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 .:Latest Topics |
:: PC Perspective . News . Processor
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 .:Processor News
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: AnandTech | Subject: Processor
AnandTech seems to have hit AMD's value product line's mantra on the head, "sell three cores for the price of two".
The new Athlon II X3s are the 435 @ 2.9GHz and the 425 at 2.7GHz and they are expected to sell at $87 and $76 repectively. This puts them well below the price of Intel's offerings of similar chips. They are 95W chips, just like their X4 cousins and sit at 1.5MBs of L2 cache thanks to the disabled core. They also overclock fairly well thanks to that disabled core. A month ago AMD introduced the world’s first quad-core processor to debut at $99. Last week, AMD announced its third quarter earnings for 2009. While the company as a whole lost money, the Product Company (CPU and GPU design) turned a small profit. I don’t want to say that the worst is behind AMD, but things are definitely looking up. And for the consumer, AMD is providing a ton of value these days. You're getting more transistors per dollar than Intel will give you, and it's not just bloat, these things are fast. The value train continues with todays introduction of the first triple core Athlon II processors: the Athlon II X3 435 and 425. Clocked at 2.9GHz and 2.7GHz respectively, these processors are simply Athlon II X4s with one core disabled. Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: iXBT Labs | Subject: Processor
iXBT Labs has been accumulating information on the new technologies we find in the present CPUs from AMD and Intel. In this particular article they focus on Hyper Threading, what it means and more importantly what you can expect to see in the way of performance impacts in normal usage. You can find links to the others in the series of articles on this page, including a portion on memory tweaking.
"As promised, this short article will be devoted to the analysis of probably one of the most interesting technologies used in Intel Core i7 processors -- Hyper- Threading." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: t-break | Subject: Processor
New desktop CPUs tend to be more exciting to cover as all of the bells and whistles that come with the new architecture are included in these chips. Worrying about heat and size are only partially important, whereas those are the most important things to consider when designing a mobile processor. The extra bells and whistles, apart from energy saving tricks are add only if they do not have a negative impact on the TDP. The appearance of three Core i7 mobile processors is worth looking at though, this is an incredible amount of processing power to fit into a laptop. Drop by t-break to get all the information on these three mobile powerhouses.
"Intel launched their new Nahelam based Core i7 mobile CPUs in Dubai yesterday. The following three CPUs are going to be initially available under the Core i7 umbrella at the moment along with some specifications Core i7-720QM Core i7-820QM Core i7-920XM Frequency 1.60GHz 1.73GHz 2.0GHz Smart Cache 6MB 8MB 8MB Turbo Boost 2.80GHz 3.06GH..." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: X-Bit Labs | Subject: Processor
If you still haven't had enough news about Intel's new 32nm processors after reading Ryan's article and listening to us gab about it on this week's PC Perspective Podcast, then head to X-bit Labs! They get up close and personal with Clarkdale and its architecture in their new preview. They talk about Intel's infamous Tick-Tock strategy that drives their current product roadmap and also take a look at the integration in the new chip along with its Graphics Media Accelerator.
"Over the past few days Intel revealed some exciting details on the upcoming Intel Westmere processor codenamed Clarkdale. Architectural improvements, new design, performance details and more." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Intel Press Room | Subject: Processor
INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, San Francisco, Sept. 22, 2009 – Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini today displayed a silicon wafer containing the world's first working chips built on 22nm process technology. The 22nm test circuits include both SRAM memory as well as logic circuits to be used in future Intel microprocessors.
"At Intel, Moore's Law is alive and thriving," said Otellini. "We've begun production of the world's first 32nm microprocessor, which is also the first high-performance processor to integrate graphics with the CPU. At the same time, we're already moving ahead with development of our 22nm manufacturing technology and have built working chips that will pave the way for production of still more powerful and more capable processors." The 22nm wafer displayed by Otellini is made up of individual die containing 364 million bits of SRAM memory and has more than 2.9 billion transistors packed into an area the size of a fingernail. The chips contain the smallest SRAM cell used in working circuits ever reported at .092 square microns. The devices rely on a third-generation high-k metal gate transistor technology for improved performance and lower leakage power. By continuing to lead in manufacturing technology Intel is able to innovate and integrate new features and functions into its processors. Intel's 32nm process is now certified and Westmere processor wafers are moving through the factory in support of planned fourth quarter revenue production. Following the move to 32nm Intel will subsequently introduce Sandy Bridge, Intel's next new microarchitecture. Sandy Bridge will feature a sixth generation graphics core on the same die as the processor core and includes AVX instructions for floating point, media, and processor intensive software. By continuing to drive the pace of innovation Intel is addressing the needs of entirely new market segments including netbooks, handhelds, consumer electronics and embedded applications. "Intel Core and Atom-based processors have generated unprecedented excitement and opportunities in our key growth areas," Otellini said. "To build on this momentum, we're working on ways to create a seamless Internet experience for people across all their computing devices. Today we're announcing a program to encourage development of software applications that can be written once, but run on Windows and Moblin devices – expanding their reach to more devices and consumers." The Intel Atom Developer Program provides a framework for independent software vendors (ISVs) and software developers to create and sell applications for netbooks and other Intel® Atom™ processor-based products. To broaden application availability across platforms, the program will support multiple operating systems and run-time environments. Run-time environments enable developers to use a single code base to support various device platforms without massive reprogramming, reducing cost and time to market. Intel is working with partners, such as netbook OEMs ACER and Asus, to create application storefronts in which validated software applications will be sold. In the embedded market segment, the Atom processor is driving advanced technology into new areas from hospital patient monitoring to avionics applications to audio systems. The company currently has 460 embedded Atom design wins including Harman International Industries. The provider of a wide range of audio and infotainment products for vehicles, Harman International has announced new in-car devices based on the Atom core that will enable full Internet access, 3-D navigation, brilliant graphics and high-speed wireless connectivity.
