October 18, 2004. Intel has announced that it is to cease the development of its 4.0GHz Pentium processor. In July 2004, it announced that the 4.0GHz processor would not achieve its shipment dates for the end of the year, and put back the launch dated to the spring of 2005. But, for the time being, 3.8GHz is to remain the highest clock speed for the Pentium processor. Intel says that it will be transferring its engineers to work on the dual-core designs demonstrated at the recent Developer's Forum. The reason for this change in policy is probably because Intel and arch-rival AMD have been having increasingly difficult problems with producing reliable fabrications able to cope with the amount of heat generated by such high clock speeds. First AMD and now Intel have moved away from developing raw clock speed towards putting more than one processor on a single chip. Early indications show that the dual-core strategy boosts performance by up to 55 per cent.
The clock-speed contest may be at at an end, but, for marketing purposes, Intel still needs to show that its processors are constantly improving. Hence the adoption of a new way of naming them. For more information on this subject, read this earlier story:
Intel adopts a new and highly confusing numbering system for its processors
Intel has decided to use a new confusing numbering system for its processors instead of using just the name of the processor and its clock-speed in gigahertz (GHz).
"Intel Introduces Processor Numbers" -
http://www.intel.com/products/processor_number/info.htm#p4htt
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"Pentium® 4 processors Optimization Tip - Driver Installation Order"
"Correct Driver installation is crucial to overall platform performance. This is especially true for the Intel® 850 and Intel® 845 chipsets. Drivers should always be installed in the order displayed in Table 1 below. The most critical step in the installation order is to run the Intel® Chipset Software Installation Utility before all other drivers. Once the chipset is properly detected and configured using this utility, device driver installation order becomes less crucial and will have less impact on system performance." - From a page called Pentium® 4 processors Optimization Tip - Checking Driver Installation that no longer exists on Intel's site.
Visit Intel.com for any such information or Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility that you need for your particular motherboard's Intel chipset.
Friday, December 26, 2008
The AMD Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, and Athlon 64 X2 (dual-core) 64-bit processors
Most current desktop and mobile computers use 32-bit processors made by Intel or AMD. But that position won't last long because the latest processors made by both companies are 64-bit processors that can run both 32-bit and 64-bit software.
The single-core Athlon 64 and dual-core Athlon 64 X2 64-bit processors from AMD (that, in theory, can access and transport twice as much data at once as 32-bit processors) are available. The new processors have more pins than their predecessors, the Athlon XP Socket A processors, which are now out of production.
The Athlon 64 processors can run 64-bit applications, which are not yet available, and the current 32-bit software. A 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional Edition for 64-bit processors is now available, but there is currently (August 2005) no 64-bit version of Windows XP Home Edition.
No emulation mode is used by a 64-bit processor in order for it to run 32-bit software. The processor can run both types naturally and at once.
Click here! to go to information on the Software pages of this site on the 64-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows Vista.
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The single-core Athlon 64 and dual-core Athlon 64 X2 64-bit processors from AMD (that, in theory, can access and transport twice as much data at once as 32-bit processors) are available. The new processors have more pins than their predecessors, the Athlon XP Socket A processors, which are now out of production.
The Athlon 64 processors can run 64-bit applications, which are not yet available, and the current 32-bit software. A 64-bit version of Windows XP Professional Edition for 64-bit processors is now available, but there is currently (August 2005) no 64-bit version of Windows XP Home Edition.
No emulation mode is used by a 64-bit processor in order for it to run 32-bit software. The processor can run both types naturally and at once.
Click here! to go to information on the Software pages of this site on the 64-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows Vista.
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Windows Vista and dual-core and multiple processors
All of the versions of Windows Vista down to Home Basic, support multicore (dual-core/quad-core) processors, and the Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate Editions all support multiple processors on the motherboard (that is, the motherboard must have more than one processor socket).
Exploiting Multi-Core Processors in Windows Vista -
http://developer.amd.com/documentation/articles/Pages/282007123.aspx
****
Each of the AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core chips can be installed in the standard Socket 939 motherboards used by the latest Athlon 64 and Athlon 64 FX processors as long as the motherboard maker provides an updated BIOS. However, Intel's dual-core desktop Pentium D processors require a new motherboard based on the nForce4 Intel Edition, 955X or 945 chipsets, because of minor pinout changes in their design that require a new processor socket.
Note that a licence for Windows XP (or any other version of Windows) only allows the use of a single processor. If you use two separate processors on a motherboard, you have to purchase two licences for Windows. This is not the case with a dual-core processor, because it is installed as a single unit in a single socket on the motherboard.
The software that can make optimal use of a dual-core processor has to be multithreaded. Currently, there isn't much such software in existence. Since most software is still designed to make use of a single processor, a dual-core processor, such as the AMD Athlon X2 4800+, performs much like a single-core Athlon 64 4000+ processor when running an application, because both cores run at 2.4GHz, which is the same speed as the Athlon 64 4000+ processor. However, when two applications are run at the same time, each one is run on a core of its own, so both of them run at full speed.
Visit this page - http://multicore.amd.com/ - to find out more about AMD's dual-core processors.
HT stands for HyperThreading. It is technology that belongs to Intel that allows a single processor to emulate two processors, so AMD Athlon processors don't use it.
If you see nm in relation to processors, it stands for nanometres, and describes how small the manufacturing process - called fabrication - can wire the processor's interconnections - measured in nanometres. Intel has already updated from using 130nm to using a 90nm fabrication process, which is used to manufacture the Pentium 4 Prescott and AMD's Athlon 64 processors. Determined to keep one step ahead of AMD, Intel will soon be moving to the even more miniaturised 65nm technology.
A nanometre is a billionth of a metre (a nanosecond is a billionth of a second), where a billion is 1,000 million, so a namometre is 10 to the power of minus 9 of a metre; an incredibly small distance.
Below are images showing the top (left), and underside views of the Intel's Celeron 1.7GHz Socket 478 processor. The 478 is derived from the number of pins on the processor - 478 - that fit into the socket. Note that Socket 478 has been replaced by Socket LGA775.
The pins can clearly be seen in the image on the right. The processor can stand on its pins, but should one break off, or bend so that it doesn't fit into its corresponding hole in the processor socket, the processor won't be able to function. Bent pins can be straightened, but if a pin breaks off, a new processor would be required.
The start-up screen for a system running an American Megatrends (AMI) BIOS and an AMD Athlon 64 3200+ processor is shown below. The Checking NVRAM.. 1048576KB OK is 1GB of RAM. There may be power problems with upgrading a system to run large amounts of RAM. See the RAM page on this site for more information on this subject.
The system's DRAM clock is shown as 400MHz, so DDR400 (PC3200) RAM) is installed. Pressing the DEL key enters the BIOS setup program, pressing the F11 key brings up the Boot Menu, and pressing the F10 key runs the BIOS recovery utility, which you would use if the computer won't boot past the start-up screen, and you can't enter the BIOS because it has become corrupt.
Exploiting Multi-Core Processors in Windows Vista -
http://developer.amd.com/documentation/articles/Pages/282007123.aspx
****
Each of the AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core chips can be installed in the standard Socket 939 motherboards used by the latest Athlon 64 and Athlon 64 FX processors as long as the motherboard maker provides an updated BIOS. However, Intel's dual-core desktop Pentium D processors require a new motherboard based on the nForce4 Intel Edition, 955X or 945 chipsets, because of minor pinout changes in their design that require a new processor socket.
Note that a licence for Windows XP (or any other version of Windows) only allows the use of a single processor. If you use two separate processors on a motherboard, you have to purchase two licences for Windows. This is not the case with a dual-core processor, because it is installed as a single unit in a single socket on the motherboard.
The software that can make optimal use of a dual-core processor has to be multithreaded. Currently, there isn't much such software in existence. Since most software is still designed to make use of a single processor, a dual-core processor, such as the AMD Athlon X2 4800+, performs much like a single-core Athlon 64 4000+ processor when running an application, because both cores run at 2.4GHz, which is the same speed as the Athlon 64 4000+ processor. However, when two applications are run at the same time, each one is run on a core of its own, so both of them run at full speed.
Visit this page - http://multicore.amd.com/ - to find out more about AMD's dual-core processors.
HT stands for HyperThreading. It is technology that belongs to Intel that allows a single processor to emulate two processors, so AMD Athlon processors don't use it.
If you see nm in relation to processors, it stands for nanometres, and describes how small the manufacturing process - called fabrication - can wire the processor's interconnections - measured in nanometres. Intel has already updated from using 130nm to using a 90nm fabrication process, which is used to manufacture the Pentium 4 Prescott and AMD's Athlon 64 processors. Determined to keep one step ahead of AMD, Intel will soon be moving to the even more miniaturised 65nm technology.
A nanometre is a billionth of a metre (a nanosecond is a billionth of a second), where a billion is 1,000 million, so a namometre is 10 to the power of minus 9 of a metre; an incredibly small distance.
Below are images showing the top (left), and underside views of the Intel's Celeron 1.7GHz Socket 478 processor. The 478 is derived from the number of pins on the processor - 478 - that fit into the socket. Note that Socket 478 has been replaced by Socket LGA775.
The pins can clearly be seen in the image on the right. The processor can stand on its pins, but should one break off, or bend so that it doesn't fit into its corresponding hole in the processor socket, the processor won't be able to function. Bent pins can be straightened, but if a pin breaks off, a new processor would be required.
The start-up screen for a system running an American Megatrends (AMI) BIOS and an AMD Athlon 64 3200+ processor is shown below. The Checking NVRAM.. 1048576KB OK is 1GB of RAM. There may be power problems with upgrading a system to run large amounts of RAM. See the RAM page on this site for more information on this subject.
The system's DRAM clock is shown as 400MHz, so DDR400 (PC3200) RAM) is installed. Pressing the DEL key enters the BIOS setup program, pressing the F11 key brings up the Boot Menu, and pressing the F10 key runs the BIOS recovery utility, which you would use if the computer won't boot past the start-up screen, and you can't enter the BIOS because it has become corrupt.
AMD Live!
AMD Live! is AMD's branding for computers designed for digital entertainment. It is the equivalent of Intel's Viiv.
Intel® Viiv™ technology - "Intel's new platform designed for the enjoyment of digital entertainment—Intel® Viiv™ technology—delivers the multitasking power of a dual-core processor and enables sleek new designs that fit your lifestyle." -
http://www.intel.com/products/viiv/index.htm
An AMD Live! PC has to meet several hardware and software requirements, including a dual-core AMD processor, such as a Turion 64 X2 for laptop/notebook PCs and an Athlon 64 X2 4200+ for desktop PCs. AMD Live! computers should come with Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows Vista Home Premium, or Windows Vista Ultimate, which all run the Media Center. A suite of software should also be included that can, for instance, allow the user to share files online. This software pack can be downloaded from http://www.amdlive.com/gb-en/free_downloads.aspx.
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Unfortunately, the situation with regard to the complexities involved in choosing or even identifying the kind of processor required in a laptop or desktop PC intended for use for specific purposes is set to get even more confusing. Now that invisible features are being added to processors instead of raw clock speed, both Intel, and, to a lesser extent at present, AMD, think that it is a good idea to include an encoded description of what those features are in the model names of their processors. Unfortunately, AMD seems intent on following Intel's lead in creating the same kind of confusion about its processors.
This is what Tom's Hardware Guide had to say on this subject on a page that no longer exists:
"It is hard to decide whether it was a bunch of marketing people that didn't think through how to categorize future processors properly, or if Intel actually intended the nomenclature to go bananas. Either way, it is clear that with processor numbering schemes becoming increasingly complex, nobody but the most deeply involved enthusiasts, tech journalists and the technical elite of the industry will be able to keep track of processor models, their features and performance capabilities."
In any case, before you purchase a desktop or laptop/notebook computer, it is advisable to find out what the make and model of the processor used in the machine is, and then conduct a Google search for its manufacturer's site and others that provide information on it.
It's possible to install a motherboard that can run two separate processors (multiple processors) in a personal computer, but most current computers use a motherboard that can run only one processor - or a dual-core processor.
The operating system has to be designed to run multiple processors. Linux, Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional Edition (32- or 64-bit versions), Windows XP SP2 Home Edition, and Windows Server 2003 can do so, but the two versions of Windows XP Home Edition prior to SP2 (the original XP Home and XP Home SP1) and Windows 95/98/Me cannot. Windows 95/98/Me can't run multiple processors or multiple-core processors. The software being used also has to be programmed to use multiple processors, otherwise it will just use one of the processors.
This MS Knowledge Base article: Computers that are running Windows XP Service Pack 2 and that are equipped with multiple processors that support processor power management features may experience decreased performance applies to Windows XP Service Pack 2 when used with Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional Edition.
Intel® Viiv™ technology - "Intel's new platform designed for the enjoyment of digital entertainment—Intel® Viiv™ technology—delivers the multitasking power of a dual-core processor and enables sleek new designs that fit your lifestyle." -
http://www.intel.com/products/viiv/index.htm
An AMD Live! PC has to meet several hardware and software requirements, including a dual-core AMD processor, such as a Turion 64 X2 for laptop/notebook PCs and an Athlon 64 X2 4200+ for desktop PCs. AMD Live! computers should come with Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows Vista Home Premium, or Windows Vista Ultimate, which all run the Media Center. A suite of software should also be included that can, for instance, allow the user to share files online. This software pack can be downloaded from http://www.amdlive.com/gb-en/free_downloads.aspx.
________________________________________
Unfortunately, the situation with regard to the complexities involved in choosing or even identifying the kind of processor required in a laptop or desktop PC intended for use for specific purposes is set to get even more confusing. Now that invisible features are being added to processors instead of raw clock speed, both Intel, and, to a lesser extent at present, AMD, think that it is a good idea to include an encoded description of what those features are in the model names of their processors. Unfortunately, AMD seems intent on following Intel's lead in creating the same kind of confusion about its processors.
This is what Tom's Hardware Guide had to say on this subject on a page that no longer exists:
"It is hard to decide whether it was a bunch of marketing people that didn't think through how to categorize future processors properly, or if Intel actually intended the nomenclature to go bananas. Either way, it is clear that with processor numbering schemes becoming increasingly complex, nobody but the most deeply involved enthusiasts, tech journalists and the technical elite of the industry will be able to keep track of processor models, their features and performance capabilities."
In any case, before you purchase a desktop or laptop/notebook computer, it is advisable to find out what the make and model of the processor used in the machine is, and then conduct a Google search for its manufacturer's site and others that provide information on it.
It's possible to install a motherboard that can run two separate processors (multiple processors) in a personal computer, but most current computers use a motherboard that can run only one processor - or a dual-core processor.
The operating system has to be designed to run multiple processors. Linux, Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional Edition (32- or 64-bit versions), Windows XP SP2 Home Edition, and Windows Server 2003 can do so, but the two versions of Windows XP Home Edition prior to SP2 (the original XP Home and XP Home SP1) and Windows 95/98/Me cannot. Windows 95/98/Me can't run multiple processors or multiple-core processors. The software being used also has to be programmed to use multiple processors, otherwise it will just use one of the processors.
This MS Knowledge Base article: Computers that are running Windows XP Service Pack 2 and that are equipped with multiple processors that support processor power management features may experience decreased performance applies to Windows XP Service Pack 2 when used with Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional Edition.
The price of AMD and Intel dual-core processors
You can find out what the current prices are in the UK at a site such as http:www.overclockers.co.uk/ and at http://www.newegg.com/ in the US.
There are many other vendors that you can locate by making use of the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled). You could use a search term such as: amd + dual-core + processors.
Problems with overheating did not force AMD to reduce clock speeds in order to run two processor cores within a single unit, which means that each of the cores in AMD's dual-core processors run as fast as the single-core processors that they are created from. However, Intel has clearly had problems with overheating, because the fastest of Intel's current dual-core processors runs at a clock speed of 3.2GHz, while the fastest of Intel's single-core processors runs at a clock speed of 3.8GHz.
If you are not sure if your motherboard can run a particular dual-core Intel processor, visit the manufacturer's website for that information. For example, I discovered that an MSI 7093 motherboard can run Athlon 64 X2 (dual-core) processors by visiting the BIOS update page on the MSI site. The page stated that the latest BIOS update enables dual-core processor support.
