1 2009.

Shanghai Chips from AMD now available

AMD pushes Fusion platform to 2011

AMD's executives gave an update of th company's progress toward profitability, products, marketing, manufacturing and operational initiatives on Thursday at the company's 2008 Financial Analyst Day in Sunnyvale, Calif.AMD has changed its original plans to introduce chips that combine CPU and and graphics cores to 2011, at a time where the when it will roll its first 32 nm products.

AMD pushes Fusion platform to 2011

The company has canceled its plans to release in 2010 its first dual-core 45 nm processor that would combine graphics and x86 cores. Instead, AMD will inntroduce in 2010 a four-core notebook processor in a BGA package.

AMD's "rival" Intel is expected to release a notebook processor that includes a graphics core in the end of 2009.AMD's first 32 nm processors will be delivered in 2011. The Orochi (UMPC/notebook) and Llano (mainstream desktop/notebook) chips will be the first to use AMD's next-generation Bulldozer core. The desktop chips will have four x86 cores and support four to eight Mbytes cache and DDR3 memory. The Llano chip will also include a graphics core.

Also in 2011, AMD will deliver Ontario, a 32nkm notebook chip with two x86 and one graphics core, supporting DDR3 memory.
Desktop/notebook Roadmap 2009-2010

AMD also provided details bout the CPU roadmap for mobile and desktop PCs for 2009/2010.

In 2009, the 45nm quad-core "Deneb" CPU (8m cache, DDR2/3) will power the entusiast desktop platforms. The "Propos" quad-core chips will be also available at that time featuring 2MB of cache and they will be found at mainstearm desktop PCs.

In the notebook segment for clients, AMD will release in 2009 the new 2-core "Caspian" CPU (2MB cache, DDR2) followed by the quad-core "Champlain" CPU (2MB cache, DDR3) in 2010. For ultramobiles, AMd prepares the "Conesus" (2-core, 1M cache, DDR2) chip for 2009 and the "Geneva" (2-core, 2M cache, DDR3) chip one year later.

AMD's 45nm desktop CPUs to be named Phenom II?

Announcing its 45nm Opteron CPUs, AMD said a few things about the upcoming 45nm desktop offer too. First of all, the company has revealed that the CPUs will be part of the successor of the Spider platform which will be known as "Dragon" which will debut in Q1 2009.

The second thing mentioned by AMD was that Dragon will make use of the "new 45nm AMD Phenom II X4 quad-core processors" which, if no typo comes into play, means the Phenom line-up is ready to step up in number and generation. It's yet unknown if both the AM2+ and AM3 45nm parts will bear the "Phenom II" name. We're guessing yes?

AMD launches its 45nm Opteron processors

AMD launches its 45nm Opteron processors

AMD has now announced the official debut of its first 45nm processors, the 'Shanghai' quad-core Opterons. Still making use of Socket F (1207), the 45nm server CPUs feature HyperTransport, the CoolCore technology, which reduces power to unused sections of each processor to further reduce power consumption., 6MB of L3 cache (up from the 2 MB of 65nm Opterons), an integrated DDR2 memory controller, lower power requirements and generally more processing power.

AMD launches its 45nm Opteron processors

"Flawless execution in bringing the 45nm Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor to market early results in new performance leadership on x86 servers," said Randy Allen, senior vice president, Computing Solutions Group, AMD. "In concert with our OEM and solution provider partners, AMD is addressing the need for enterprises to focus on their bottom line while giving them the innovations they need to build for the future. This enhanced AMD Opteron processor represents the most dramatic performance and performance-per-watt increases for AMD products since the introduction of the world’s first x86 dual-core processors by AMD nearly four years ago. Simply put, the Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor is the right technology at the right time."

The first wave of 45nm processors has already reached stores and the offers of server builders and it includes no less than nine models, all detailed below. Prices are for 1000-unit tray quantities.

Intel is planning to launch Xeon 5500 (Nehalem-EP) and Xeon 3500 series

Intel is planning to launch Xeon 5500 (Nehalem-EP) and Xeon 3500 series (Nehalem-WS) server CPUs in the first quarter of 2009, according to sources at server makers.

Intel will launch ten CPUs for the Xeon 5500 series: quad-core W5580 (3.2GHz), X5570 (2.93GHz), X5560 (2.8GHz), X5550 (2.66GHz), E5540 (2.53GHz), E5530 (2.4GHz), E5520 (2.26GHz), E5506 (2.13GHz), E5504 (2GHz) and dual-core E5502 with prices at US$1,600, US$1,386, US$1,172, US$958, US$744, US$530, US$373, US$266, US$224 and US$188 in thousand-unit tray quantities.

For the Xeon 3500 series, Intel will launch three CPUs: quad-core W3570, W3540 and W3520 priced at US$999, US$562 and US$284.

In additional news, Intel is planning to phase out seven notebook CPUs including the Core 2 Extreme X7900 and X7800, and Core 2 Duo T7800 and L7700 in January next year.

AMD launches first 45nm, quad-core Shanghai Opterons, hitting desktops Q1

AMD has been blazing architectural trails well before Nehalem. As EE Times points out, AMD's 65-nm Barcelona was the first quad-core processor with 2MB of shared L3 cache integrated with the Northbridge memory controller. Now AMD has (finally) caught up with its own 45-nm technology under the code-name, Shanghai. AMD's newest quad-core Opteron server chip with 6MB L3 cache now offers up to 35 percent better performance while drawing 35 percent less idle power. Better yet, it's drop-in compatible with Barcelona which should keep IT-types happy as they extend the life of their server farms. Available immediately in 75-watt, quad-core versions running clock speeds from 2.3GHz to 2.7GHz.

"Barcelona was obviously a pretty rough start for them. And that does not appear to be the case for Shanghai," said Dean McCarron, the principal and founder of Mercury Research, a company that tracks chip market movements. "One of the big distinctions was they wanted to be absolutely sure that Shanghai was ready to go."

AMD launches first 45nm

Major customers are brimming with accolades for Shanghai. "We've been very pleased. Thrilled with their execution," said with Paul Gottsegen, vice president of Industry Standard Servers, HP, in an interview.

"We'll have products that will be shipping just after launch. We had high performance expectations for the product and it exceeded our expectations," he said. "We're going to put Shanghai across the meat of our product line. You'll see six different rack servers, three different blades, all up and down parts of our product line."

Shanghai technology ahead of Intel

Much of Shanghai's raw technology is a generation ahead of Intel. In a posting at EE Times, Don Scansen, a semiconductor technology analyst at Semiconductor Insights, said that many of the features that Intel is touting as new are not new to AMD and were initially introduced in AMD's Barcelona processor.

"Intel's Nehalem is due out soon, but many of the features of what has widely been touted as a 'new' architecture are only new to Intel," he writes.



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Atom 330 is benchmarked

Atom 330 is benchmarked, worse than expected

Atom 330 is benchmarked

Intel's dual-core, 1.6GHz Atom 330 coupled with a 7200 RPM SATA hard drive and 1GB of DDR2 RAM,was benchmarked run-through, and they've got some conflicting details to pass on to you. Overall, the testers found the Atom to be, as expected, faster than the N270, but only by 16 percent. In specific tests, the 330 ran Office 2003 slower than both a 2GHz VIA C7-D and the single-core Atom; PC Pro actually performed the test several times just to be sure it wasn't a glitch... and it wasn't. The 330 performed better running 2D graphics, outpacing the N270 by 41 percent, and it also outperformed its competitors in encoding and multitasking.

Atom 330 is benchmarked

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