Ryan Shrout | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Processor
The Wi-Fi connection here at IDF is sketchy at best we'll do our best to cover the keynotes for you live from the event!
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Processor
AMD has taken over the lower end of the CPU spectrum with the release of the Athlon II X4 620 and 630. In the $100 price range, the only chip Intel has to offer is the Q8200, and at around $27 more it and with lesser performance, it is overwhelmed by AMDs offerings. The bad news is that Black Edition processors are limited to the Phenom II series, the Athlons will not have one. On the plus side, that wonderful little BIOS feature called ACC may be able to unlock L3 cache that is disabled on the chip. Josh has posted his full review at the top of the page and you have to read it.
"AMD has not reinvented the wheel with the Athlon II X4 series of chips. They are not disruptive products from a performance standpoint, and they bring nothing particularly new to the marketplace. Except price of course. When we consider that, then the Athlon II X4s are disruptive. A fast, quad core at $122 will turn a few heads. We can also expect to eventually see more power efficient versions of these chips potentially make it into the laptop market (as the dual core Athlon II X2s have done recently)." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: [H]ard|OCP | Subject: Processor
As we mentioned in last nights podcast, only two of the three Lynnfield processors have appeared for review, with the sweetest one of all MIA. Hopefully this means that the i7-860 is on its way into the channel in large numbers as it sits in the price point of the i7-920 and does about the same thing with less power needed and less heat produced. While we are awaiting its arrival why not see how professionals like the folks at [H]ard|OCP have fared with this new processor and chipset. It will give you some ideas for when you have your own Lynnfield to push to its limits.
"Intel today launches its new Lynnfield processor based on its tremendously dominant Nehalem architecture. New Lynnfield processors bring with them a new socket that commands a new series of motherboards and both are very much on track to capture a huge share of the enthusiast computer hardware market." Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Processor
After all of the preamble and waiting, the Lynnfield core has finally arrived in the form of the Core i5 750, the Core i7 860 and the Core i7 870. If that isn't confusing enough, you can hold hope that the Core i6 might show up soon. The two i7s come with hyperthreading, as their name implies, the sole i5 does not; all use DDR3 but not all Core i7s can use triple channel memory.
The marketplace for CPUs has become very odd, but it is not in a unpleasant way as we see new levels of power savings and efficiency from a processor without seeing sacrifices in performance. Indeed in some cases the efficiency of the new architecture exceeds that of its predecessor. You've waited a long time to meet Intel's new architecture; Ryan is waiting to introduce you. "Intel's new Lynnfield Core i7 and Core i5 processors weren't intended to win overall performance crowns, but they came closer than many expected them to in our testing. Lynnfield indeed brings the features and performance of the Nehalem architecture to a new price point and market and in doing so will likely spark a wave of PC enthusiast upgrades this fall and winter. If the performance of these parts didn't blow you away, then perhaps the outstanding performance per watt did, or even the performance per dollar?" Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Red & Blackness Mods | Subject: Processor
Now that the capabilities of the i7 920 have been fully explored, enthusiasts are trying to find another processor that can deliver the performance that they want, while staying somewhere in the neighbourhood of $300.
One contender is AMD's Phenom II 965, priced at $240. Four cores at 3.2GHz give it equal footing when trying to unseat the i7 920 but you will have to visit R&B Mods to see how the competition played out.
"The Phenom 2 955 performed extremely well for the money you paid for it, this new 965 version costs about 245$ which is still a fair amount below the Core i7 920 price,. The question is; will it be able to perform somewhat similar or even faster than the Core i7? Let's take a closer look." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: ALIENBABEL tech | Subject: Processor
As Josh talked about last night on the PCPer Podcast, ACC is an AMD users best friend. The newest trick is unlocking the extra 6MB L3 cache on some Athlon II processors, essentially making them into Phenom II CPUs. Drop by ALIENBABEL tech to see the benchmarks of one such unlocked chip.
"It seems that the ACC intended to improve overclocking on the original AMD Phenoms, is playing new magic tricks again. After it’s ACT 1 which was the unlocking of the disabled cores on the tri-core and dual core Phenom II X3 and X2’s, ACC seems to have found a new puppy to perform ACT 2 on. This time it unlocks the L3 cache on the upcoming Athlon II quad core parts." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Legion Hardware | Subject: Processor
The new Phenom X4 965s are impressive processors but they throw off a lot of heat so not all AM3 motherboards will take them, as well there are certain setups where a CPU tossing off that much heat and consuming that much power just isn't feasible. Thus we have the 65W TDP 2.5 GHz X3 705e and the 2.5GHz Phenom II X4 905e low power CPUs. While both are quite powerful for their niche, neither have the unlocked multipliers that Black Edition Phenoms offer. Drop by Legit Reviews to see how they perform and their overclocking results.