Intel dropped the 4 from Pentium 4 for the name of its first range of dual-core processors. The Intel Pentium D 840, 830 and 820, and Intel Pentium Processor Extreme Edition 840 (EE), are all dual-core models. Core 2 Duo is Intel's second range of dual-core processors.
All of the above-mentioned processors can run 32-bit software, but require 64-bit software to run at maximum efficiency. Microsoft has already issued a 64-bit edition of Windows XP Professional Edition, and the Linux kernel can run 64-bit software, but, currently, there is hardly any 64-bit software available.
Visit the following two pages to view tables containing all of the technical specifications (clock speed, supported instruction sets, cache, etc.) and other information, such as the dates of release, of all of the processors made by AMD and Intel up to the present. The further down the list a processor appears, the more recent it is.
Desktop CPU Comparison Guide - AMD processors -
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=337&pgno=0
Desktop CPU Comparison Guide - Intel processors -
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=337&pgno=4
There are many other vendors that you can locate by making use of the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled). You could use a search term such as: amd + dual-core + processors.
Problems with overheating did not force AMD to reduce clock speeds in order to run two processor cores within a single unit, which means that each of the cores in AMD's dual-core processors run as fast as the single-core processors that they are created from. However, Intel has clearly had problems with overheating, because the fastest of Intel's current dual-core processors runs at a clock speed of 3.2GHz, while the fastest of Intel's single-core processors runs at a clock speed of 3.8GHz.
If you are not sure if your motherboard can run a particular dual-core Intel processor, visit the manufacturer's website for that information. For example, I discovered that an MSI 7093 motherboard can run Athlon 64 X2 (dual-core) processors by visiting the BIOS update page on the MSI site. The page stated that the latest BIOS update enables dual-core processor support.
Intel dropped the 4 from Pentium 4 for the name of its first range of dual-core processors. The Intel Pentium D 840, 830 and 820, and Intel Pentium Processor Extreme Edition 840 (EE), are all dual-core models. Core 2 Duo is Intel's second range of dual-core processors.
All of the above-mentioned processors can run 32-bit software, but require 64-bit software to run at maximum efficiency. Microsoft has already issued a 64-bit edition of Windows XP Professional Edition, and the Linux kernel can run 64-bit software, but, currently, there is hardly any 64-bit software available.
Visit the following two pages to view tables containing all of the technical specifications (clock speed, supported instruction sets, cache, etc.) and other information, such as the dates of release, of all of the processors made by AMD and Intel up to the present. The further down the list a processor appears, the more recent it is.
Desktop CPU Comparison Guide - AMD processors -
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=337&pgno=0
Desktop CPU Comparison Guide - Intel processors -
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=337&pgno=4
AMD's Socket AM2+ platform: The Phenom processors
For the first time since its take-over of the graphics-chip company, ATI, AMD has produced a complete platform, code-named Spider, that consists of the new Phenom processor, the 790FX motherboard chipset, and the Radeon HD3800 series of graphics cards.
Intel's quad-core processors are really just two dual-core processors in a single package. However, AMD's quad-core processors have all four cores in a single chip.
The good news is that the Phenom processors, and all of the Athlon 64 Socket AM2 processors, can be used on either the new Socket AM2+ motherboards or on Socket AM2 motherboards. In other words, in order to run, the Phenom processors do not require a new Socket AM2+ motherboard. They will also run in a Socket AM2 motherboard. A Phenom processor uses Hypertransport 2.0 on an AM2+ motherboard, and Hypertransport 1.0 on a AM2 board. However, a BIOS update may be required to run a Phenom processor on an AM2 motherboard.
The single-die, quad-core design involves a greater risk of manufacturing defects resulting in lower yields per silicone wafer. If only one of the four cores is defective, it cannot be sold as a quad-core processor. However, if one of the cores is defective, it is deactivated with the intention in mind of marketing it as a triple-core or tri-core processor. AMD’s customers will therefore soon be able to purchase a less expensive tri-core processor. However, at the time of writing this (November, 2007) no information was available about when the Phenom X3 processors will be brought to the market.
Each of the four processor cores of a Phenom processor possesses its own 512 KB of L2 (Level 2) cache, and all of the cores have access to 2MB of L3 (Level 3) cache, which produces an increase in performance.
Even future Phenom processors manufactured on a 45nm fabrication process and supporting DDR3 memory will run in Socket AM2 and AM2+ motherboards. The Socket AM3 45nm Phenom processors are scheduled for release in 2009.
The other advantages of the Spider platform are that it can be upgraded to use up to four graphics cards, and the platform supports the new PCI Express 2.0 graphics standard.
Motherboard manufacturers Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte were at the introduction of the Spider platform in Warsaw to show off their AM2+ motherboards. According to AMD, the MSI K9A2 Platinum (MS-7376) is currently the best of the offerings.
AMD Phenom Quad-Core Processors -
http://www.amd.com/...0,,30_118_15331_15332,00.html
Intel's quad-core processors are really just two dual-core processors in a single package. However, AMD's quad-core processors have all four cores in a single chip.
The good news is that the Phenom processors, and all of the Athlon 64 Socket AM2 processors, can be used on either the new Socket AM2+ motherboards or on Socket AM2 motherboards. In other words, in order to run, the Phenom processors do not require a new Socket AM2+ motherboard. They will also run in a Socket AM2 motherboard. A Phenom processor uses Hypertransport 2.0 on an AM2+ motherboard, and Hypertransport 1.0 on a AM2 board. However, a BIOS update may be required to run a Phenom processor on an AM2 motherboard.
The single-die, quad-core design involves a greater risk of manufacturing defects resulting in lower yields per silicone wafer. If only one of the four cores is defective, it cannot be sold as a quad-core processor. However, if one of the cores is defective, it is deactivated with the intention in mind of marketing it as a triple-core or tri-core processor. AMD’s customers will therefore soon be able to purchase a less expensive tri-core processor. However, at the time of writing this (November, 2007) no information was available about when the Phenom X3 processors will be brought to the market.
Each of the four processor cores of a Phenom processor possesses its own 512 KB of L2 (Level 2) cache, and all of the cores have access to 2MB of L3 (Level 3) cache, which produces an increase in performance.
Even future Phenom processors manufactured on a 45nm fabrication process and supporting DDR3 memory will run in Socket AM2 and AM2+ motherboards. The Socket AM3 45nm Phenom processors are scheduled for release in 2009.
The other advantages of the Spider platform are that it can be upgraded to use up to four graphics cards, and the platform supports the new PCI Express 2.0 graphics standard.
Motherboard manufacturers Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte were at the introduction of the Spider platform in Warsaw to show off their AM2+ motherboards. According to AMD, the MSI K9A2 Platinum (MS-7376) is currently the best of the offerings.
AMD Phenom Quad-Core Processors -
http://www.amd.com/...0,,30_118_15331_15332,00.html
Spoiled for choice
There are now so many options available that it is becoming more confusing than ever to discover and understand the implications of what is on offer new and on the second-hand market. However, if you keep reading the articles made available on the web, such as this one, you should soon be able to distinguish the wood from the trees.
AMD's 64-bit processors are the Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, and its Athlon 64 X2 dual-core ranges. X2 stands for dual core, which means that two processor cores are housed in a single unit.
Dual-core processors run as if they're a single processor, but two processors appear in the Windows Device Manager - and under the Performance tab of the Windows Task Manager that you bring up by pressing the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination.
Read Managing Processes and Tasks in Windows Vista to find out what the differences are between the Task Manager in Windows XP and Windows Vista.
However, note that for both AMD and Intel dual-core processors, if the motherboard was initially manufactured to run a single-core processor, a BIOS update that allows the system to be configured to run a dual-core processor is probably required. If such an update is not available for such a motherboard, it won't be able to use a dual-core processor. This will not be the case if the motherboard was manufactured to be able to run dual-core processors out of the box.
To run AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processors, motherboards that support both single-core and dual-core processors only require a BIOS update. However, Intel's dual-core processors only work with certain motherboard chipsets, so just having a Socket LGA775 motherboard doesn't mean that it can run Intel's dual-core processors. Intel's Pentium D 800 and 900 series of dual-core processors require a motherboard that uses Intel's 965 chipset or higher or a motherboard with an nVidia nForce 4 chipset. Intel's latest Core 2 Duo processors, including the Core 2 Extreme X6800, require a motherboard with at least a 975 chipset, or a motherboard with an nVidia nForce 5 chipset.
If in doubt, you can easily check the make and model of a motherboard at its manufacturer's site to find out which processors it supports.
Note that if you are upgrading a PC's motherboard and processor, you must also find out if you have to upgrade the RAM memory, because the current types - DDR and DDR2 RAM - are incompatible with each other.
A few of the early Socket LGA775 motherboards that run Intel processors support DDR memory, but most of them require DDR2 memory.
The Socket 939 motherboards that can run some of AMD's Athlon 64 processors require DDR memory, but the Socket AM2 motherboards that run the latest Athlon 64 processors require DDR2 memory.
With dual cores, each processor contains two separate cores capable of running independently. This should not be confused with Intel's HyperThreading technology that allows a single processor to emulate two processors. Nor should it be confused with multiple processors that are discussed further down this page.
Intel has Pentium 4 single-core, the Pentium D (the first range of dual-core processors), and the latest Core 2 Duo dual-core products. Visit http://www.intel.com/ to find out what the current ranges of desktop PC and notebook PC processors being made available by Intel are.
AMD's dual cores consist of a single piece of silicon, while Intel puts two single-core processors into its Socket 775 processor packages - the Pentium D 900 and the Core 2 Duo ranges.
Intel has predicted that 70% of its processors will have two processing cores by the end of 2006.
In AMD's design, the processor cores are interconnected within the processing unit itself. In Intel's design, the motherboard's system bus is used to connect the two cores. Moreover, the AMD design integrates the memory controller within the processor, while Intel follows the classic approach of having the memory controller built into the motherboard - even with its latest Core 2 Duo dual-core processors.
The advantages of AMD's design are shorter memory latencies and thus higher memory efficiency, which is one reason why Athlon 64 processors outperform the Pentium processors in the majority of benchmark tests. Moreover, AMD's integrated approach and a more elaborate manufacturing process produces superior energy efficiency compared to Intel's non-integrated approach.
Note that to say that the two versions of Windows XP Home Edition prior to SP2 (the original XP Home and XP Home SP1) don't support Intel's HyperThreading technology because they don't support multiple processors is false. Although that was the information that Microsoft supplied, it is incorrect. Those two versions of Windows XP Home Edition support HyperThreading and dual-core processors.
However, you should note that only Windows XP Professional Edition supports multiple processors (a motherboard running two or more independent processor units). That said, systems running multiple processors are very seldom used as home PCs.
AMD's 64-bit processors are the Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, and its Athlon 64 X2 dual-core ranges. X2 stands for dual core, which means that two processor cores are housed in a single unit.
Dual-core processors run as if they're a single processor, but two processors appear in the Windows Device Manager - and under the Performance tab of the Windows Task Manager that you bring up by pressing the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination.
Read Managing Processes and Tasks in Windows Vista to find out what the differences are between the Task Manager in Windows XP and Windows Vista.
However, note that for both AMD and Intel dual-core processors, if the motherboard was initially manufactured to run a single-core processor, a BIOS update that allows the system to be configured to run a dual-core processor is probably required. If such an update is not available for such a motherboard, it won't be able to use a dual-core processor. This will not be the case if the motherboard was manufactured to be able to run dual-core processors out of the box.
To run AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processors, motherboards that support both single-core and dual-core processors only require a BIOS update. However, Intel's dual-core processors only work with certain motherboard chipsets, so just having a Socket LGA775 motherboard doesn't mean that it can run Intel's dual-core processors. Intel's Pentium D 800 and 900 series of dual-core processors require a motherboard that uses Intel's 965 chipset or higher or a motherboard with an nVidia nForce 4 chipset. Intel's latest Core 2 Duo processors, including the Core 2 Extreme X6800, require a motherboard with at least a 975 chipset, or a motherboard with an nVidia nForce 5 chipset.
If in doubt, you can easily check the make and model of a motherboard at its manufacturer's site to find out which processors it supports.
Note that if you are upgrading a PC's motherboard and processor, you must also find out if you have to upgrade the RAM memory, because the current types - DDR and DDR2 RAM - are incompatible with each other.
A few of the early Socket LGA775 motherboards that run Intel processors support DDR memory, but most of them require DDR2 memory.
The Socket 939 motherboards that can run some of AMD's Athlon 64 processors require DDR memory, but the Socket AM2 motherboards that run the latest Athlon 64 processors require DDR2 memory.
With dual cores, each processor contains two separate cores capable of running independently. This should not be confused with Intel's HyperThreading technology that allows a single processor to emulate two processors. Nor should it be confused with multiple processors that are discussed further down this page.
Intel has Pentium 4 single-core, the Pentium D (the first range of dual-core processors), and the latest Core 2 Duo dual-core products. Visit http://www.intel.com/ to find out what the current ranges of desktop PC and notebook PC processors being made available by Intel are.
AMD's dual cores consist of a single piece of silicon, while Intel puts two single-core processors into its Socket 775 processor packages - the Pentium D 900 and the Core 2 Duo ranges.
Intel has predicted that 70% of its processors will have two processing cores by the end of 2006.
In AMD's design, the processor cores are interconnected within the processing unit itself. In Intel's design, the motherboard's system bus is used to connect the two cores. Moreover, the AMD design integrates the memory controller within the processor, while Intel follows the classic approach of having the memory controller built into the motherboard - even with its latest Core 2 Duo dual-core processors.
The advantages of AMD's design are shorter memory latencies and thus higher memory efficiency, which is one reason why Athlon 64 processors outperform the Pentium processors in the majority of benchmark tests. Moreover, AMD's integrated approach and a more elaborate manufacturing process produces superior energy efficiency compared to Intel's non-integrated approach.
Note that to say that the two versions of Windows XP Home Edition prior to SP2 (the original XP Home and XP Home SP1) don't support Intel's HyperThreading technology because they don't support multiple processors is false. Although that was the information that Microsoft supplied, it is incorrect. Those two versions of Windows XP Home Edition support HyperThreading and dual-core processors.
However, you should note that only Windows XP Professional Edition supports multiple processors (a motherboard running two or more independent processor units). That said, systems running multiple processors are very seldom used as home PCs.
The safest way to upgrade RAM: Use the UK and US Crucial Memory Advisors
The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista
Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of minimum memory recommended to run Windows XP. For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site.For example, if your computer has an Asus motherboard, open the menu, scroll down to ASUS, and click GO. If, say, you have a Dell computer, scroll down to DELL, and do likewise. You will be taken to the relevant information on Crucial's website.
If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory itself is CPU-Z.
Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of minimum memory recommended to run Windows XP. For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site.For example, if your computer has an Asus motherboard, open the menu, scroll down to ASUS, and click GO. If, say, you have a Dell computer, scroll down to DELL, and do likewise. You will be taken to the relevant information on Crucial's website.
If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory itself is CPU-Z.
Computer Shopper Intel and AMD processor reviews
Computer Shopper issue 244 (available from around March 20, 2008) in its processor reviews of Intel and AMD processors gave the following Intel processors its Budget Buy, Best Buy and Ultimate awards:
1. - Intel Pentium Dual Core E2160 (dual-core processor) - Budget Buy award - Priced at £44 in March 2008 - Click here! to read the review of this class of processor.
2. - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (dual-core processor) - Best Buy award - Priced at £125 in March 2008 - Click here! to read the review of this class of processor.
3. - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 (quad-core processor) - Ultimate award- Priced at £204 in March 2008 - Click here! to read the review of this class of processor.
Computer Shopper 2007 Awards
The Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 dual-core processor received the Best Component award in the Computer Shopper 2007 Awards. It was priced at just over £100 in October 2007.
The Computer Shopper 2007 Awards gave the Best Intel Motherboard award to the Abit IP35 Pro board. The Best AMD Motherboard award went to the MSI K9AGM2 board.
