bit-tech reader RotoSequence writes to point out a very cool snippet of info over at French news site X86-Secret.
The info is about a potential new AMD processor. Allegedly, the green camp is developing a sort of “Anti-Hyperthreading,” which would allow two (or multiple) physical cores to emulate one physical core.
From the site (via Google translation): “Conscious that K8 architecture could not compete with the next high-speed motorboat of INTEL, all its hopes are for the moment based on a new ‘revolutionary’ technology (it is our opinion, not it his) on which AMD works in this moment for after-K8. This technology is in fact a kind of anti-HT: There or HyperThreading sought to emulate two virtual processors with a physical processor, it is a question for AMD of emulating a single virtual processor with two (or several) physical processors.”
This could be incredibly interesting. Early performance numbers suggest that AMD’s new AM2 platform won’t be able to compete with Conroe on raw native performance. However, if AMD can perfect the ability to make multiple cores appear as one, then it could take a massive performance lead in applications that are single-threaded – like the vast majority of games right now.
Source: bit-tech.net
More than three years after rival Intel Corp., Advanced Micro Devices has managed to launch processors that officially work at 3.0GHz clock-speed, a landmark speed-bin. While performance-wise such chips are much faster compared to central processing units (CPUs) from Intel at the same frequency, AMD does not advertise the achievement, as the main focus now is on dual-core processors.AMD has quietly added AMD Opteron models 256 and 856 processors for 2-way and 8-way systems into its price-list without even publishing a press release on the matter. The chips are made using 90nm process technology, operate at 3.0GHz, sport 1MB L2 cache and integrated dual-channel PC3200 memory controller with ECC support. The new chips are likely to be drop-in compatible with existing Socket 940 infrastructure and have thermal design power of around 95W.
While 3.0GHz is certainly a milestone for AMD, the accomplishment is not publicized any significantly, as the corner-stone of AMD’s current focus are dual-core and multi-core microprocessors, not just boosted clock-speeds of single-core CPUs. For instance, maximum clock-speed of AMD desktop single-core processors is 2.80GHz now and it is unlikely to rise from there until dual-core chips hit the speed-bin.
AMD Opteron models 256 and 856 cost $851 and $1514 in 1000-unit quantities. It is unclear which server and workstation builders will use the new AMD Opteron processors.
Source: X-bit labs
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