"The AMD Phenom II X3 705e and Phenom II X4 905e processors make a great drop-in replacement for those of you running an older and slower processor. We were able to replace the AMD Phenom X4 9350e, which is a quad-core, 2GHz, 65W TDP part from last summer, in our 780G Maui HTPC system and drop in the AMD Phenom II X4 905e after a quick BIOS update. The extra 500MHz boost in performance is noticeable and best of all the power consumption and temperatures on the system actually lowered. The load power consumption was only 8 Watts lower, but that is impressive for a processor that is running 500MHz faster on the core clock and with 4MB more L3 cache!" Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Processor
The Deneb based Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition processor is AMD's new top of the line product. The core is running at a nice and speedy 3.4 GHz, but the memory controller, HT link, and L3 cache are untouched, still running at 2 GHz. AMD has set the price at $245, a nice attractive price for a drop in upgrade. Josh tests this 140W processor as far as it can go and a bit beyond, plus you can check out his new Frankencooler.
"Still, we must hand it to the folks in Austin and Dresden, they continue to compete and they continue to offer faster products at competitive prices. This in turn lowers the prices on slower parts, and the consumer gets a whole lot more performance for their buck. Add into this the improved motherboard support and the price of DDR-3 (though spiking recently) getting closer to DDR-2 levels, and users get another good option for their hard earned dollars (or whatever currency fits their needs)." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Ryan Shrout | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Processor
Now this is getting to be just plain funny. Intel still hasn't gotten us our official Lynnfield processor samples but they are apparently showing up for sale in retail form already! Not in the US mind you, but somewhere.
The CPUs are apparently for sale in various Chinese establishments and websites like coolaler.com and xfastest.com have users showing off their new wares in the appropriate forums.
Of course there is benchmarking and overclocking going on, but I don't read much Chinese so...yah. Screenshots are universal however and see overclocks above 4.0 GHz this early is always a good sign for users HERE that will get them after the product officially launches.
Ryan Shrout | Source: Ars Technica | Subject: Processor
News is coming out of Siggraph that AMD has released an SDK for OpenCL programming on x86 CPUs. This might at first seem to be confusing as we are usually referring to GPUs when talking about OpenCL, but keep in mind that OpenCL's goal has always been for heterogenous computing across different processor platforms, not just for graphics cards. ArsTechnica is calling this a "reverse of the normal GPGPU trend" of porting code typically seen on the CPU to run on a GPU.
The end-game idea is for a developer to be able to write generic code that is not aimed at EITHER a CPU or a GPU but rather will allow for the proper OpenCL implementation to determine what computing is best done on which available processors. So if a workload would be best run on a GPU, and one is available in the system, the software would utilize it; but if a section of code is very linear and best suited for a traditional processor, it would run on the x86 cores. At least, that's the idea. It sounds easy when written out in such a fashion but in practice will be very difficult to accomplish without a lot of precompiled work by the developer. 
AMD demoed Havok Cloth running with OpenCL quite some time ago In fact, NVIDIA has demonstrated its CUDA API working on both CPUs and GPUs - using the same exact compiled code. So we know this is something that CAN be done - it is more a matter of how efficiently these context changes can take place and be implemented on a larger scale. Larrabee is no doubt another kink in this whole OpenCL story as it spans the gap between traditional GPUs and CPUs by offering a many core x86 design with specific vertex instruction optimizations. And of course, there is Apple, one of the progenitors of the OpenCL standard with full support for it coming in Apple's soon to be releaesd Snow Leapord operating system. And now that each and every one of Apple's computers has an OpenCL capable GPU in them, it could make for some interesting paradigm shifts in the coming months and years for computing and programming.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Phoronix | Subject: Processor
At under $50, the Intel E1400 is not often seen on the headlines of review sites. Clocked at a modest 2.0GHz, with an 800MHz FSB and 512KB of L2 cache, this 65W TDP dual core chip is perfect for low cost systems. Phoronix has pitted it against a single 2GHz core, 45W TDP AMD Sempron LE1150 which can be had for under $40. Their Linux test suite has been fired up, and they even have a 650MHz overclock to show off. See which of these low cost chips can take home the prize.
"While nearly all of Intel's attention is focused on their newer LGA-1366 platform with the high-end Core i7 processors and then the forthcoming Core i5 series, there are still plenty of viable processors left for the LGA-775 motherboards. There are of course a number of different Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, and Core 2 Extreme CPUs on the market, but beyond that Intel's Celeron family does still exist. Most computer enthusiasts simply write off the Celeron products as being too slow, but among the newer Celeron parts there are even some dual-core processors. For a forthcoming article we had picked up an Intel Celeron E1400 for looking at the Linux video decoding performance on a slow system (similar to our HD Video Playback With A $20 CPU & $30 GPU On Linux article), but as we have never published performance results for a dual-core Celeron on Linux, we have decided to get those numbers out there today for those that are interested." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Josh Walrath | Source: AMD | Subject: Processor
While it is no surprise that AMD was going to offer lower clocked Athlon IIs, it is nice to see that they have done so in a timely manner and with a very nice eye towards price. As we well know, the Athlon II is based on the Phenom II architecture, but with double the L2 cache but no L3 cache to speak of. This gives the Athlon II very good performance, but at a remarkably smaller overall die size. These dual cores are slower than the Phenom II X2s, but the difference in overall performance is not all that great compared to the huge disparity in die size (and considering that the Phenom II X2 is a recovered X4 die with only two cores active). The new Athlon II X2 245 and 240 are clocked at 2.9 GHz and 2.8 GHz respectively, and the 240 is set to be priced at a very reasonable $67.