Using a laptop/notebook Pentium M notebook processor in a desktop PC
If you want a quiet desktop computer that uses only a minimal amount of power and that runs so cool that it can be fitted with a passive heatsink (one without a fan), ATX desktop PC motherboards are available that use the processors normally only found in laptop/notebook computers. It is also possible to buy an adapter that fits to particular standard motherboards that allows a mobile notebook processor to be used.
Click here! to go directly to information on these motherboards, processors, and adapters on Page 3 of this article.
The choice doesn't end there. Both AMD and Intel have made dual-core processors available, which are single units that house two processor cores with the same clock speed. Moreover, Intel first made quad-core processors available (its Core 2 Quad range) in January 2007. AMD made its Phenom range of quad-core processors available in November 2007.
Note that all of the dual-core processors made by AMD and Intel are 64-bit processors that can run 32-bit and 64-bit software, which includes a 64-bit operating system, such as Windows XP Professional x64 Edition • Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition and Linux.
Note that a 64-bit operating system can also run 32-bit software with ease. However, note that some 32-bit software might not run on a 64-bit operating system, and all 16-bit software will not run on one.
WOWing Your 32-Bit Applications with 64-Bit Windows Part 1 -
http://www.devx.com/amd/Article/20342
AMD has now made triple-core (X3) and quad-core (X4) processors available. This article compares them and the alternatives from Intel. Note that Intel does not have triple-core processors.
New AMD Phenom X3 Vs. Phenom X4 -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/amd-phenom-athlon,review-30731.html
See the Using Windows Vista section on this site for more information on it.
When two or more applications are running on a dual-core or a quad-core system, the work can be shared by the two or four processor cores. However, a single application won't run faster on a dual-core/quad-core system unless it has been programmed to do so by splitting it into threads that can be shared between the two/four cores. A multithreaded application is one that has been programmed to run on two or more processor cores. Such applications are currently (April, 2007) still rare.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor for Desktop -
http://www.amd.com/usen/Processors/.../0,,30_118_9485_13041,00.html
Intel Core Duo Processors - http://www.intel.com/products/processor/coreduo/
If you are using software that hasn't been written to take advantage of two processor cores, you can make use of SMP Seesaw by Mike Lin.
"SMP Seesaw is a small utility for dual CPU workstations that allows the user to finely tune how Windows balances the processing load between the two CPUs."
1. - Intel Pentium Dual Core E2160 (dual-core processor) - Budget Buy award - Priced at £44 in March 2008 - Click here! to read the review of this class of processor.
2. - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (dual-core processor) - Best Buy award - Priced at £125 in March 2008 - Click here! to read the review of this class of processor.
3. - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 (quad-core processor) - Ultimate award- Priced at £204 in March 2008 - Click here! to read the review of this class of processor.
Computer Shopper 2007 Awards
The Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 dual-core processor received the Best Component award in the Computer Shopper 2007 Awards. It was priced at just over £100 in October 2007.
The Computer Shopper 2007 Awards gave the Best Intel Motherboard award to the Abit IP35 Pro board. The Best AMD Motherboard award went to the MSI K9AGM2 board.
Using a laptop/notebook Pentium M notebook processor in a desktop PC
If you want a quiet desktop computer that uses only a minimal amount of power and that runs so cool that it can be fitted with a passive heatsink (one without a fan), ATX desktop PC motherboards are available that use the processors normally only found in laptop/notebook computers. It is also possible to buy an adapter that fits to particular standard motherboards that allows a mobile notebook processor to be used.
Click here! to go directly to information on these motherboards, processors, and adapters on Page 3 of this article.
The choice doesn't end there. Both AMD and Intel have made dual-core processors available, which are single units that house two processor cores with the same clock speed. Moreover, Intel first made quad-core processors available (its Core 2 Quad range) in January 2007. AMD made its Phenom range of quad-core processors available in November 2007.
Note that all of the dual-core processors made by AMD and Intel are 64-bit processors that can run 32-bit and 64-bit software, which includes a 64-bit operating system, such as Windows XP Professional x64 Edition • Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition • Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition and Linux.
Note that a 64-bit operating system can also run 32-bit software with ease. However, note that some 32-bit software might not run on a 64-bit operating system, and all 16-bit software will not run on one.
WOWing Your 32-Bit Applications with 64-Bit Windows Part 1 -
http://www.devx.com/amd/Article/20342
AMD has now made triple-core (X3) and quad-core (X4) processors available. This article compares them and the alternatives from Intel. Note that Intel does not have triple-core processors.
New AMD Phenom X3 Vs. Phenom X4 -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/amd-phenom-athlon,review-30731.html
See the Using Windows Vista section on this site for more information on it.
When two or more applications are running on a dual-core or a quad-core system, the work can be shared by the two or four processor cores. However, a single application won't run faster on a dual-core/quad-core system unless it has been programmed to do so by splitting it into threads that can be shared between the two/four cores. A multithreaded application is one that has been programmed to run on two or more processor cores. Such applications are currently (April, 2007) still rare.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor for Desktop -
http://www.amd.com/usen/Processors/.../0,,30_118_9485_13041,00.html
Intel Core Duo Processors - http://www.intel.com/products/processor/coreduo/
If you are using software that hasn't been written to take advantage of two processor cores, you can make use of SMP Seesaw by Mike Lin.
"SMP Seesaw is a small utility for dual CPU workstations that allows the user to finely tune how Windows balances the processing load between the two CPUs."
THE LATEST PROCESSOR NEWS
Intel's new Socket LGA1366 Core i7 quad-core desktop PC processors are now availableThe new processors, which are built using the latest 45nm fabrication process, differ in several significant ways from Intel's Core 2 Duo dual-core and Core 2 Quad quad-core processors. The traditional frontside bus that links the processor to the RAM memory on the motherboard has been replaced by the new QuickPath interface - a memory controller built into the processor, which operates in a similar way to the HyperTransport memory controller that has been built into AMD processors for several years. Unfortunately, QuickPath only supports the latest DDR3 RAM memory, so you won't be able to reuse any DDR2 memory that you may have. Moreover, the DDR3 memory can be run in triple-channel mode instead of the dual-channel mode that AMD's processors support. This means that instead of using two memory modules in conjunction, as is the case with dual-channel mode, three modules of the same capacity and type can be run from the controller at the same time in order to increase performance. For this reason, Socket 1366 motherboards have six memory slots so that two sets of three modules can be run in triple-channel mode.
As with the Core 2 Quad range of processors, all of the Core i7 processors have four processor cores (in effect four processors housed in a single unit), which makes running multiple applications easy, because each application can have its own core processing it. Moreover, all of the Core i7 processors also use Hyper-Threading Technology that was introduced by Intel's Pentium 4 processors. Using it, each core can process two threads of information at the same time, in effect adding four virtual cores, which boosts performance significantly, but doesn't double it.
All of the Core i7 processors have 256K of Level 2 (L2) cache for each core, which share 8MB of Level 3 (L3) cache.
Despite using the same 45nm fabrication process as the latest Core 2 Quad processors, the new Core i7 quad-core processors have a higher power requirement (130W) compared to that of the Core 2 Quad processors (95W), which means that a bigger heatsink and fan unit is required to keep the processor cool, which, in turn, means a noisier PC.
Computer Shopper reviewed the Core i7 920, which runs at 2.66GHz, in issue 251. It was only give a a two-star rating due to the high cost of DDR3 memory and the motherboards that run them, plus the fact that the prototype system Computer Shopper used had a lower benchmark performance than an equivalent Core 2 Quad Q9550 processor. The advice was not to rush out and buy Core i7 until finalised motherboards and updated drivers can be used to put them to the test.
Here is the review:
http://www.computershopper.co.uk/reviews/238866/intel-core-i7-920.html
Intel's new Socket LGA1366 Core i7 quad-core processors due out later this month
November 5, 2008. - The latest quad-core processor chip from Intel, code-named Nehalem and officially named Core i7, is aimed at high-end desktop PCs for power users and PC gamers. Unlike the Core2 Quad quad-core processors, which are really two dual-core processors connected together, the new processors, like all of AMD's quad-core processors, have four individual cores connected together.
The new processors feature a turbo mode that is not like the turbo mode button found on computers during the 1980s. The turbo mode of Core i7 processors works automatically and results in increased single-core performance when all of the cores are not in use, achieving higher single-core performance.
Instead of the Front Side Bus (FSB) that PCs have been using for decades, the new processors use the new QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) technology to communicate with the motherboard's Northbridge chip.
For the first time, Intel has integrated the memory controller into the processor, which AMD processors have had for several years. Because the new processors have a new socket (Socket LGA1366), use DDR3 RAM memory, and use an integrated memory controller and other new technology, the motherboards that run Core 2 processors are not compatible with the motherboards that run Core i7 processors and vice versa. A processor cooler is included with the retail boxed product.
When Intel launches the range of Core i7 processors officially later this month, several PC manufacturers will begin shipping desktop PCs that run them. The company has been making the new processors available to hardware vendors and websites since September. Test reports are very favourable, describing the performance as blazingly, blindingly and blisteringly fast. However, there is next to no information available on the new processors on Intel's website. That should change after the official release.
Eight-core Core i7 processors and two-core and four-core models for laptop/notebook PCs are expected to be made available in the second half of 2009. Three Core i7 models are to be released initially - the Core i7 920 (2.66 GHz), the Core i7 940 (2.93GHz), and the Core i7 965 Extreme (3.20 GHz).
As Intel prepares the launch its new Socket LGA1366 desktop PC processors in November, Asus has already made a motherboard available for them
October 9, 2008. - Intel is preparing for the launch of its new Core i7 processors in November 2008. This is how Intel describes the processors on its website: "These processors will feature Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology, also known as simultaneous multi-threading, and are capable of handling eight software "threads" on four processor cores."
The processors have not been made available to reviewers yet, but the motherboard manufacturer, Asus, has already made its P6T Deluxe motherboard with the X58 chipset, which has the new LGA1366 processor socket, available to reviewers world-wide and ready for the market when Intel makes the Core i7 processors available.
The new motherboard provides new power-saving and overclocking technology. As an optional extra a device known as the OC Palm is available that provides overclocking on-the-fly during gaming or benchmarking. You can see an image of the device attached to a USB port on this page:
New ASUS P6T DELUXE with Super Hybrid Engine Delivers Maximum Overclocking and Energy Efficiency -
"The P6T DELUXE adopts the usage of TurboV—an advanced overclocking tool that utilizes a micro-controller to provide precise overclocking adjustments, and allow users to conveniently adjust the CPU ratio (multiplier)* for instant CPU upgrades for real-time performance enhancements. TurboV can also provide adjustments to the NB voltage, NB-PCIe voltage, CPU PLL voltage and DRAM voltage in 0.02V micro-intervals." -
http://www.asus.com/news_show.aspx?id=12949
Apart from that page, there is no other information on the board on the Asus site yet. To locate reviews of this motherboard enter asus p6T deluxe in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).
Intel Core i7 (Nehalem): Architecture By AMD? -
Intel's new Socket LGA1366 quad-core processors. -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Intel-i7-nehalem,review-31375.html
As with the Core 2 Quad range of processors, all of the Core i7 processors have four processor cores (in effect four processors housed in a single unit), which makes running multiple applications easy, because each application can have its own core processing it. Moreover, all of the Core i7 processors also use Hyper-Threading Technology that was introduced by Intel's Pentium 4 processors. Using it, each core can process two threads of information at the same time, in effect adding four virtual cores, which boosts performance significantly, but doesn't double it.
All of the Core i7 processors have 256K of Level 2 (L2) cache for each core, which share 8MB of Level 3 (L3) cache.
Despite using the same 45nm fabrication process as the latest Core 2 Quad processors, the new Core i7 quad-core processors have a higher power requirement (130W) compared to that of the Core 2 Quad processors (95W), which means that a bigger heatsink and fan unit is required to keep the processor cool, which, in turn, means a noisier PC.
Computer Shopper reviewed the Core i7 920, which runs at 2.66GHz, in issue 251. It was only give a a two-star rating due to the high cost of DDR3 memory and the motherboards that run them, plus the fact that the prototype system Computer Shopper used had a lower benchmark performance than an equivalent Core 2 Quad Q9550 processor. The advice was not to rush out and buy Core i7 until finalised motherboards and updated drivers can be used to put them to the test.
Here is the review:
http://www.computershopper.co.uk/reviews/238866/intel-core-i7-920.html
Intel's new Socket LGA1366 Core i7 quad-core processors due out later this month
November 5, 2008. - The latest quad-core processor chip from Intel, code-named Nehalem and officially named Core i7, is aimed at high-end desktop PCs for power users and PC gamers. Unlike the Core2 Quad quad-core processors, which are really two dual-core processors connected together, the new processors, like all of AMD's quad-core processors, have four individual cores connected together.
The new processors feature a turbo mode that is not like the turbo mode button found on computers during the 1980s. The turbo mode of Core i7 processors works automatically and results in increased single-core performance when all of the cores are not in use, achieving higher single-core performance.
Instead of the Front Side Bus (FSB) that PCs have been using for decades, the new processors use the new QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) technology to communicate with the motherboard's Northbridge chip.
For the first time, Intel has integrated the memory controller into the processor, which AMD processors have had for several years. Because the new processors have a new socket (Socket LGA1366), use DDR3 RAM memory, and use an integrated memory controller and other new technology, the motherboards that run Core 2 processors are not compatible with the motherboards that run Core i7 processors and vice versa. A processor cooler is included with the retail boxed product.
When Intel launches the range of Core i7 processors officially later this month, several PC manufacturers will begin shipping desktop PCs that run them. The company has been making the new processors available to hardware vendors and websites since September. Test reports are very favourable, describing the performance as blazingly, blindingly and blisteringly fast. However, there is next to no information available on the new processors on Intel's website. That should change after the official release.
Eight-core Core i7 processors and two-core and four-core models for laptop/notebook PCs are expected to be made available in the second half of 2009. Three Core i7 models are to be released initially - the Core i7 920 (2.66 GHz), the Core i7 940 (2.93GHz), and the Core i7 965 Extreme (3.20 GHz).
As Intel prepares the launch its new Socket LGA1366 desktop PC processors in November, Asus has already made a motherboard available for them
October 9, 2008. - Intel is preparing for the launch of its new Core i7 processors in November 2008. This is how Intel describes the processors on its website: "These processors will feature Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology, also known as simultaneous multi-threading, and are capable of handling eight software "threads" on four processor cores."
The processors have not been made available to reviewers yet, but the motherboard manufacturer, Asus, has already made its P6T Deluxe motherboard with the X58 chipset, which has the new LGA1366 processor socket, available to reviewers world-wide and ready for the market when Intel makes the Core i7 processors available.
The new motherboard provides new power-saving and overclocking technology. As an optional extra a device known as the OC Palm is available that provides overclocking on-the-fly during gaming or benchmarking. You can see an image of the device attached to a USB port on this page:
New ASUS P6T DELUXE with Super Hybrid Engine Delivers Maximum Overclocking and Energy Efficiency -
"The P6T DELUXE adopts the usage of TurboV—an advanced overclocking tool that utilizes a micro-controller to provide precise overclocking adjustments, and allow users to conveniently adjust the CPU ratio (multiplier)* for instant CPU upgrades for real-time performance enhancements. TurboV can also provide adjustments to the NB voltage, NB-PCIe voltage, CPU PLL voltage and DRAM voltage in 0.02V micro-intervals." -
http://www.asus.com/news_show.aspx?id=12949
Apart from that page, there is no other information on the board on the Asus site yet. To locate reviews of this motherboard enter asus p6T deluxe in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).
Intel Core i7 (Nehalem): Architecture By AMD? -
Intel's new Socket LGA1366 quad-core processors. -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Intel-i7-nehalem,review-31375.html
An introduction to the processors made by AMD and Intel
Another name for a computer's processor is central processing unit (CPU). Installed in a printed circuit board (PCB) called a motherboard (also known as a mainboard), the processor processes the programmed software instructions of applications and utilities, such as MS Word, and Norton AntiVirus, according to the programmed instructions provided by the computer's operating system, which is usually a version of Windows or Linux or Apple's Mac OS X.
There are only two major manufacturers of desktop PC and laptop PC processors - AMD and Intel. However, there are many major manufacturers of the motherboards that these processors run on. You cannot run an Intel processor on an AMD-based motherboard and vice versa. Visit the Motherboards, PC Cases and Power Supplies pages on this site for more information on them. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page.
With the arrival of its Core 2 processor technology, Intel named both its desktop PC and laptop PC processors Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad (four cores). The laptop processor start with a T, such as T7100. Desktop processors start with an E, such as E8500, and X for the extreme (extremely fast and expensive) version, a Q for quad-core, such as Q6700, and QX for the extreme version, such as QX9770.
November 18, 2008. - Intel has released three of its new Socket LGA1366 quad-core Core i7 processors. Here is a good review:
Intel Core i7 - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/233892/intel-core-i7.html
And here is the information on the new processors on Intel's website:
Intel® Core™ i7 Processor -
http://www.intel.com/products/processor/corei7/...
The major motherboard manufacturers have brought out motherboards that support the new Intel desktop PC processors.
Asus - http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=179
MSI - http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php...
Gigabyte - http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/...
User manuals are available from all three of those manufacturers, so you can download copies and have a look at what is on offer.
If you are thinking of buying a desktop PC which has a particular make and model of processor, you can visit the following two pages to view tables containing all of the technical specifications (clock speed, supported instruction sets, cache, etc.) and other information, such as the dates of release, of all of the processors made by AMD and Intel up to the present. The further down the list a processor appears, the more recent it is.
Desktop CPU Comparison Guide - AMD processors -
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=337&pgno=0
Desktop CPU Comparison Guide - Intel processors -
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=337&pgno=4
This page provides a comparison of laptop/notebook PC processors:
Comparison of Mobile Processors -
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html
If any of the above links don't work, try entering a suitable search using the relevant keywords in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).
The Tom's Hardware Guide processor charts can give you a good idea how different processors compare with each other.
Updated CPU Charts 2008: AMD Versus Intel -
"The new CPU charts for 2008 from Tom’s Hardware have, at long last, arrived. There are 18 entries from AMD and 36 processors from Intel, which were put to the test using a fresh gauntlet of benchmarks. For more meaningful comparisons and the most consistent benchmark results, our testing platforms were fully re-equipped. The graphics card used was a powerful MSI N280GTX-T2D1G-OC based on the Nvidia GeForce GTX 280." -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/amd-intel-pc-processor,review-31355.html
Mobile [laptop/notebook] CPU Charts -
"Tom's Interactive Mobile CPU Charts focus on popular mobile processors, which are used in laptops and notebooks because of their increased energy efficiency." -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/charts/processors/3d-studio-max-9,463.html
If your desktop PC has an Intel-based motherboard, you can use:
Intel Processors and Boards Compatibility Tool -
Find the Intel processors that will work with your PC's Intel-based motherboard. Find motherboards boards that will work with your PC's processor. Check the compatibility of a motherboard and processor.
http://processormatch.intel.com/COMPDB/Default.aspx
The images at the top of this page show an AMD Athlon 64 processor (right) and the packaging that the retail product comes in (left). A heatsink and fan cooling unit is included in the package. If you want to use thermal paste to improve the transfer of heat from the processor to the heatsink, you'll have to buy some, because none is included in the package. The array of pins that fit into the motherboard's processor socket are on the reverse side of the processor. The processor in the image is for advertising purposes only, it is not what it looks like in reality. Images of the top and bottom of the real thing are shown further down this page.
AMD Athlon 64 processors are fitted into and run from Socket 939 and Socket AM2/AM2+ motherboards. Visit the Annotated images of ATX Socket LGA775, Socket A and Socket 939 motherboards page on this site to see annotated images of those three socket-type motherboards.
The following online video shows a desktop PC being built with an Asus P5E64 WS Professional motherboard and an Intel Core 2 Quad QX9770 quad-core processor. It shows you where the motherboard is installed in the case and where the processor is installed in the motherboard in a desktop PC.
Video: How To Build An Intel QX9770 QuadCore PC -
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/02/...
There are only two major manufacturers of desktop PC and laptop PC processors - AMD and Intel. However, there are many major manufacturers of the motherboards that these processors run on. You cannot run an Intel processor on an AMD-based motherboard and vice versa. Visit the Motherboards, PC Cases and Power Supplies pages on this site for more information on them. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page.
With the arrival of its Core 2 processor technology, Intel named both its desktop PC and laptop PC processors Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad (four cores). The laptop processor start with a T, such as T7100. Desktop processors start with an E, such as E8500, and X for the extreme (extremely fast and expensive) version, a Q for quad-core, such as Q6700, and QX for the extreme version, such as QX9770.
November 18, 2008. - Intel has released three of its new Socket LGA1366 quad-core Core i7 processors. Here is a good review:
Intel Core i7 - http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/233892/intel-core-i7.html
And here is the information on the new processors on Intel's website:
Intel® Core™ i7 Processor -
http://www.intel.com/products/processor/corei7/...
The major motherboard manufacturers have brought out motherboards that support the new Intel desktop PC processors.
Asus - http://www.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=179
MSI - http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php...
Gigabyte - http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/...
User manuals are available from all three of those manufacturers, so you can download copies and have a look at what is on offer.
If you are thinking of buying a desktop PC which has a particular make and model of processor, you can visit the following two pages to view tables containing all of the technical specifications (clock speed, supported instruction sets, cache, etc.) and other information, such as the dates of release, of all of the processors made by AMD and Intel up to the present. The further down the list a processor appears, the more recent it is.
Desktop CPU Comparison Guide - AMD processors -
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=337&pgno=0
Desktop CPU Comparison Guide - Intel processors -
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=337&pgno=4
This page provides a comparison of laptop/notebook PC processors:
Comparison of Mobile Processors -
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html
If any of the above links don't work, try entering a suitable search using the relevant keywords in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).
The Tom's Hardware Guide processor charts can give you a good idea how different processors compare with each other.
Updated CPU Charts 2008: AMD Versus Intel -
"The new CPU charts for 2008 from Tom’s Hardware have, at long last, arrived. There are 18 entries from AMD and 36 processors from Intel, which were put to the test using a fresh gauntlet of benchmarks. For more meaningful comparisons and the most consistent benchmark results, our testing platforms were fully re-equipped. The graphics card used was a powerful MSI N280GTX-T2D1G-OC based on the Nvidia GeForce GTX 280." -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/amd-intel-pc-processor,review-31355.html
Mobile [laptop/notebook] CPU Charts -
"Tom's Interactive Mobile CPU Charts focus on popular mobile processors, which are used in laptops and notebooks because of their increased energy efficiency." -
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/charts/processors/3d-studio-max-9,463.html
If your desktop PC has an Intel-based motherboard, you can use:
Intel Processors and Boards Compatibility Tool -
Find the Intel processors that will work with your PC's Intel-based motherboard. Find motherboards boards that will work with your PC's processor. Check the compatibility of a motherboard and processor.
http://processormatch.intel.com/COMPDB/Default.aspx
The images at the top of this page show an AMD Athlon 64 processor (right) and the packaging that the retail product comes in (left). A heatsink and fan cooling unit is included in the package. If you want to use thermal paste to improve the transfer of heat from the processor to the heatsink, you'll have to buy some, because none is included in the package. The array of pins that fit into the motherboard's processor socket are on the reverse side of the processor. The processor in the image is for advertising purposes only, it is not what it looks like in reality. Images of the top and bottom of the real thing are shown further down this page.
AMD Athlon 64 processors are fitted into and run from Socket 939 and Socket AM2/AM2+ motherboards. Visit the Annotated images of ATX Socket LGA775, Socket A and Socket 939 motherboards page on this site to see annotated images of those three socket-type motherboards.
The following online video shows a desktop PC being built with an Asus P5E64 WS Professional motherboard and an Intel Core 2 Quad QX9770 quad-core processor. It shows you where the motherboard is installed in the case and where the processor is installed in the motherboard in a desktop PC.
Video: How To Build An Intel QX9770 QuadCore PC -
http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2008/02/...
Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors leave Barcelona
AMD has released its long-awaited native quad-core processor, previously codenamed "Barcelona".
Describing the new Quad-Core AMD Opteron as the "world's most advanced x86 processor", AMD claims it as the first native x86 quad-core microprocessor, meaning the four processing cores share a single die of silicon.
The company also highlights other aspects of the 55- and 75-watt server chips. It claims gains for energy efficiency, a 50 percent increase in integer and floating-point performance, and improved virtualisation support. Note that the server chips also share the same power and thermal envelopes as their dual-core predecessors.
"Today marks one of the great milestones in microprocessor achievement as AMD again raises expectations for industry-standard computing," said AMD chairman and chief executive officer, Hector Ruiz. "We've worked closely with our customers and partners to design a new generation of processing solutions embodied by today's Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor - a four-way winner in performance, energy efficiency, virtualisation and investment protection. Early customer response has been extremely positive."
leshing out the details on the energy efficiency claims, AMD highlights the use of proprietary "CoolCore Technology" (turning off unused parts of the processor) an independent core-specific enhancement to its PowerNow! Technology (allowing cores to vary their clock frequency depending on application requirements) and Dual Dynamic Power Management (DDPM), which allows the cores and memory controllers to operate on different voltages, again determined by usage.
Sun, HP, IBM and Dell will be among those shipping systems based on the new server chip will be shipping. Details of AMD's pricing for the Quad-Core Opteron will be found at www.amd.com/pricing (based on 1,000 unit orders).
More information on AMD's quad-core processing can be found on the company's website.
For its part, Intel released updated quad-core server microprocessors last week - the Quad-Core Xeon 7300 series, its first multi-processor (MP) chips based on its now standard Core micro-architecture.
See also: Electronics Weekly's focus on microprocessors, a roundup of content related to microprocessor technologies and developments.
Describing the new Quad-Core AMD Opteron as the "world's most advanced x86 processor", AMD claims it as the first native x86 quad-core microprocessor, meaning the four processing cores share a single die of silicon.
The company also highlights other aspects of the 55- and 75-watt server chips. It claims gains for energy efficiency, a 50 percent increase in integer and floating-point performance, and improved virtualisation support. Note that the server chips also share the same power and thermal envelopes as their dual-core predecessors.
"Today marks one of the great milestones in microprocessor achievement as AMD again raises expectations for industry-standard computing," said AMD chairman and chief executive officer, Hector Ruiz. "We've worked closely with our customers and partners to design a new generation of processing solutions embodied by today's Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor - a four-way winner in performance, energy efficiency, virtualisation and investment protection. Early customer response has been extremely positive."
leshing out the details on the energy efficiency claims, AMD highlights the use of proprietary "CoolCore Technology" (turning off unused parts of the processor) an independent core-specific enhancement to its PowerNow! Technology (allowing cores to vary their clock frequency depending on application requirements) and Dual Dynamic Power Management (DDPM), which allows the cores and memory controllers to operate on different voltages, again determined by usage.
Sun, HP, IBM and Dell will be among those shipping systems based on the new server chip will be shipping. Details of AMD's pricing for the Quad-Core Opteron will be found at www.amd.com/pricing (based on 1,000 unit orders).
More information on AMD's quad-core processing can be found on the company's website.
For its part, Intel released updated quad-core server microprocessors last week - the Quad-Core Xeon 7300 series, its first multi-processor (MP) chips based on its now standard Core micro-architecture.
See also: Electronics Weekly's focus on microprocessors, a roundup of content related to microprocessor technologies and developments.
Analysis - Will AMD separate manufacturing and design?
Questions regarding AMD's "asset-smart" strategy are once again being asked, as rumours concerning the possible spin off of AMD's manufacturing entities into a separate company reemerged after an Austin, Texas-based newspaper in mid-July wrongly reported that the company's newly appointed CEO Dirk Meyer had confirmed fabless plans.
"He was misquoted," Drew Prairie, an AMD representative, told our sister site Electronic News earlier this week, confirming that the company hasn't communicated any plans. "We've weighed out a high-level overview of what we are trying to do and that it is going to involve a mix of internal and external manufacturing capabilities, but we haven't gone into any details about how that might look specifically.
"I'm not putting a value statement on will we or won't we do that. It's just that we haven't gotten that far in saying what we are going to do and it falls under speculation," Prairie continued.
AMD for several quarters now has said it plans to share information on its "asset-smart" manufacturing strategy soon.
Most recently, Hector Ruiz, the company's former CEO, who yielded the position to Dirk Meyer on July 17 as AMD reported a $1.2 billion charge in its Q2 financials, said he would be the "most disappointed man on Earth" if AMD did not share its manufacturing plans by the end of the year.
At that time, Ruiz transitioned to the position of executive chairman of AMD's board. Meanwhile, Meyer's appointment as CEO left few industry watchers surprised:
Not only did Q2 mark AMD's seventh consecutive quarter of loss under Ruiz, but Meyer was groomed for the position, being appointed president and COO in 2006 and elected to AMD's board last year.
"Part of the reason we did this CEO transition when we did at the earnings time was because we can see the end [of this non-communication] in sight and it requires 100% of Hector's time and focus to see it through. No specific timing, but we see the end coming. We see being able to communicate and driving the strategy to conclusion hopefully by the end of the year," Prairie said.
What that communication will give way to, however, is unclear. Industry speculation as to whether AMD will spin off its fabs to form a separate company is as visible as speculation that AMD will split itself into two company divisions that will work in partnership under one corporate umbrella.
"AMD has had an excellent, excellent manufacturing approach to their shop-floor administration and all that, which has been a strength," said Len Jelinek, iSuppli's director and principal analyst, semiconductor manufacturing.
"Splitting this into an R&D company and a manufacturing entity would clearly help them with respect to their P&L [profit and loss]. When you add focus and clarity, you really execute much better."
Mentioning AMD's two key manufacturing partnerships-its ATI partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and its partnership with foundry Chartered-Jelinek said that if the company was to create an entity that strictly focuses on manufacturing, "it will make management of both their internal and external manufacturing facilities much cleaner, much more crisp. Similarly when you look at the design, that also allows them to coordinate better between the free entities as to how they want to approach their next generations."
However, at this time, the analyst does not believe AMD will split into two separate companies. "It will just be easier to keep more control on generations and coordination of the whole process by keeping it under one CEO," he said.
"But if you are saying a CEO and two divisions, that's a good structure because it pushes clarity out there. To have just strictly a design company would present a series of challenges that might not be in the best interest of getting product to market."
Such a spin-off would create a cash infusion for AMD as it would sell its fabs, but Jelinek (pictured, left) cautioned that despite the immediate advantage of doing, the move would not bode well for AMD's long-term survival.
"If you spin the fabs out and get a cash infusion, you now have a company that is saddled with some degree of debt and they have to sustain themselves by improving technology, as well as filling their factories," he said. "You would kind of have a captive foundry there that would be competing with other companies in the long run," he said, pointing to the Common Platform Alliance, as well as TSMC.
"That would be a challenge three to five years down the road, and that is a burden," he continued. "If you look at some of the recent spin-offs that have done something like that-Magnachip, ON Semiconductor-it took them a couple of years to recover P&L-wise from that position. They've all done a good job at it, it's just that in the short term that company if it were to spin off picks up some other challenges, financially."
The iSuppli analyst did not dispute Ruiz's statements concerning sharing information on AMD's manufacturing plans by end of year.
"Let's give the new CEO 100 days," Jelinek said, estimating an announcement at the end of Q3 or the beginning of Q4.
"AMD is a good company. They have these challenges of execution in front of them. Once they get that execution worked out, I think they'll come back with a good challenge to their competitor," Jelinek concluded.
"He was misquoted," Drew Prairie, an AMD representative, told our sister site Electronic News earlier this week, confirming that the company hasn't communicated any plans. "We've weighed out a high-level overview of what we are trying to do and that it is going to involve a mix of internal and external manufacturing capabilities, but we haven't gone into any details about how that might look specifically.
"I'm not putting a value statement on will we or won't we do that. It's just that we haven't gotten that far in saying what we are going to do and it falls under speculation," Prairie continued.
AMD for several quarters now has said it plans to share information on its "asset-smart" manufacturing strategy soon.