These cores are not unlocked, which is rather unfortunate in some ways. If a user wants an unlocked core, then they have to buy the Phenom II X2 550. That part is just shy of $100 these days after rebates and specials, so I can see why AMD would not want to muddy the field with too many Black Edition products in the sub $100 range. Still, the Athlon II is a respun and slightly redesigned Phenom II at heart, and with a smaller die and much lower power consumption, overclocking an unlocked part would be particularly interesting. The other news from today is the release of a 95 watt TDP Phenom II X4 945. This is the AM3 version of the 3 GHz Phenom II, and we originally saw it in the early January release of the Phenom II X4 940, which itself was only AM2+. AMD is still a controlling owner of GLOBALFOUNDRIES (I should just macro that damn name), and as such they still do work as they have when it was part of AMD. This means a continual process improvement program, and we can see the fruits of their labors with the latest version of the Phenom II X4 945. Going from a 125 watt TDP down to 95 watts in such a short period of time (6 to 7 months) is actually quite impressive considering that there have been no major changes to the actual design of the processor. AMD's (and now GF's) 45 nm SOI process is very robust, and it certainly impressed most of us with the initial debut of the X4 940 all those months ago. I think the future of foundry work is quite bright for GF, and in the next 30 days we will hear who has chosen GF for their foundry work (other than AMD obviously). It certainly seems like GF has a big leg up on TSMC and other 3rd party foundries, and if they can continue at this pace, and be profitable, then I think we will see a big change in the landscape of foundry work.
Ryan Shrout | Source: PC-Base | Subject: Processor
When I say HUGE roadmaps that's what I really mean. PC Watch has done their usual thing and drawn up some damn impressive tables with the future of Intel written all over them. We are just going to look over the desktop versions for right now, but they come in two parts: one is the roadmap that lays out CPU release dates and frequencies while the other is a good overview of what code names and model numbers indicate in terms of feature sets.
First we'll look at the specifications table as it can really help clarify all the confusion surrounding various model numbers, etc. 
Click to Enlarge What you see above is a nearly complete table describing what exactly a Core i5-7x0 processor is and how it differs from a Core i7-9x0 part. Probably the most exciting bit of information on this table is the mention of Gulftown, Intel's upcoming 6-core Nehalem based processor that uses HyperThreading to support up to 12 processing threads on a single chip. As we originally suspected, the specifications show it listed as a 32nm part and staying within the 130w TDP envelope and on the LGA1366 socket. Sounds like one very expensive upgrade path is going to be available for early Core i7 adopters!
The table also shows Clarkdale, the Nehalem-based CPU with integrated graphics will indeed use the LGA1156 socket (same as Lynnfield), will be dual-core (some with HyperThreading capability and even Turbo Boost) while staying within a still somewhat high 73w TDP. The desktop roadmap, that covers from Q4 2004 through 2010, is seen here, if you feel daring enough to take on the whole thing at one time: 
Click to Enlarge Because that is a lot to take in all at once, I went ahead and cropped the above roadmap to ONLY show the mainstream and higher desktop section for 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Click to Enlarge Here you can see all the parts that are already released and available through Q2 of 2009 - including the Core i7-975 and Cre i7-950 parts. You can clearly see that Intel does indeed have three parts coming up for release in Q3: the Core i5-750, Core i7-860 and Core i7-870. We in fact found rumored pricing of these very parts today as well. The Core i7-950, one of only two remaining triple-channel based Nehalem parts, will be replaced by the Core i7-960 come Q4 of this year. You will also note that the very popular Core i7-920 is NOWHERE to be seen - obviously its fate has been determined and it will be overtaken by what we assume will be the even more overclocking-friendly Lynnfield CPUs. Even more interesting on this roadmap is that it gives us not only the default clock speed but also the Turbo Mode range as well. Take a look here: 
This tells us that the Core i7-860 should run at 2.8 GHz at stock speeds but could run up to as high as 3.46 GHz using Intel's Turbo Mode, the auto-overclocking feature introduced with the Nehalem architecture. If these are accurate, we can easily tell which of these future CPUs are going to be the best for both multi- and single-threaded application use. Take a look at the Core i7-960 for example: it ranges only from 3.2 GHz to 3.46 GHz using Turbo Mode. That is only an 8.1% gain in frequency. The Core i5-750S, a slightly lower power consumption part due out in Q1 of 2010, will jump from a stock speed of 2.4 GHz up to 3.2 GHz with Turbo Mode enabled! That is a much better "value" in terms of free overclocking as Turbo Mode will punch up the speed by as much as 33%! Clarkdale CPUs, the dual-core Nehalem parts with integrated graphics on them due out in Q1 2010, don't seem to scale (in a relative manner) very much with Turbo Mode, though the Clarkdale Core i5 that runs at 3.46 GHz will get as high as 3.73 GHz when auto overclocked. It makes sense that the dual-core dies would be able to scale to higher clock speeds and we would imagine they might be able to break the 4 GHz barrier pretty easily. It does look as though this roadmap is incomplete however - it doesn't show any CPU releases for the mainstream or performance segments after Q1 of 2010. While possible, I find it highly unlikely that Intel would stay stagnant that long as they await the release of Sandy Bridge in 2011. We will have more information on future Intel CPUs as we come across it and hopefully we'll be able to take the same detailed look at the Intel Mobile roadmaps tomorrow.