Most recently, Hector Ruiz, the company's former CEO, who yielded the position to Dirk Meyer on July 17 as AMD reported a $1.2 billion charge in its Q2 financials, said he would be the "most disappointed man on Earth" if AMD did not share its manufacturing plans by the end of the year.
At that time, Ruiz transitioned to the position of executive chairman of AMD's board. Meanwhile, Meyer's appointment as CEO left few industry watchers surprised:
Not only did Q2 mark AMD's seventh consecutive quarter of loss under Ruiz, but Meyer was groomed for the position, being appointed president and COO in 2006 and elected to AMD's board last year.
"Part of the reason we did this CEO transition when we did at the earnings time was because we can see the end [of this non-communication] in sight and it requires 100% of Hector's time and focus to see it through. No specific timing, but we see the end coming. We see being able to communicate and driving the strategy to conclusion hopefully by the end of the year," Prairie said.
What that communication will give way to, however, is unclear. Industry speculation as to whether AMD will spin off its fabs to form a separate company is as visible as speculation that AMD will split itself into two company divisions that will work in partnership under one corporate umbrella.
"AMD has had an excellent, excellent manufacturing approach to their shop-floor administration and all that, which has been a strength," said Len Jelinek, iSuppli's director and principal analyst, semiconductor manufacturing.
"Splitting this into an R&D company and a manufacturing entity would clearly help them with respect to their P&L [profit and loss]. When you add focus and clarity, you really execute much better."
Mentioning AMD's two key manufacturing partnerships-its ATI partnership with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and its partnership with foundry Chartered-Jelinek said that if the company was to create an entity that strictly focuses on manufacturing, "it will make management of both their internal and external manufacturing facilities much cleaner, much more crisp. Similarly when you look at the design, that also allows them to coordinate better between the free entities as to how they want to approach their next generations."
However, at this time, the analyst does not believe AMD will split into two separate companies. "It will just be easier to keep more control on generations and coordination of the whole process by keeping it under one CEO," he said.
"But if you are saying a CEO and two divisions, that's a good structure because it pushes clarity out there. To have just strictly a design company would present a series of challenges that might not be in the best interest of getting product to market."
Such a spin-off would create a cash infusion for AMD as it would sell its fabs, but Jelinek (pictured, left) cautioned that despite the immediate advantage of doing, the move would not bode well for AMD's long-term survival.
"If you spin the fabs out and get a cash infusion, you now have a company that is saddled with some degree of debt and they have to sustain themselves by improving technology, as well as filling their factories," he said. "You would kind of have a captive foundry there that would be competing with other companies in the long run," he said, pointing to the Common Platform Alliance, as well as TSMC.
"That would be a challenge three to five years down the road, and that is a burden," he continued. "If you look at some of the recent spin-offs that have done something like that-Magnachip, ON Semiconductor-it took them a couple of years to recover P&L-wise from that position. They've all done a good job at it, it's just that in the short term that company if it were to spin off picks up some other challenges, financially."
The iSuppli analyst did not dispute Ruiz's statements concerning sharing information on AMD's manufacturing plans by end of year.
"Let's give the new CEO 100 days," Jelinek said, estimating an announcement at the end of Q3 or the beginning of Q4.
"AMD is a good company. They have these challenges of execution in front of them. Once they get that execution worked out, I think they'll come back with a good challenge to their competitor," Jelinek concluded.
AMD CPU Roadmap Update
Fall is now upon us, and as usual marketing efforts are in full swing to get us ready for the season of spending - or giving, if you prefer. Computer hardware manufacturers are also hard at work to get their latest products out in time for the holiday rush. 2004 has been a relatively exciting year in the technology sector, with the launch of socket 939 and 775, PCI Express, and even DDR2, as well as a plethora of CPU and graphics chip rollouts, but it's not over yet. You may have already heard about some recent CPU launches by AMD, and there are a few remaining products that will launch before the year is up. Roadmaps are really about the future, though, so we will also take a look at AMD's tentative product lineup for the next year or so, starting with the Athlon 64 line.
AMD Athlon 64 Roadmap
Processor Clock Speed L2 Cache Socket Launch Date
Athlon FX-57 ??? ??? Socket 939 Q3'05
Athlon FX-55 2.6 GHz 1024KB Socket 939 Soon
Athlon FX-53 2.4 GHz 1024KB Socket 939 Now
Athlon FX-53 2.4 GHz 1024KB Socket 940 Now
Athlon FX-51 2.2 GHz 1024KB Socket 940 Now
Athlon 64 >=4200+ ??? ??? Socket 939 Q3'05
Athlon 64 >=4000+ ??? ??? Socket 939 Q2'05
Athlon 64 4000+ 2.4 GHz 1024KB Socket 939 Soon
Athlon 64 3800+ 2.4 GHz 512KB Socket 939 Now
Athlon 64 3700+ 2.4 GHz 1024KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3500+ 2.2 GHz 90nm 512KB Socket 939 Now
Athlon 64 3500 +
2.2 GHz 512KB Socket 939 Now
Athlon 64 3400+ 2.4 GHz 512KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3400+ 2.2 GHz 1024KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2 GHz 512KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0 GHz 90nm 512KB Socket 939 Now
Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0 GHz 1024KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3000+ 2.0 GHz 512KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8 GHz 1024KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8 GHz 90nm 512KB Socket 939 Now
Athlon 64 2800+ 1.8 Ghz 512KB Socket 754 Now
In case you missed it, a couple weeks ago AMD (quietly) launched their first 90 nm Athlon 64 parts. Surprisingly, these parts launched at clock speeds at or below the current Athlon 64 offerings. The new models are the 3000+, 3200+ and 3500+ with clock speeds of 1.8 GHz, 2.0 GHz, and 2.2 GHz. Whether that was simply AMD being conservative or AMD trying to lower the cost of entry for socket 939 is difficult to say, but our early tests indicate that the 90 nm parts have plenty of headroom when paired with a quality OEM heatsink. The price on the 3500+ is actually slightly higher than the 130 nm version, once you factor in the cost of an after market HSF, but since enthusiasts are likely as not to purchase a quality HSF for their CPU it isn't a major concern. The 3000+ and 3200+, on the other hand, are priced to move at under $200, removing price as a barrier for entry into the socket 939 world. With the large amount of overlap in AMD's product names, it can be somewhat confusing, so remember to double check that you are getting the right CPU for your motherboard. We will have some articles that provide more information on these new CPU parts in the near future.
In addition to the recent 90 nm parts, AMD has the 4000+ and FX-55 scheduled for launch in the very near future. These are still 130 nm parts, although 90 nm parts are likely to become available at some point. We also have the 90 nm parts codenamed "San Diego" and "Venice" coming out in the first half of 2005. These are not the same as the currently shipping 90 nm parts, as they will include SSE3 support - 11 of the 13 PNI instructions will be supported; absent are the two instructions that relate to HyperThreading, which obviously does not affect performance on non-HyperThreading processors. These chips may include other tweaks to the Athlon 64 design as well, but we do not have any information on that yet - it does appear that the current 90 nm parts are nothing more than a die shrink of the Clawhammer, Sledgehammer and Newcastle cores.
In the second half of 2005, we will see the launch of the dual core "Toledo" processor, also with SSE3 support. While we do not list it here, dual core Opteron chips will be introduced for socket 940 before the socket 939 versions. There isn't a whole lot of detail on AMD's Athlon 64 plans for Q2 '05 and Q3 '05, other than that they will have >=4000+ and >=4200+ parts. The FX-57 is scheduled to launch around the same time as the Toledo core; so without speculating too much it would make sense if the FX-57 were to come with a dual core variant. If it is, clock speed is basically a complete unknown at this time, even for speculation. We'll be sure to update you with any information that becomes available.
If you're looking at that table and wondering where the future socket 754 Athlon 64 chips are, we have some bad news for you. As of now, we have no information on any future Athlon 64 CPUs for the platform. They may exist and we simply haven't heard about them, but more likely the 2.4 GHz 1 MB L2 3700+ will be the top end Athlon 64 processor for the platform. AMD has already begun to shift socket 754 into the value segment with the Sempron 3100+, and as you will see below, the future updates for the platform all bear the Sempron name.
AMD Sempron Roadmap
Processor Clock Speed Socket Launch Date
Sempron 3400+ ??? Socket 754 Q3'05
Sempron 3300+ ??? Socket 754 Q1'05
Sempron 3100+ 1.8 GHz Socket 754 Now
Sempron 3000+ ??? Socket 754 Q1'05
Sempron 2800+ ??? Socket 754 Q1'05
Sempron 2600+ ??? Socket 754 Q1'05
Sempron 3000+ 2.00 GHz 512K Socket A Soon
Sempron 2800+ 2.0 GHz Socket A Now
Sempron 2600+ 1.83 GHz Socket A Now
Sempron 2500+ 1.75 GHz Socket A Now
Sempron 2400+ 1.67 GHz Socket A Now
Sempron 2300+ 1.58 GHz Socket A Now
Sempron 2200+ 1.5 GHz Socket A Now
Current plans for socket 754 include processors scaling up to 3400+ speeds - which we guess will be 2.2 GHz - with the most of the new models scheduled for introduction in March '05. We are getting conflicting reports on the clock number, but 2.2GHz seems in line with most of our sources.
The Sempron 3100+ chips that we have tested are usually able to reach 2.4 GHz without difficulty, so they should be able to produce plenty of cores. Previous socket 754 processors have always come in 200 MHz increments, but we might see the return of 100MHz increments with the Sempron line. With the price of the socket 754 chips trending to well under $100, overclocking enthusiasts will likely find a lot of bang for the buck out of the Sempron line. Unfortunately, in addition to the reduced amount of cache, all of the Semprons lack 64-bit support. That isn't a major concern yet, but it could be in another six months when we see the launch of Windows XP-64 and 64-bit applications. For those that are interested in 64-bit computing, you will want to spend the extra money for the Athlon 64.
Besides the currently shipping as well as planned "Sempron-754" chips listed above, we also have 90 nm versions on the way, codenamed Palermo. Palermo will continue to include 256K of L2 cache, but like the future 90 nm Athlon 64 chips, it will include support for SSE3. We could also hope that Palermo might reactivate the 64-bit support in these chips, but we would be somewhat surprised to see that happen. It just does not seem to match AMD's current market segmentation philosophy. Also worth pointing out is that Sempron chips for socket 939 have disappeared from the roadmaps; they may have been cancelled, or else they might just be missing. We'll keep you posted on any developments in that area.
Finally, we have additional bad news for those who still love their socket A motherboards. As you can see in the chart, the Sempron 3000+ is the only future processor for the platform. Oddly enough, AMD will also go back to the Barton core for this model, so it will perform similarly to the XP 2800+ - it's only 83 MHz slower. The Athlon XP line is scheduled to end production in early in 2005, according to the roadmaps we've seen, and if you look at current prices on the parts it already appears to be well underway. As for the Sempron processor on socket A, even that is scheduled to reach the end of the line by the second half of 2005.
The platform still offers reasonable performance, of course, but if you want to purchase a motherboard that will last through a couple more inexpensive CPU upgrades, socket A is not recommended. The introduction of the lower model Sempron-754 chips looks to be planned to take over as the socket A models are phased out. This is actually a good thing, as the integrated memory controller on socket 754 and later AMD chips helps out a lot with performance, and we will now see that feature pushed down into the value computing segment.
About the only weak point in AMD's plans right now is their continued use of 200 mm wafers. Their 65 nm parts are scheduled to finally make the switch to 300 mm wafers, which should boost their output capacity by roughly 125% at each fabrication facility that uses the larger wafers. In the mean time, they continue to provide high performance processors that compare very favorably with their Intel counterparts. Competition breeds lower prices, making this a great time for the computing enthusiast.
AMD Athlon 64 Roadmap
Processor Clock Speed L2 Cache Socket Launch Date
Athlon FX-57 ??? ??? Socket 939 Q3'05
Athlon FX-55 2.6 GHz 1024KB Socket 939 Soon
Athlon FX-53 2.4 GHz 1024KB Socket 939 Now
Athlon FX-53 2.4 GHz 1024KB Socket 940 Now
Athlon FX-51 2.2 GHz 1024KB Socket 940 Now
Athlon 64 >=4200+ ??? ??? Socket 939 Q3'05
Athlon 64 >=4000+ ??? ??? Socket 939 Q2'05
Athlon 64 4000+ 2.4 GHz 1024KB Socket 939 Soon
Athlon 64 3800+ 2.4 GHz 512KB Socket 939 Now
Athlon 64 3700+ 2.4 GHz 1024KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3500+ 2.2 GHz 90nm 512KB Socket 939 Now
Athlon 64 3500 +
2.2 GHz 512KB Socket 939 Now
Athlon 64 3400+ 2.4 GHz 512KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3400+ 2.2 GHz 1024KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2 GHz 512KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0 GHz 90nm 512KB Socket 939 Now
Athlon 64 3200+ 2.0 GHz 1024KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3000+ 2.0 GHz 512KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8 GHz 1024KB Socket 754 Now
Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8 GHz 90nm 512KB Socket 939 Now
Athlon 64 2800+ 1.8 Ghz 512KB Socket 754 Now
In case you missed it, a couple weeks ago AMD (quietly) launched their first 90 nm Athlon 64 parts. Surprisingly, these parts launched at clock speeds at or below the current Athlon 64 offerings. The new models are the 3000+, 3200+ and 3500+ with clock speeds of 1.8 GHz, 2.0 GHz, and 2.2 GHz. Whether that was simply AMD being conservative or AMD trying to lower the cost of entry for socket 939 is difficult to say, but our early tests indicate that the 90 nm parts have plenty of headroom when paired with a quality OEM heatsink. The price on the 3500+ is actually slightly higher than the 130 nm version, once you factor in the cost of an after market HSF, but since enthusiasts are likely as not to purchase a quality HSF for their CPU it isn't a major concern. The 3000+ and 3200+, on the other hand, are priced to move at under $200, removing price as a barrier for entry into the socket 939 world. With the large amount of overlap in AMD's product names, it can be somewhat confusing, so remember to double check that you are getting the right CPU for your motherboard. We will have some articles that provide more information on these new CPU parts in the near future.
In addition to the recent 90 nm parts, AMD has the 4000+ and FX-55 scheduled for launch in the very near future. These are still 130 nm parts, although 90 nm parts are likely to become available at some point. We also have the 90 nm parts codenamed "San Diego" and "Venice" coming out in the first half of 2005. These are not the same as the currently shipping 90 nm parts, as they will include SSE3 support - 11 of the 13 PNI instructions will be supported; absent are the two instructions that relate to HyperThreading, which obviously does not affect performance on non-HyperThreading processors. These chips may include other tweaks to the Athlon 64 design as well, but we do not have any information on that yet - it does appear that the current 90 nm parts are nothing more than a die shrink of the Clawhammer, Sledgehammer and Newcastle cores.
In the second half of 2005, we will see the launch of the dual core "Toledo" processor, also with SSE3 support. While we do not list it here, dual core Opteron chips will be introduced for socket 940 before the socket 939 versions. There isn't a whole lot of detail on AMD's Athlon 64 plans for Q2 '05 and Q3 '05, other than that they will have >=4000+ and >=4200+ parts. The FX-57 is scheduled to launch around the same time as the Toledo core; so without speculating too much it would make sense if the FX-57 were to come with a dual core variant. If it is, clock speed is basically a complete unknown at this time, even for speculation. We'll be sure to update you with any information that becomes available.
If you're looking at that table and wondering where the future socket 754 Athlon 64 chips are, we have some bad news for you. As of now, we have no information on any future Athlon 64 CPUs for the platform. They may exist and we simply haven't heard about them, but more likely the 2.4 GHz 1 MB L2 3700+ will be the top end Athlon 64 processor for the platform. AMD has already begun to shift socket 754 into the value segment with the Sempron 3100+, and as you will see below, the future updates for the platform all bear the Sempron name.
AMD Sempron Roadmap
Processor Clock Speed Socket Launch Date
Sempron 3400+ ??? Socket 754 Q3'05
Sempron 3300+ ??? Socket 754 Q1'05
Sempron 3100+ 1.8 GHz Socket 754 Now
Sempron 3000+ ??? Socket 754 Q1'05
Sempron 2800+ ??? Socket 754 Q1'05
Sempron 2600+ ??? Socket 754 Q1'05
Sempron 3000+ 2.00 GHz 512K Socket A Soon
Sempron 2800+ 2.0 GHz Socket A Now
Sempron 2600+ 1.83 GHz Socket A Now
Sempron 2500+ 1.75 GHz Socket A Now
Sempron 2400+ 1.67 GHz Socket A Now
Sempron 2300+ 1.58 GHz Socket A Now
Sempron 2200+ 1.5 GHz Socket A Now
Current plans for socket 754 include processors scaling up to 3400+ speeds - which we guess will be 2.2 GHz - with the most of the new models scheduled for introduction in March '05. We are getting conflicting reports on the clock number, but 2.2GHz seems in line with most of our sources.
The Sempron 3100+ chips that we have tested are usually able to reach 2.4 GHz without difficulty, so they should be able to produce plenty of cores. Previous socket 754 processors have always come in 200 MHz increments, but we might see the return of 100MHz increments with the Sempron line. With the price of the socket 754 chips trending to well under $100, overclocking enthusiasts will likely find a lot of bang for the buck out of the Sempron line. Unfortunately, in addition to the reduced amount of cache, all of the Semprons lack 64-bit support. That isn't a major concern yet, but it could be in another six months when we see the launch of Windows XP-64 and 64-bit applications. For those that are interested in 64-bit computing, you will want to spend the extra money for the Athlon 64.
Besides the currently shipping as well as planned "Sempron-754" chips listed above, we also have 90 nm versions on the way, codenamed Palermo. Palermo will continue to include 256K of L2 cache, but like the future 90 nm Athlon 64 chips, it will include support for SSE3. We could also hope that Palermo might reactivate the 64-bit support in these chips, but we would be somewhat surprised to see that happen. It just does not seem to match AMD's current market segmentation philosophy. Also worth pointing out is that Sempron chips for socket 939 have disappeared from the roadmaps; they may have been cancelled, or else they might just be missing. We'll keep you posted on any developments in that area.
Finally, we have additional bad news for those who still love their socket A motherboards. As you can see in the chart, the Sempron 3000+ is the only future processor for the platform. Oddly enough, AMD will also go back to the Barton core for this model, so it will perform similarly to the XP 2800+ - it's only 83 MHz slower. The Athlon XP line is scheduled to end production in early in 2005, according to the roadmaps we've seen, and if you look at current prices on the parts it already appears to be well underway. As for the Sempron processor on socket A, even that is scheduled to reach the end of the line by the second half of 2005.
The platform still offers reasonable performance, of course, but if you want to purchase a motherboard that will last through a couple more inexpensive CPU upgrades, socket A is not recommended. The introduction of the lower model Sempron-754 chips looks to be planned to take over as the socket A models are phased out. This is actually a good thing, as the integrated memory controller on socket 754 and later AMD chips helps out a lot with performance, and we will now see that feature pushed down into the value computing segment.
About the only weak point in AMD's plans right now is their continued use of 200 mm wafers. Their 65 nm parts are scheduled to finally make the switch to 300 mm wafers, which should boost their output capacity by roughly 125% at each fabrication facility that uses the larger wafers. In the mean time, they continue to provide high performance processors that compare very favorably with their Intel counterparts. Competition breeds lower prices, making this a great time for the computing enthusiast.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Commercial Channel Partners Embrace the Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ Series 1300 Processor
System builders ready for high-performing, energy-efficient single socket AMD processors—
SUNNYVALE, Calif. -AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced significant support for the Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ 1300 Series processor from channel partners focused on enterprise and small and medium businesses as well as high performance computing (HPC) markets. The AMD Opteron 1300 Series processor provides the latest in enterprise-class performance and numerous energy efficient features for single processor servers and workstations, a key market focus for many leading system builders.
“Our technology partners depend on AMD to offer solutions that enable them to grow their business and provide value to their customers,” said Gary Bixler, director, North America Channel Marketing, AMD. “The AMD Opteron 1300 Series processor delivers quad-core computing in a stable socket and with a consistent power and thermal envelope that can help both reduce time-to-market for our channel partners and allow them to offer their customers a simple and efficient upgrade path for increased performance.”
Commercial channel customers will have the opportunity to engage with AMD authorized distributors to choose from a variety of motherboards with AMD Opteron 1300 Series processor support.
AMD also offers a robust Validated Server Program for commercial channel partners wishing to leverage barebones server platforms. These tested building blocks allow system builders to focus on the unique configurations their customers request and offer quick integration of new technology into their business. Learn more about AMD’s Validated Server Program at www.amd.com/vsp.
Advanced Clustering
"Advanced Clustering is proud to add the new Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 Series processors to our power efficient Pinnacle Server family. We believe that it will offer a great price/performance value for those wanting a Beowulf style cluster on a budget" - Shelly Kelley, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Advanced Clustering
ASA
“This new offering by AMD deepens our support for offering Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-based servers and workstations. We are particularly excited to offer these high-performing, energy-efficient processors to customers who rely on this level of hardware to support critical applications.” - Arvind Bhargava, CEO, ASA
Colfax
“The new Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 Series processors create a great market opportunity for Colfax. This helps Colfax be well-positioned to provide entry level workstation and server offerings for businesses looking for smart solutions. We plan to offer systems with the new AMD Opteron processor.” - Gautam Shah, President, Colfax International
Microway
“The new Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 Series processors will enable our customers to achieve higher levels of performance and energy efficiency. Our WhisperStations-PRO workstation customers will enjoy the performance improvements of AMD’s native quad-core architecture" - Ann Fried, CEO, Microway
PSSC Labs
“PSSC Labs is pleased to introduce Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 Series processors into our PowerServe Centro A1400 and PowerStation Centro A1400 models. PSSC Labs continues to be impressed with AMD’s commitment to bringing high-performing, energy-efficient computing processors to market.” - Alex Lesser, vice president, PSSC Labs
Super Micro Computer, Inc.
“Super Micro is a leader in application-optimized, high performance server and workstation solutions and we have announced full support for the Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 Series processors on our latest single-processor A+ Servers, including the 1011M-UR and 1011S-MR2, currently on display at Computex Taipei 2008 in booths M619-726, 4th Floor" Alex Hsu, chief sales and marketing officer, Super Micro Computer, Inc.
Verari
“Verari plans to integrate the Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 Series processor into our rackmount server offerings. We are enthusiastic about this opportunity to continue to provide industry leading energy-efficiency and performance for our customers.” - Ed Holden, server product manager, Verari Systems
ZT Systems
“ZT Systems is proud to be selected by AMD to display new servers featuring Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 series processors at Computex. The ZT Systems 2102Ra Storage Server enables energy efficient performance and low cost of ownership for enterprise customers, and is just one example of ZT’s innovative AMD-powered server solutions for the datacenter.” - Bob Anderson, executive vice president, Business Development and Strategy, ZT Systems
SUNNYVALE, Calif. -AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced significant support for the Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ 1300 Series processor from channel partners focused on enterprise and small and medium businesses as well as high performance computing (HPC) markets. The AMD Opteron 1300 Series processor provides the latest in enterprise-class performance and numerous energy efficient features for single processor servers and workstations, a key market focus for many leading system builders.
“Our technology partners depend on AMD to offer solutions that enable them to grow their business and provide value to their customers,” said Gary Bixler, director, North America Channel Marketing, AMD. “The AMD Opteron 1300 Series processor delivers quad-core computing in a stable socket and with a consistent power and thermal envelope that can help both reduce time-to-market for our channel partners and allow them to offer their customers a simple and efficient upgrade path for increased performance.”
Commercial channel customers will have the opportunity to engage with AMD authorized distributors to choose from a variety of motherboards with AMD Opteron 1300 Series processor support.
AMD also offers a robust Validated Server Program for commercial channel partners wishing to leverage barebones server platforms. These tested building blocks allow system builders to focus on the unique configurations their customers request and offer quick integration of new technology into their business. Learn more about AMD’s Validated Server Program at www.amd.com/vsp.
Advanced Clustering
"Advanced Clustering is proud to add the new Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 Series processors to our power efficient Pinnacle Server family. We believe that it will offer a great price/performance value for those wanting a Beowulf style cluster on a budget" - Shelly Kelley, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Advanced Clustering
ASA
“This new offering by AMD deepens our support for offering Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-based servers and workstations. We are particularly excited to offer these high-performing, energy-efficient processors to customers who rely on this level of hardware to support critical applications.” - Arvind Bhargava, CEO, ASA
Colfax
“The new Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 Series processors create a great market opportunity for Colfax. This helps Colfax be well-positioned to provide entry level workstation and server offerings for businesses looking for smart solutions. We plan to offer systems with the new AMD Opteron processor.” - Gautam Shah, President, Colfax International
Microway
“The new Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 Series processors will enable our customers to achieve higher levels of performance and energy efficiency. Our WhisperStations-PRO workstation customers will enjoy the performance improvements of AMD’s native quad-core architecture" - Ann Fried, CEO, Microway
PSSC Labs
“PSSC Labs is pleased to introduce Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 Series processors into our PowerServe Centro A1400 and PowerStation Centro A1400 models. PSSC Labs continues to be impressed with AMD’s commitment to bringing high-performing, energy-efficient computing processors to market.” - Alex Lesser, vice president, PSSC Labs
Super Micro Computer, Inc.
“Super Micro is a leader in application-optimized, high performance server and workstation solutions and we have announced full support for the Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 Series processors on our latest single-processor A+ Servers, including the 1011M-UR and 1011S-MR2, currently on display at Computex Taipei 2008 in booths M619-726, 4th Floor" Alex Hsu, chief sales and marketing officer, Super Micro Computer, Inc.
Verari
“Verari plans to integrate the Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 Series processor into our rackmount server offerings. We are enthusiastic about this opportunity to continue to provide industry leading energy-efficiency and performance for our customers.” - Ed Holden, server product manager, Verari Systems
ZT Systems
“ZT Systems is proud to be selected by AMD to display new servers featuring Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1300 series processors at Computex. The ZT Systems 2102Ra Storage Server enables energy efficient performance and low cost of ownership for enterprise customers, and is just one example of ZT’s innovative AMD-powered server solutions for the datacenter.” - Bob Anderson, executive vice president, Business Development and Strategy, ZT Systems
AMD releases quad-core Opterons for two-, four- and eight-socket systems
On Monday, June 9, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) introduced four new quad-core AMD Opteron SE processors for two-, four- and eight-socket commodity x86 systems. The new processors are comparable to larger, more costly symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) hardware.
"These Opteron offerings are for users who are most interested in maximum performance and are not concerned as much about wattage," said Steve Demski, AMD's Opteron product manager, "people who may have used high-end Unix systems and mainframes and want that kind of performance at a lower price point."
AMD also released quad-core processors for single-socket systems last week for applications that require a lot of data transfer and communication between processors.
In comparison, these quad-core processors designed for multiple-socket systems are best for applications that require a lot of memory or that perform more computing functions, rather than communications, according to Peter Ungaro, the CEO and president of Seattle-based Cray Inc., which uses various levels of AMD Opteron processors in its systems.
To be specific, workloads typically benefiting from four- and eight-socket server processing (the AMD 8000 series) include large databases, business processing systems (enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and supply chain management) and business intelligence, as well as other IT infrastructure applications including heavy-duty Web serving and messaging, according to AMD.
AMD Opteron 2000 Series processors for two-socket systems are used for Web, file and print servers, Java application servers, and some email servers. Clustered two-socket systems are also frequently used for applications in the life sciences and oil and gas industries, and in other engineering applications.
Quad-core Opterons for one-socket systems (i.e., the AMD 1000 series) are typically used for Web serving, file and print needs, and other less CPU-intensive applications. Cray's supercomputing systems are unique in their use of single sockets, an AMD spokesperson said.
The new quad-core AMD Opteron SE processors use registered memory and can support up to eight memory sticks per CPU. The chips are available from global OEMs and vendors, including Hewlett-Packard Co., Sun Microsystems Inc., Dell Inc. and IBM.
The new quad-core AMD Opteron processor models and prices are as follows: 2358 SE (with 2.4 GHz) is $873; 2360 SE (with 2.5 GHz) is $1,165; 8358 SE (with 2.4 GHz) is $1, 865, and 8360 SE (with 2.5 GHz) $2,149. The processors are widely available.
In addition, the new processors have set some benchmarks. They achieved the highest SAP-SD two-tier score in eight-socket x86 servers, and quad-core AMD Opteron SE processors also achieved the highest SPECfp_rate2006 scores in both two- and four-socket x86 servers among comparable x86 processors.
"These Opteron offerings are for users who are most interested in maximum performance and are not concerned as much about wattage," said Steve Demski, AMD's Opteron product manager, "people who may have used high-end Unix systems and mainframes and want that kind of performance at a lower price point."
AMD also released quad-core processors for single-socket systems last week for applications that require a lot of data transfer and communication between processors.
In comparison, these quad-core processors designed for multiple-socket systems are best for applications that require a lot of memory or that perform more computing functions, rather than communications, according to Peter Ungaro, the CEO and president of Seattle-based Cray Inc., which uses various levels of AMD Opteron processors in its systems.
To be specific, workloads typically benefiting from four- and eight-socket server processing (the AMD 8000 series) include large databases, business processing systems (enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and supply chain management) and business intelligence, as well as other IT infrastructure applications including heavy-duty Web serving and messaging, according to AMD.
AMD Opteron 2000 Series processors for two-socket systems are used for Web, file and print servers, Java application servers, and some email servers. Clustered two-socket systems are also frequently used for applications in the life sciences and oil and gas industries, and in other engineering applications.
Quad-core Opterons for one-socket systems (i.e., the AMD 1000 series) are typically used for Web serving, file and print needs, and other less CPU-intensive applications. Cray's supercomputing systems are unique in their use of single sockets, an AMD spokesperson said.
The new quad-core AMD Opteron SE processors use registered memory and can support up to eight memory sticks per CPU. The chips are available from global OEMs and vendors, including Hewlett-Packard Co., Sun Microsystems Inc., Dell Inc. and IBM.
The new quad-core AMD Opteron processor models and prices are as follows: 2358 SE (with 2.4 GHz) is $873; 2360 SE (with 2.5 GHz) is $1,165; 8358 SE (with 2.4 GHz) is $1, 865, and 8360 SE (with 2.5 GHz) $2,149. The processors are widely available.
In addition, the new processors have set some benchmarks. They achieved the highest SAP-SD two-tier score in eight-socket x86 servers, and quad-core AMD Opteron SE processors also achieved the highest SPECfp_rate2006 scores in both two- and four-socket x86 servers among comparable x86 processors.
AMD’s Additions to its Opteron Portfolio
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has completed its quad-core Opteron portfolio, as it has started shipping two new processors for the 2300 series as well as two more for the 8300 series. The new chips are designed for high-end four-socket / eight-socket servers.
The newcomers are called Opteron 2358 SE (2.4GHz), Opteron 2360 SE (2.5GHz), Opteron 8358 SE (2.4GHz) and 8360 SE (2.5GHz); these are part of the company’s last set of 65-nanometer server models, as it plans to switch to a 45-nanometer assembly process later on this year. The upcoming chips may bring a speed increase of up to twenty percent.
In the second week of May, AMD launched five quad-core Opteron processors (8347 HE, 8346 HE, 2347 HE, 2346 HE, and 2344 HE), described by company officials as energy-efficient. They run on 55 Watts of AC power and, when compared to the 75-watt Barcelona chips that were released by AMD last year, the Opteron shows a 30 percent efficiency increase. The chips’ speeds, as well as their prices, range from 1.7GHz to 1.9GHz and from $209 to $873, respectively.
Also in May, the company presented its two-year server and workstation product plan. Next year, AMD’s first six-core chip is scheduled for release and for the first half of 2010, a 12-core processor is being prepared.
The newcomers are called Opteron 2358 SE (2.4GHz), Opteron 2360 SE (2.5GHz), Opteron 8358 SE (2.4GHz) and 8360 SE (2.5GHz); these are part of the company’s last set of 65-nanometer server models, as it plans to switch to a 45-nanometer assembly process later on this year. The upcoming chips may bring a speed increase of up to twenty percent.