Ryan Shrout | Source: TweakTown | Subject: Processor
We have been building up a LOT of news recently on the pending release of Intel's new processor, the Lynnfield-based Core i7 and Core i5 CPUs, including CPU release dates, specifications and of course at least a couple P55 motherboard previews. Now it looks like we might have the answer most of us are waiting for (besides performance of course): pricing.
According to this Tweaktown news post, there will be three processors specifications and pricing as follows: If the details put together by HKEPC is correct the entry level Core i5 750 will be a little under $200. I will run at 2.66 Ghz, feature 8MB L3 cache, and will have four Cores but will lack HyperThreading.
The entry level Core i7 860 for Socket 1156 will run a cool $284. It will run at 2.8 GHz, feature Four Core and HyperThreading, and will match the Core i5 for cache size. The top end Core i7 for 1156 will be the 870. This will be a 2.93GHz part that will set you back $562 and should match the other Core i7 for specs otherwise. The most interesting of these three parts to me is the Core i7-860 as it will run you less than $300 while retaining the HyperThreading funcationality that the Core i5-750 does not. The Core i7-870 only adds a single step to the frequency on the chip yes costs about twice as much - not a good price/performance gain if you ask me. 
A P55 motherboard from ASUS for the upcoming Lynnfield processors While we are still waiting on our official samples from Intel along with specifications and pricing, these results are definitely encouraging us for a strong Intel Lynnfield launch this fall.
So with all the news about the P55, and the next generation of the X58 (complete with a few USB 3.0 ports) it is nice to get some news on the pending release of the Core i5 and the 1156 Version of the Core i7.
According to some new information we have some specifications and even pricing for the new CPUs. If the details put together by HKEPC is correct the entry level Core i5 750 will be a little under $200. I will run at 2.66 Ghz, feature 8MB L3 cache, and will have four Cores but will lack HyperThreading. The entry level Core i7 860 for Socket 1156 will run a cool $284. It will run at 2.8 GHz, feature Four Core and HyperThreading, and will match the Core i5 for cache size. The top end Core i7 for 1156 will be the 870. This will be a 2.93GHz part that will set you back $562 and should match the other Core i7 for specs otherwise. All three of these should be out on September 6th. The question is; will the 1156 socket take off? With the removal of the Marvell SATA 6G controller from the P55 boards, the lack of USB 3.0 and the unknowns on performance over the existing Core 2 CPUs could leave many waiting to buy. We can only hope that the Core i5 and new main stream Core i7 CPUs will have a better acceptance than the original Core i7 did.
Josh Walrath | Source: AMD | Subject: Processor
If you are interested in upgrading our building a whitebox server with the latest AMD Opteron processors based on the Istanbul core, you are in luck. Newegg has just posted the 2.2 GHz and 2.4 GHz processors on their site, and the prices for these products are very reasonable. The 2.2 GHz offering is listed at $450 US and the 2.4 product is at $699. Both have the 75 watt ACP rating, as well as the more traditional 115 watt TDP. For a 6 core part running at 2.2 GHz and 2.4 GHz, this is actually pretty impressive. Performance of these parts are quite good considering price, power, and features. Their performance under virtualization is also quite impressive, again competing with the best that Intel has to offer (though still not able to get over the overall performance hump that is the Nehalem architecture).
With these parts already hitting the retail channel, AMD and their partner at GLOBALFOUNDRIES must certainly be pumping these processors out at an impressive rate. While the economic downturn has certainly cut expenses for many companies in this area, a new part such as this is usually under tremendous demand at first. Fulfilling OEM orders comes first, and then parts start to trickle out to retail. Note that these are not the highest end offering of the Istanbul parts, so we can assume that those chips are heading to the OEMs/ODMs first. Of course, in a worst case scenario, AMD is not producing many of these, but the demand is so poor that they are already hitting the retail channel. From what we have been led to believe though, that is not the case. There is a lot of interest in these new parts, and AMD has provided a more cost effective, and overall better performing part, than the Intel Dunnington based processors. These chips are the 2000 series of parts, which means they are aimed at the 1S and 2S marketplace. No 4S for these. The 8000 series of chips will be needed for 4S systems, and the prices on those are significantly higher (think around $2500 US for starters). 