In the second week of May, AMD launched five quad-core Opteron processors (8347 HE, 8346 HE, 2347 HE, 2346 HE, and 2344 HE), described by company officials as energy-efficient. They run on 55 Watts of AC power and, when compared to the 75-watt Barcelona chips that were released by AMD last year, the Opteron shows a 30 percent efficiency increase. The chips’ speeds, as well as their prices, range from 1.7GHz to 1.9GHz and from $209 to $873, respectively.
Also in May, the company presented its two-year server and workstation product plan. Next year, AMD’s first six-core chip is scheduled for release and for the first half of 2010, a 12-core processor is being prepared.
IBM's Roadrunner Supercomputer Sets World-Record Speed
Beep beep! Sorry coyote, but you're still not wily enough to touch Roadrunner, IBM's supercomputer, billed as the fastest in the world operating at 1 petaflop or 1,000 trillion calculations per second.
To be housed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, IBM built Roadrunner for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration to ensure the safety and reliability of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. The supercomputer, named after New Mexico's state bird, will also be used for astronomy, energy, human genome science and climate change research.
So, exactly how fast is the supercomputer? IBM said the speed is roughly equivalent to the combined computing power of 100,000 of today's fastest laptop computers—users would need a stack of laptops 1.5 miles high to match Roadrunner's performance. It would also take the entire population of the earth--about 6 billion people--each working a handheld calculator at the rate of 1 second per calculation more than 46 years to do what Roadrunner can do in one day.
IBM said that in the past 10 years, supercomputer power has increased about 1,000 times. Today, just three of Roadrunner's 3,456 tri-blade units have the same power as the 1998 fastest computer. Now, a complex physics calculation that will take Roadrunner one week to complete would have taken the 1998 machine 20 years to finish.
IBM also said Roadrunner, the world's first hybrid supercomputer, uses a first-of-a-kind design, the Cell Broadband Engine. Originally designed for video game platforms such as the Sony Playstation 3, the engine will work in conjunction with AMD's x86 processors. Other companies that contributed components and technology include Emcore, Flextronics, Mellanox and Voltaire.
In total, the computer connects 6,948 dual-core AMD Opteron chips on IBM Model LS21 blade servers, in addition to 12,960 Cell engines on IBM Model QS22 blade servers.
Standard processing--such as file system I/O--is handled by the Opteron processors. Mathematical and CPU-intensive elements are directed to the cell processors.
The system has 80 terabytes of memory and is housed in 288 refrigerator-size IBM BladeCenter racks taking up 6,000 square feet. Roadrunner's 10,000 connections--both Infiniband and Gigabit Ethernet--require 57 miles of fiber-optic cable and weigh a whopping 500,000 pounds.
The supercomputer's custom configuration uses two IBM QS22 blade servers and one IBM LS21 blade server that are combined into a specialized "tri-blade" configuration. Each tri-blade unit can run at 400 billion operations per second (400 Gigaflops). In total, Roadrunner has 3,456 tri-blades.
Roadrunner was built, tested and benchmarked in IBM's Poughkeepsie, N.Y., plant, which is also the home of the ASCI series of supercomputers the company built for the U.S. government in the late 1990s. IBM's site in Rochester, Minn., contributed to the project by constructing the specialized tri-blade servers. In addition, engineers developed the computers' software in IBM's Austin, Texas, and Yorktown Heights, N.Y., research labs. Roadrunner operates on open-source Linux software from Red Hat.
Despite its massive size, IBM calls Roadrunner an "energy miser." The Armonk, N.Y.-based company said that compared to most traditional supercomputer designs, Roadrunner's hybrid format sips power (3.9 megawatts) and delivers efficiency at 376 million calculations per watt.
As for future plans for Roadrunner, IBM is developing new software to make Cell-powered hybrid computing broadly accessible. Roadrunner's massive software effort targets commercial applications for hybrid supercomputing. Along with corporate and academic partners, IBM is developing an open-source ecosystem that is intended to bring hybrid supercomputing to financial services, energy exploration and medical imaging industries, among others.
Later this summer IBM will load the behemoth supercomputer onto 21 tractor trailer trucks to deliver it to the Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico.
To be housed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, IBM built Roadrunner for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration to ensure the safety and reliability of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. The supercomputer, named after New Mexico's state bird, will also be used for astronomy, energy, human genome science and climate change research.
So, exactly how fast is the supercomputer? IBM said the speed is roughly equivalent to the combined computing power of 100,000 of today's fastest laptop computers—users would need a stack of laptops 1.5 miles high to match Roadrunner's performance. It would also take the entire population of the earth--about 6 billion people--each working a handheld calculator at the rate of 1 second per calculation more than 46 years to do what Roadrunner can do in one day.
IBM said that in the past 10 years, supercomputer power has increased about 1,000 times. Today, just three of Roadrunner's 3,456 tri-blade units have the same power as the 1998 fastest computer. Now, a complex physics calculation that will take Roadrunner one week to complete would have taken the 1998 machine 20 years to finish.
IBM also said Roadrunner, the world's first hybrid supercomputer, uses a first-of-a-kind design, the Cell Broadband Engine. Originally designed for video game platforms such as the Sony Playstation 3, the engine will work in conjunction with AMD's x86 processors. Other companies that contributed components and technology include Emcore, Flextronics, Mellanox and Voltaire.
In total, the computer connects 6,948 dual-core AMD Opteron chips on IBM Model LS21 blade servers, in addition to 12,960 Cell engines on IBM Model QS22 blade servers.
Standard processing--such as file system I/O--is handled by the Opteron processors. Mathematical and CPU-intensive elements are directed to the cell processors.
The system has 80 terabytes of memory and is housed in 288 refrigerator-size IBM BladeCenter racks taking up 6,000 square feet. Roadrunner's 10,000 connections--both Infiniband and Gigabit Ethernet--require 57 miles of fiber-optic cable and weigh a whopping 500,000 pounds.
The supercomputer's custom configuration uses two IBM QS22 blade servers and one IBM LS21 blade server that are combined into a specialized "tri-blade" configuration. Each tri-blade unit can run at 400 billion operations per second (400 Gigaflops). In total, Roadrunner has 3,456 tri-blades.
Roadrunner was built, tested and benchmarked in IBM's Poughkeepsie, N.Y., plant, which is also the home of the ASCI series of supercomputers the company built for the U.S. government in the late 1990s. IBM's site in Rochester, Minn., contributed to the project by constructing the specialized tri-blade servers. In addition, engineers developed the computers' software in IBM's Austin, Texas, and Yorktown Heights, N.Y., research labs. Roadrunner operates on open-source Linux software from Red Hat.
Despite its massive size, IBM calls Roadrunner an "energy miser." The Armonk, N.Y.-based company said that compared to most traditional supercomputer designs, Roadrunner's hybrid format sips power (3.9 megawatts) and delivers efficiency at 376 million calculations per watt.
As for future plans for Roadrunner, IBM is developing new software to make Cell-powered hybrid computing broadly accessible. Roadrunner's massive software effort targets commercial applications for hybrid supercomputing. Along with corporate and academic partners, IBM is developing an open-source ecosystem that is intended to bring hybrid supercomputing to financial services, energy exploration and medical imaging industries, among others.
Later this summer IBM will load the behemoth supercomputer onto 21 tractor trailer trucks to deliver it to the Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico.
AMD Releases Four New Quad-Core Opterons
Advanced Micro Devices on Monday introduced its fastest quad-core server chips to date, two new 2-socket and two new 8-socket processors dubbed Opteron SE.
Following a highly publicized setback late last year in its initial ramp of quad-core processors caused by a silicon glitch, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based AMD and OEM partners finally hit the market with B3-revision chips in March.
After splashy launch parties around the globe way back in September of last year, the ramp of the product codenamed Barcelona is finally proceeding apace with the introduction of two new 2.4GHz and two new 2.5GHz parts. The 2.4GHz quad-core Opteron 2358 SE is priced at $873 on AMD's Website, while the new top-of-the-line 2-socket released Monday by AMD, the 2.5GHz 2360 SE, has a price tag of $1,165.
Adding clock speed to its 8-socket quad-core portfolio are the new 2.4GHz 8358 SE, priced at $1,865, and the 2.5GHz 8360 SE, which runs a cool $2,149.
"In the 2-socket space, we're talking about the HPC folks, people doing genome-mapping for instance, where they need every last bit of clock speed and performance from each core," said AMD server chip manager Steve Demski last week.
"In the 8-socket space, the demographic is customers doing the really intense number-crunching against those big enterprise databases."
Demski said AMD expects Sun and Hewlett-Packard, who already offer 8-way servers built on previously released quad-core Opterons, to lead the way with new configurations featuring the 8358 SE and 8360 SE devices.
The new devices are benchmarking particularly well in terms of floating point performance, a traditional Opteron strength, Demski said, but the two new 8300 parts have also nailed the highest SAP-SD two-tier score in eight-socket servers and AMD is touting the 8358 SE and 8360 SE for data center scalability.
AMD also released three new Barcelona processors, codenamed Budapest, for single-socket servers earlier in June, bringing the chip maker's range of quad-core Opteron products a lot closer to the comprehensiveness anticipated last year, before the TLB errata was discovered in the original silicon.
The three single-socket chips that make up AMD's new Opteron 1300 series are all quad-cores, comprising the 2.1GHz Opteron 1352 ($209), the 2.2GHz 1354 ($255) and the 2.3GHz 1356 ($377).
Following a highly publicized setback late last year in its initial ramp of quad-core processors caused by a silicon glitch, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based AMD and OEM partners finally hit the market with B3-revision chips in March.
After splashy launch parties around the globe way back in September of last year, the ramp of the product codenamed Barcelona is finally proceeding apace with the introduction of two new 2.4GHz and two new 2.5GHz parts. The 2.4GHz quad-core Opteron 2358 SE is priced at $873 on AMD's Website, while the new top-of-the-line 2-socket released Monday by AMD, the 2.5GHz 2360 SE, has a price tag of $1,165.
Adding clock speed to its 8-socket quad-core portfolio are the new 2.4GHz 8358 SE, priced at $1,865, and the 2.5GHz 8360 SE, which runs a cool $2,149.
"In the 2-socket space, we're talking about the HPC folks, people doing genome-mapping for instance, where they need every last bit of clock speed and performance from each core," said AMD server chip manager Steve Demski last week.
"In the 8-socket space, the demographic is customers doing the really intense number-crunching against those big enterprise databases."
Demski said AMD expects Sun and Hewlett-Packard, who already offer 8-way servers built on previously released quad-core Opterons, to lead the way with new configurations featuring the 8358 SE and 8360 SE devices.
The new devices are benchmarking particularly well in terms of floating point performance, a traditional Opteron strength, Demski said, but the two new 8300 parts have also nailed the highest SAP-SD two-tier score in eight-socket servers and AMD is touting the 8358 SE and 8360 SE for data center scalability.
AMD also released three new Barcelona processors, codenamed Budapest, for single-socket servers earlier in June, bringing the chip maker's range of quad-core Opteron products a lot closer to the comprehensiveness anticipated last year, before the TLB errata was discovered in the original silicon.
The three single-socket chips that make up AMD's new Opteron 1300 series are all quad-cores, comprising the 2.1GHz Opteron 1352 ($209), the 2.2GHz 1354 ($255) and the 2.3GHz 1356 ($377).
Intel waiting for a hit product to get MID market rolling
Intel is counting on the emergence of a hit product to kick-start demand for mobile Internet devices (MID) and spur sales of its Centrino Atom chip platform.
"By the end of this year, you will have seen a whole bunch of new MIDs coming out and we'll see which ones are hits," said Sean Maloney, executive vice president and general manager of Intel's Sales and Marketing Group. "You only need one hit."
Centrino Atom is based on the Silverthorne version of the Atom processor and includes Intel's System Controller Hub, a single-chip chipset that functions as the device's central nervous system. The chips were designed to be used in handheld computers that can be used to access the Internet and play multimedia files.
So far, very few devices based on Centrino Atom have been announced and given a release date; the few devices that have been announced are priced far above the $500 target price that Intel set for these devices. The rarity of these devices means Centrino Atom shipments are also low.
The sluggish pace of the MID market stands in sharp contrast to low-cost laptops and desktops based on the Diamondville version of Atom, which uses a traditional two-chip chipset. At the Computex exhibition in Taipei last week, hardware makers were falling over themselves to showcase their latest laptops and desktops based on Atom -- and complaining they can't get enough of the chips from Intel.
There wasn't the same level of activity in the MID segment, although several prototype devices were on display. Despite that slower pace, Maloney said the MID category will get traction in the market eventually.
"As yet, we don't have any hit devices.The product's only just come out and there are a bunch of people announcing products, but the smaller a device gets the more it becomes a fashion item," Maloney said, alluding to the challenge hardware makers face when trying to gauge consumer tastes.
"It's very difficult for a CPU company to pick winners there. It's not really so much in our gene pool," he said.
Laptops and desktops based on Atom -- which Intel calls netbooks and nettops, respectively -- are a different matter. Hardware makers and Intel can draw on years of experience with these products, including the first version of Asustek Computers' Eee PC, to create devices that appeal to users.
"The netbook is more predictable, it's really like a notebook. With a MID, there's much more experimental design in it," Maloney said.
"By the end of this year, you will have seen a whole bunch of new MIDs coming out and we'll see which ones are hits," said Sean Maloney, executive vice president and general manager of Intel's Sales and Marketing Group. "You only need one hit."
Centrino Atom is based on the Silverthorne version of the Atom processor and includes Intel's System Controller Hub, a single-chip chipset that functions as the device's central nervous system. The chips were designed to be used in handheld computers that can be used to access the Internet and play multimedia files.
So far, very few devices based on Centrino Atom have been announced and given a release date; the few devices that have been announced are priced far above the $500 target price that Intel set for these devices. The rarity of these devices means Centrino Atom shipments are also low.
The sluggish pace of the MID market stands in sharp contrast to low-cost laptops and desktops based on the Diamondville version of Atom, which uses a traditional two-chip chipset. At the Computex exhibition in Taipei last week, hardware makers were falling over themselves to showcase their latest laptops and desktops based on Atom -- and complaining they can't get enough of the chips from Intel.
There wasn't the same level of activity in the MID segment, although several prototype devices were on display. Despite that slower pace, Maloney said the MID category will get traction in the market eventually.
"As yet, we don't have any hit devices.The product's only just come out and there are a bunch of people announcing products, but the smaller a device gets the more it becomes a fashion item," Maloney said, alluding to the challenge hardware makers face when trying to gauge consumer tastes.
"It's very difficult for a CPU company to pick winners there. It's not really so much in our gene pool," he said.
Laptops and desktops based on Atom -- which Intel calls netbooks and nettops, respectively -- are a different matter. Hardware makers and Intel can draw on years of experience with these products, including the first version of Asustek Computers' Eee PC, to create devices that appeal to users.
"The netbook is more predictable, it's really like a notebook. With a MID, there's much more experimental design in it," Maloney said.
AMD Wins Another Round Against Intel
The FTC has subpoenaed the chipmakers to seek information about their customers, including Dell, HP, and Apple. At issue: Intel's pricingScore another victory for Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) in its crusade to sick regulators on bigger rival Intel (INTC). The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into chipmaker Intel and how its conduct affects AMD.
Intel and AMD said on June 6 that they had received subpoenas that give the FTC the leeway to seek information from the chipmakers' customers, including computer makers Dell (DELL), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Toshiba, and Apple (AAPL).
The investigation is focused on Intel's dominance of the market for microprocessors, which make up the heart of a PC. In particular, the FTC wants more information on Intel's practice of offering favorable pricing on chips to certain customers.
The move follows a 2005 lawsuit filed by AMD (BusinessWeek.com, 6/28/05) that accuses Intel of engaging in an aggressive and global campaign to shut AMD out of the marketplace. AMD says Intel's main weapon of choice is the regular use of volume discounts that it claims Intel has sometimes rescinded when PC makers begin adding AMD chips to their product lineup.
That case is expected to come to trial in a Delaware court in early 2010.