For people wishing to build their own, we can see guys like Tyan putting out a solid, yet inexpensive, 1U white box setup. All that is needed are the basics such as processors, memory, and hard drives. Everything else is included in the box, and for $899 it is a pretty tremendous deal. Throwing in two of the 6 core processors, as well as high speed hard drives, and plenty of memory, will give you a hefty machine for around $3000 US. Thanks to Randy for the head's up.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: VIA Technologies | Subject: Processor
Taipei, Taiwan, 17 July 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the adoption of its VIA Eden processor in the latest FUTRO thin client series from Fujitsu. The 500MHz VIA Eden ULV processor, with its remarkably low TDP of only one watt, powers the Fujitsu FUTRO S100, an entirely fanless and silent thin client and virtual workplace solution. With a dramatically lower TCO, a reduced environmental footprint and a radically improved security infrastructure, it's no surprise to see thin client adoption continue to expand, particularly in enterprise and commercial corporate segments. Fujitsu's new range of FUTRO thin client products bring these benefits into sharper focus, with the FUTRO S100 thin client consuming less than eleven watts for the complete system under full load. "Our VIA Eden ULV processors allow the creation of a new class of fanless and silent devices that are today seeing significant growth in the enterprise," said Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "The FUTRO thin client series from Fujitsu represents the leading edge of energy-efficient client computing, something we are proud to be a part of." "The Fujitsu FUTRO S100 offers business users extremely low energy consumption per seat, helping to minimize the environmental impact and expense of doing business in today's competitive economic landscape," said Rajat Kakar, Vice President Clients Group of Fujitsu Technology Solutions. The "One Watt" 500MHz VIA Eden ULV Processor
Based on the VIA CoolStream Architecture, the 500MHz VIA Eden ULV processor is capable of speeds of up to 500MHz while maintaining a remarkably low power consumption of only 1 watt peak power and as low as 100mW (0.1 watt) idle power. Integrated into the processor is the VIA StepAhead Technology Suite, which boasts an extensive array of performance-enhancing features ensuring the processor's low power consumption doesn't come at the expense of performance.
More information about the VIA Eden processor can be found here:
Ryan Shrout | Source: General | Subject: Processor
If what Semiaccurate is saying holds weight, this could be a very big move in the microprocessor manufacturing world. Apparently during an analyst meeting this morning the company's Senior VP Anand Chandrasekher made a small note during a presentation that could have dramatic effects on how Intel and the silicon production markets function.
You might remember just a couple of months ago Intel made an announcement that it would allow certain custom Atom-based designs to be built at TSMC - a drastic move on its own right to allow another fab facility to build Intel design processors. Today's news is even more earth shattering in some ways - Intel is basically saying that they will start opening up the "on-chip bus" and open the "shared, modular 32nm library" that could allow third parties to build custom ASICs with Intel x86 cores on them and then fabricate them on the Intel 32nm production lines. 
Image from Semiaccurate.com The reasoning behind this drastic move for Intel is pretty obvious - if Intel wants to move into the world of cell phones and other super-low-voltage markets, the need for custom silicon for each product is more and more apparent. Intel for years has been pushing that it can use existing or only slightly modified core architectures using x86 ISAs for products like MIDs, phones, etc. But ARM's dominance in that field has never really been matched and it looks like Intel is finally admitting that the task-specific architecture model has benefits.
Charlie poses a great question in his article: So, with a new, more open and friendly Intel, the question is, does
Intel drive power down to phone use levels before ARM gets the drivers
and Firefox plugins that x86 has?
If we look at products like NVIDIA's Tegra, it's strength lies in the power it can provide to a product at minimal battery life while implementing typically x86-based functions like HD video and now Flash acceleration on an ARM-based design. Intel definitely sees these products as competition and if we know anything about Intel it's that the company can dominate in just about any field it really sets its mind to. If you are looking for more discussion on this topic, you should stop by PC Perspective around 10pm ET for our live podcast recording (will be posted on the front page as news) as it will undoubtedly be on the table for debate. Or you can subscribe to the podcast now and get the audio sent your way in the morning.
Ryan Shrout | Source: Digitimes | Subject: Processor
I don't know if I've ever seen a variable launch date for a processor before, but Digitimes is reporting that Intel is planning to release the much anticipated Lynnfield processors (known as BOTH Core i7 and Core i5) along with the accompanying P55 chipset in mid September.
Desktop-based Lynnfield CPUs and P55 chipsets will be announced between September 8-11.
Doesn't get any more basic than that. There has been a lot of movement around the P55/Lynnfield launch lately including our own early preview of the ASUS P7P55D EVO motherboard, the SATA 6G / P55 scandal and even the final branding of the new CPUs leaking out. According to another report we saw linked to by the Inquirer, there will be three different Lynnfield parts available at launch: 2.66 GHz, 2.8 GHz and 2.93 GHz speeds. While we know that some may or may not support HyperThreading and others may not support Turbo Mode (see the final branding link above) it will be interesting to see which of these products falls into which categories. We are eagerly anticipating the release of this new mainstream consumer product line - we'll have more previews of motherboards coming around the corner soon and we will obviously have a review of the processors up once Intel gives us the green light. Also interesting to note from that Digitimes article is the scheduled release of Clarksfield, the Nehalem-based derivative built for notebooks, will be given the "Core 2" branding: Intel's three Clarksfield CPUs – the Core 2 Extreme XE 2GHz, Core 2
Quad P2 1.73GHz and Core 2 Quad P1 1.6GHz – will be ready to debut
sometime around the end of September and October of 2009, the sources
noted.
Ryan Shrout | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Processor
GlobalFoundries has a couple of interesting news bits for us today as SEMICON West starts up in California this week. First up was a call from GF to drive development on the existing 300mm wafer technology rather than hastily move to 450mm wafers as many in the industry are calling for.
In our view, the rush to 450mm manufacturing suggests a lack of ideas for improving fab productivity. At GLOBALFOUNDRIES, we see a tremendous amount of headroom left in the 300mm process. We are tapping our expertise in lean manufacturing to extend the lifecycle of the industry’s current 300mm investments, and we are investing more than $4 billion in a new, state-of-the-art 300mm fab in upstate New York because we are confident in our ability to get the most out of this technology generation.
... At SEMICON West 2009, Sonderman is calling for a renewed focus on operational agility in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, particularly in light of increased pressure to move to processes based on 450 millimeter (mm) wafers. “The rush to 450mm suggests a lack of ideas for improving fab productivity,” Sonderman said. “At GLOBALFOUNDRIES, we see a tremendous amount of headroom left in the 300mm process. We are tapping our expertise in lean manufacturing to extend the lifecycle of the industry’s current 300mm investments, and we are investing more than $4 billion in a new, state-of-the-art 300mm fab in upstate New York because we are confident in our ability to get the most out of this technology generation.” Another interesting note comes from the blog of the company's CorpComm director, Jon Carvill. In the post he refers to a fully functioning Fab 2 (ground breaking is very soon we are told) up and producing 28nm wafers by the 2H of 2012. Apparently the company will quickly move from that to 22nm however, though it is simply easier to get the facility functioning at 100% with a process they will already be familiar with (as 28nm will be running at Fab 1). 
First image of a 28nm SRAM bulk test wafer from GlobalFoundries. The second interesting piece here is more of a tease: apparently the first customer announcements are coming very soon: Our customer acquisition activities also continue at a fevered pace and we have and will continue to engage with the world’s biggest fabless and fablite semiconductor companies and I am pleased to say that there’s tremendous interest in GLOBALFOUNDRIES. So much so, that we expect to be able to make some new announcements in this area imminently with the goal to have multiple foundry customers on board by the end of 2009.
From what I am told, these should NOT be companies signing on that we have never heard of - expect to see some pretty big names popping up soon.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Madshrimps | Subject: Processor
Drop by Madshrimps for an indepth look at Back to Back CAS Latency timings in your Core i7 motherboard. It is a tale of strange instabilities, low clock challenges and memory behaving a bit oddly. By the end you will have a grasp on a BIOS setting that if used properly could increase your systems speed or give you a way to increase stability at the cost of a bit of speed. Check out another important new BIOS setting Intel's new architecture has brought us in this article.
"In today's short article, we'll have a look at the effect of just one memory timing, the Back-to-Back Cas Delay timing, which seems to be one of the more important timings both performance and stability-wise. If you're looking for a solution for your high- frequency capable memory kit, performance increase with low-frequency memory or stabilizing high BCLK/high memory ... this is something for you." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Ryan Shrout | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Processor
We first brought up the AMD TWKR processors last week but we are now starting to see some actual hands-on time with the processors at various places around the web. The Inquirer posted an update about these CPUs today as well:
AMD appears to have sent out their little TWKRs to the creme de la creme of overclocking high society, with forums announcing that the likes of K|ngp|in, Chew*, SF3D and Maci have already gotten their paws on them.
K|ngp|in et all are considered demi gods in the world of extreme overclocking and the likes of SF3D and Macci have previously appeared in AMD unprocessed videos pushing the firm's Phenom II to the max. Someone over at Legit Reviews also got their hands on one and was able to get some impressive results: Reaching nearly 6.6GHz on a Phenom II X4 processor was an awesome experience and it just goes to show how far these cores can go with the right cooling. AMD has done a great job with the Phenom II processors and the TWKR edition processors really highlight that success.
Very nice! Now, I have a bit of a problem with this barrage of marketing though. It stems from a couple of answers to LR's questions posted in their "review": Will this ever go retail and if so what is pricing?
Right now this is just for the good of the community and not for sale. How rare are these processors? Are they 1 out of 100 or 1 out of 100,000? There are less than 100 of these that I know of, and unlike our competitor we don’t have the means or process in place to sort through thousands of processors. All AMD Phenom II processors have great potential and we have a few secrets on what we look for as the glass comes off the line…so far we’ve found what we’re looking for. When everything performs well it isn’t too tough to find fast chips. So AMD is essentially creating a buzz around its Phenom II product line using VERY specifically handpicked processors that were given to very specific people to play around with. Is it fair? Is this basically the same problem we saw years ago in the GPU world when companies like NVIDIA and ATI would release super-high-clocked graphics cards (like the 8800 Ultra or X850XT "Phantom Edition") to show their "dominance" in the market but never actually deliver something a consumer could buy and use? I tend to think so. You could also compare the tactic to GM showing off really cool concept cars only to try and sell you a Cobalt when you reach the dealership. 
This is the "Pandora's Box" of processors apparently... To be perfectly open: yes we asked for a TWKR part and no we were not given one. Would it have been fun to play with it and some LN2? Sure, we would have had a blast putting that video out for you all to see. But our opinion would have been the same: show you (the consumer) the money. AMD: if you are so proud of your processors and their clock speeds and performance, put up or shut up. Give us that high-end 3.8 GHz CPU that will make Phenom II competitive with Core i7 and the upcoming Lynnfield parts. Don't tease the enthusiast with something they can't buy in hopes of getting a few more sales. Remember last November when you showed the same parts running at 5 GHz+? What has the average consumer gotten out of that in the 7 months since? Look, I don't want to come off COMPLETELY down on the company that is trying to build excitement around its brand. But the truth is that AMD's technology doesn't allow them to produce products of this caliber in any remotely profitable volume and thus many users will find the marketing distasteful. Update: Josh, one PC Perspective's other editors thinks I might be coming down on AMD a bit too hard here. Here is his "conclusion" on the TWKR part: TWKR is a very specialized marketing tool being used by AMD to garner more fans in the outspoken enthusiast ranks, unfortunately, for the average buyer it means squat and they will be lucky to even catch a real life glimpse of even the special TWKR box.
Ryan Shrout | Source: Email | Subject: Processor
EETimes is reporting that the 40nm process at TSMC, the same one responsible for the Radeon HD 4770 and both NVIDIA and AMD's latest mobility GPU offerings, is still having SIGNIFICANT yield problems.
In fact, not only do our checks suggest 40-nm yields but, to our surprise, these have remained below 30 percent, affecting shipments in 2H09,'' he said in the report. ''We believe yields are as low as 20 percent to 30 percent, which may explain the recent management change. We think some key customers who are increasing 40-nm tape-outs have already started to evaluate other foundries (UMC) in case yields do not improve soon.
If those yields are even close to accurate, TSMC and its partners must be in a world of hurt and it obviously explains why AMD is having difficulty getting the price and availability of the Radeon HD 4770 worked out. It also puts into question NVIDIA's recent move to 40nm on their new GeForce 200M mobility GPUs. 
Will this giant in the industry put this issue behind it quickly? I'm sure someone like GlobalFoundries is just chomping at the bit to get in there and take some of TSMC's customer base but that will have to wait for the next generation of 32nm and 28nm wafers if it is going to happen. TSMC needs to work on getting this 40nm production issue worked out and QUICKLY to avoid any potential customer loses to competing foundries in the future.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Legit Reviews | Subject: Processor
The AMD Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition does not have a native frequency, simply a default of 2GHz if you pop it in without changing anything in the BIOS. It is a limited edition run specifically designed to be overclocked, hence the tweaker portion of its name. So far Legit Reviews has the top overclock, 6.58GHz on LN and a bus speed of 209MHz. As an added bonus, the testing ended once something horrible happened to the motherboard, you can see a picture on the last page of the review.
"For our liquid nitrogen testing we insulated the motherboard with a combination of artist eraser and Vaseline and mounted our K|ngp|n F1EE liquid nitrogen pot on top of the CPU with a dab of Arctic Silver Ceramique for the thermal compound. After pulling the pot down to around -188 Celsius we began our runs starting with 3DMark 2006. We were using a Gigabyte MA790FXT-UD5P with two Corsair Dominator GT 1866C7 2GB modules, two AMD HD4870x2 video cards at 822MHz core 950MHz memory, and a single Corsair HX1000 PSU powering the entire system. We had to push the vcore up to 1.8v to achieve the following 6.6GHz screen shot on the AMD Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition processor..." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Ryan Shrout | Source: The Inquirer | Subject: Processor
Do you overclock your CPU with any form of liquid gas? If not, this product isn't really for you. Which is good, because according to The Inquirer, these CPUs are going to be REALLY hard to get a hold of...
AMD has pushed out a very select few processors with the "TWKR" brand on them meant for the highly specialized art of extreme overclocking. We aren't talking a few hundred MHz here, we are talking about a couple GHz.
Source: inquirer.net These CPUs are based on Phenom II X4 140w units but will have exceptional leakage - something that most users actually DON'T want for normal day-to-day computing. If you are going to be cooling these to well below 0 degree, then that is something to look for.
The chips certainly look set to be record smashers, but without any actual benchmarks, we can't tell you conclusively. But, if what we've heard is correct and from our knowledge that Phenoms prefer cold over high voltages, these chips should be able to handle higher voltage better under extreme cooling, even possibly topping the 7Ghz barrier.
We're looking forward to seeing what overclockers will be able to do with these mysterious offerings, especially since the Phenom has already hit 7ghz on all 4 cores, something Intel has yet to achieve. The highest an i7 has ever gone with all cores enabled is just a touch over 6Ghz, and it looks like AMD is about to deliver yet another smackdown. As you can see in this image, MainGear Computers seems to have at least one - the question remains will any of YOU be able to find one if you are even interested. And how much are you willing to pay for a CPU with such a specific use?
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Silicon Madness | Subject: Processor
Drop by Silicon Madness for a look under the cover of the new Propus core, with no L3 cache which should hopefully be hitting the streets in the fall as the AMD Athlon II X4 600 series. You can also expect to see Rana, which will be a pared down Propus core and be sold as the AMD Athlon II X3 400 series.
Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
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