Intel Cites Fierce Competition
Intel was already the subject of an informal FTC inquiry in September, 2007, and said it would cooperate with the commission's more formal investigation. In a statement, Intel described its business practices as "well within U.S. law," and said the microprocessor business is so "fiercely competitive" that prices on chips have fallen by more than 42% from 2000 to 2007.
Intel says AMD's problems in the marketplace have more to do with its ability to ship price-competitive products. "There are only two ways to look at this," says Intel Chief Counsel Bruce Sewell. "There is nothing in the record to suggest that Intel is pricing its products below cost. So if Intel is pricing above cost, then either AMD can meet those prices because it is equally efficient or it can't because it is less efficient."
That argument drew a sharp rebuke from Tom McCoy, AMD's executive vice-president for legal affairs. "This case isn't about discounts or even about pricing," McCoy says. "It's about market foreclosure. If it were only about pricing and discounts then Intel would be winning with the regulators around the world."
Korea Imposes $25 Million Fine on Intel
Indeed, some regulators haven't been too sympathetic to Intel. The Korea Fair Trade Commission ruled on June 5 that Intel had violated that country's antitrust laws by offering rebates to Korean PC makers Samsung and Trigem between 2002 and 2005 in exchange for their agreement not to use AMD chips. The commission imposed a $25 million fine and ordered Intel to stop offering the rebates. Intel has said it will likely appeal the decision. Antitrust regulators in Japan and the European Union also have come out against Intel, saying the company violated laws by paying PC makers not to use AMD chips.
Intel's defense may not hold much water with the FTC either, says David Balto, a former policy director for the FTC who's now an attorney in Washington. "These discounts are handcuffs dressed up as benefits, and they have prevented retailers and others from making choices they would have otherwise made in a free market," Balto says.
During 2005 and 2006, AMD won a good portion of business away from Intel in the server chip market (BusinessWeek.com, 3/6/06). It also landed its chips in computers from both Dell and Toshiba, both of which for many years had used only Intel chips (BusinessWeek.com, 5/30/07).
PC Vendors Not So Fearful of Intel
McCoy says at least some of those successes came in the wake of regulatory action. PC vendors are proving more willing to use AMD chips because they're less afraid of retaliation from Intel, he says. "There is an emerging consensus around the world that Intel is coercing customers to avoid doing business with us and that this is hurting consumer choice," McCoy says. More recently, AMD has floundered (BusinessWeek.com, 4/8/08).
This is not the first time Intel has tangled with the FTC. In the late 1990s, the FTC accused Intel of withholding key technical information about its chips from Digital Equipment Corp. and Compaq, (both now units of Hewlett-Packard) as well as Intergraph. The three all had key patents related to microprocessors for which Intel had sought licenses. When the companies tried to enforce their patents, Intel held back information the companies would need to build new computers as a means of coercing them to license the patents in question.
Intel settled in 1999 with only a day before trial was scheduled to begin. Settlement talks began after a tennis game between Intel attorney Michael Sohn and then FTC antitrust chief William Baer.
Since then, especially in the wake of the Justice Dept.'s case against Microsoft (MSFT), antitrust case law has been altered in such a way that the FTC is more likely to play hardball with Intel: "This time I think they're going to take a cold hard look at Intel's conduct," Balto says. "The first time antitrust law didn't recognize the potential anticompetitive harm from this kind of conduct and how it might be illegal."
Intel and AMD said on June 6 that they had received subpoenas that give the FTC the leeway to seek information from the chipmakers' customers, including computer makers Dell (DELL), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Toshiba, and Apple (AAPL).
The investigation is focused on Intel's dominance of the market for microprocessors, which make up the heart of a PC. In particular, the FTC wants more information on Intel's practice of offering favorable pricing on chips to certain customers.
The move follows a 2005 lawsuit filed by AMD (BusinessWeek.com, 6/28/05) that accuses Intel of engaging in an aggressive and global campaign to shut AMD out of the marketplace. AMD says Intel's main weapon of choice is the regular use of volume discounts that it claims Intel has sometimes rescinded when PC makers begin adding AMD chips to their product lineup.
That case is expected to come to trial in a Delaware court in early 2010.
Intel Cites Fierce Competition
Intel was already the subject of an informal FTC inquiry in September, 2007, and said it would cooperate with the commission's more formal investigation. In a statement, Intel described its business practices as "well within U.S. law," and said the microprocessor business is so "fiercely competitive" that prices on chips have fallen by more than 42% from 2000 to 2007.
Intel says AMD's problems in the marketplace have more to do with its ability to ship price-competitive products. "There are only two ways to look at this," says Intel Chief Counsel Bruce Sewell. "There is nothing in the record to suggest that Intel is pricing its products below cost. So if Intel is pricing above cost, then either AMD can meet those prices because it is equally efficient or it can't because it is less efficient."
That argument drew a sharp rebuke from Tom McCoy, AMD's executive vice-president for legal affairs. "This case isn't about discounts or even about pricing," McCoy says. "It's about market foreclosure. If it were only about pricing and discounts then Intel would be winning with the regulators around the world."
Korea Imposes $25 Million Fine on Intel
Indeed, some regulators haven't been too sympathetic to Intel. The Korea Fair Trade Commission ruled on June 5 that Intel had violated that country's antitrust laws by offering rebates to Korean PC makers Samsung and Trigem between 2002 and 2005 in exchange for their agreement not to use AMD chips. The commission imposed a $25 million fine and ordered Intel to stop offering the rebates. Intel has said it will likely appeal the decision. Antitrust regulators in Japan and the European Union also have come out against Intel, saying the company violated laws by paying PC makers not to use AMD chips.
Intel's defense may not hold much water with the FTC either, says David Balto, a former policy director for the FTC who's now an attorney in Washington. "These discounts are handcuffs dressed up as benefits, and they have prevented retailers and others from making choices they would have otherwise made in a free market," Balto says.
During 2005 and 2006, AMD won a good portion of business away from Intel in the server chip market (BusinessWeek.com, 3/6/06). It also landed its chips in computers from both Dell and Toshiba, both of which for many years had used only Intel chips (BusinessWeek.com, 5/30/07).
PC Vendors Not So Fearful of Intel
McCoy says at least some of those successes came in the wake of regulatory action. PC vendors are proving more willing to use AMD chips because they're less afraid of retaliation from Intel, he says. "There is an emerging consensus around the world that Intel is coercing customers to avoid doing business with us and that this is hurting consumer choice," McCoy says. More recently, AMD has floundered (BusinessWeek.com, 4/8/08).
This is not the first time Intel has tangled with the FTC. In the late 1990s, the FTC accused Intel of withholding key technical information about its chips from Digital Equipment Corp. and Compaq, (both now units of Hewlett-Packard) as well as Intergraph. The three all had key patents related to microprocessors for which Intel had sought licenses. When the companies tried to enforce their patents, Intel held back information the companies would need to build new computers as a means of coercing them to license the patents in question.
Intel settled in 1999 with only a day before trial was scheduled to begin. Settlement talks began after a tennis game between Intel attorney Michael Sohn and then FTC antitrust chief William Baer.
Since then, especially in the wake of the Justice Dept.'s case against Microsoft (MSFT), antitrust case law has been altered in such a way that the FTC is more likely to play hardball with Intel: "This time I think they're going to take a cold hard look at Intel's conduct," Balto says. "The first time antitrust law didn't recognize the potential anticompetitive harm from this kind of conduct and how it might be illegal."
British Agency Reverses Stand on Restricting Lucentis for AMD
LONDON, January 2008 — A British health advisory agency has reversed an earlier cost-saving proposal that allows government reimbursement for Lucentis treatments only for the second eye of individuals diagnosed with advanced or "wet" age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which can cause blindness.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued a revised proposal, with "draft" status ending Jan. 14, which would allow Lucentis to be injected in any affected eye of British citizens when treatments are capped at 14 per eye.
If additional treatments are needed, NICE officials say the Lucentis manufacturer (Genentech, San Francisco) has agreed to provide additional doses at no cost.
NICE officials say Lucentis is an effective though expensive drug capable of stabilizing vision loss in most people with advanced AMD. About 25 percent of affected eyes achieve vision improvement after regular Lucentis treatments, which cost more than $2,000 per dose.
In another recent development, Genentech announced that a much cheaper version of Lucentis, known as Avastin, will be sold directly to any physicians who choose to use the drug off-label for treating AMD. Avastin is not FDA-approved as an AMD treatment.
Late last year, Genentech made the controversial decision to cease selling Avastin directly to compounding pharmacies that had been repackaging the cancer drug for use as an AMD treatment.
In its recent announcement, Genentech said physicians choosing to use Avastin as an AMD treatment can purchase the drug directly and designate where they want it shipped — including to compounding pharmacies.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued a revised proposal, with "draft" status ending Jan. 14, which would allow Lucentis to be injected in any affected eye of British citizens when treatments are capped at 14 per eye.
If additional treatments are needed, NICE officials say the Lucentis manufacturer (Genentech, San Francisco) has agreed to provide additional doses at no cost.
NICE officials say Lucentis is an effective though expensive drug capable of stabilizing vision loss in most people with advanced AMD. About 25 percent of affected eyes achieve vision improvement after regular Lucentis treatments, which cost more than $2,000 per dose.
In another recent development, Genentech announced that a much cheaper version of Lucentis, known as Avastin, will be sold directly to any physicians who choose to use the drug off-label for treating AMD. Avastin is not FDA-approved as an AMD treatment.
Late last year, Genentech made the controversial decision to cease selling Avastin directly to compounding pharmacies that had been repackaging the cancer drug for use as an AMD treatment.
In its recent announcement, Genentech said physicians choosing to use Avastin as an AMD treatment can purchase the drug directly and designate where they want it shipped — including to compounding pharmacies.
Smoking Increases Macular Degeneration Risk by Nearly 50 Percent
BEAVER DAM, Wis., January 2008 — Smoking boosts risks of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by nearly 50 percent, reveals a recent analysis of about 3,500 Beaver Dam, Wis. residents undergoing eye-related studies since 1987. The finding was reported in the January issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.
Study results also show that, of people who have macular degeneration, smokers on average were more likely to develop the eye disease at a younger age:
• Current smokers (69.2 years)
• Former smokers (72.3 years)
• Non-smokers who have never smoked (74.4 years)
Researchers noted that it's difficult in modern times to assess eye damage caused by secondary exposure to smoke, partly because of new laws that now restrict smoking in public areas.
Study results also show that, of people who have macular degeneration, smokers on average were more likely to develop the eye disease at a younger age:
• Current smokers (69.2 years)
• Former smokers (72.3 years)
• Non-smokers who have never smoked (74.4 years)
Researchers noted that it's difficult in modern times to assess eye damage caused by secondary exposure to smoke, partly because of new laws that now restrict smoking in public areas.
African Americans May Have Less Risk for
BALTIMORE, February 2008 — African Americans may have less risk of developing advanced macular degeneration (AMD) than Caucasians, according to recent findings by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine scientists.
Early signs of AMD include formation of yellowish spots (drusen) in the inner back of the eye (retina), where vision processing occurs. In a study involving 2,520 participants of average ages of 73.5 years, researchers found that larger drusen and those closer to the eye's center were more likely to occur in Caucasians than in African Americans.
Study authors concluded that more Caucasians than African Americans were likely to develop advanced and potentially blinding forms of macular degeneration. Researchers said more research is needed to determine why African Americans are less likely to have significant degenerative changes associated with AMD, such as those that occur in central portions of the retina.
Early signs of AMD include formation of yellowish spots (drusen) in the inner back of the eye (retina), where vision processing occurs. In a study involving 2,520 participants of average ages of 73.5 years, researchers found that larger drusen and those closer to the eye's center were more likely to occur in Caucasians than in African Americans.
Study authors concluded that more Caucasians than African Americans were likely to develop advanced and potentially blinding forms of macular degeneration. Researchers said more research is needed to determine why African Americans are less likely to have significant degenerative changes associated with AMD, such as those that occur in central portions of the retina.
Discovery May Lead to Therapies for "Dry" AMD
MONTREAL, February 2008 — Researchers in Montreal have identified an underlying cause of the "dry" form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a discovery that could lead to development of new therapies.
Sainte-Justine Hospital and Universite de Montreal scientists said they now have a better understanding of processes that cause accumulations of lipids (fats) in the inner back of the eye (retina), which can lead to eye damage associated with macular degeneration.
"This discovery brings us one step closer to treating dry AMD, which could significantly improve the quality of life of seniors who are most affected by this eye disease," said Universite de Montreal professor and study co-author Huy Ong, PhD.
Study results were published in the February issue of the medical journal PLoS Medicine.
Sainte-Justine Hospital and Universite de Montreal scientists said they now have a better understanding of processes that cause accumulations of lipids (fats) in the inner back of the eye (retina), which can lead to eye damage associated with macular degeneration.
"This discovery brings us one step closer to treating dry AMD, which could significantly improve the quality of life of seniors who are most affected by this eye disease," said Universite de Montreal professor and study co-author Huy Ong, PhD.
Study results were published in the February issue of the medical journal PLoS Medicine.
T2K Open Supercomputer Systems with Quad-Core AMD Opteron(TM) Processors Now in Operation
AMD Japan (NYSE: AMD) today announced the official start of operation of the T2K supercomputer systems featuring Quad-Core AMD Opteron™ processors and with specifications developed jointly by the University of Tsukuba, the University of Tokyo, and Kyoto University. These T2K systems were delivered to the University of Tsukuba by Cray Japan Inc. and Sumisho Computer Systems, to the University of Tokyo by Hitachi Ltd., and to Kyoto University by Fujitsu Ltd. "In July 2006, these three universities began jointly developing common specifications for each university’s next-generation supercomputer with an eye toward using their supercomputers collaboratively,” said Shunsuke Yoshizawa, director, Regional Marketing, AMD Japan. "The universities aimed to adopt the most advanced and highest performance technology as early as possible, and have engaged in three pillars of openness that make up this new shared specifications experiment: the use of open source hardware architecture, open source system software, and their desire to make the supercomputers widely available amongst the three institutions. The performance, scalability and advance floating point processing capability of the Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor easily matched their requirements.” The University of Tokyo supercomputer system is comprised of 952 nodes of the Hitachi HA8000-tc/RS425 technical server with four Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors per node. The system as designed achieves a theoretical peak performance of approximately 140 teraflops. A teraflop or "tflop” is the computing power required to process one trillion floating point operations per second. This theoretical peak performance is the fastest in Japan at the time of launch. The University of Tsukuba’s system was built by Cray Japan Inc. and Sumisho Computer Systems and is based on Appro International’s Xtreme-X Supercomputer, while the Kyoto University’s system was built around the Fujitsu HX600 HPC server. Both supercomputers are equipped with four Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors per node. The University of Tsukuba’s system can achieve a theoretical peak performance of approximately 95 tflops, while the Kyoto University system tops out at a theoretical peak performance of approximately 61 tflops. The T2K supercomputers will provide these universities and their researchers with the outstanding system performance and advanced floating point processing enabled by Quad-core AMD Opteron processors. The selection of AMD technology for these highly advanced systems can also provide the universities with much-needed energy efficiency in the form of performance-per-watt and innovative processor-level power management features such as AMD CoolCore™ Technology and Independent Dynamic Core Technology. The synergy of advanced research expertise in computer science developed over many years at these three universities and the computing power of the new AMD processor-based T2K supercomputers is expected to help address increasingly diverse needs in industry and academia including the large-scale scientific calculations for researching subatomic particles and nuclear energy, astronomy, climate modeling and weather forecasting, and genetics and biomedical advancements, among many others. Additional information about T2K can be found at http://www.open-supercomputer.org. Visit AMD on the Web For more information on the Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor family, including FAQs, development tools, and other general information, please visit http://multicore.amd.com. Information on Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor pricing can be found at http://www.amd.com/pricing. An online press kit is available at http://www.amd.com/quadcore/presskit. About AMD Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is a leading global provider of innovative processing solutions in the computing, graphics and consumer electronics markets. AMD is dedicated to driving open innovation, choice and industry growth by delivering superior customer-centric solutions that empower consumers and businesses worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Opteron and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
NComputing, AMD and BRAC Join Forces to Expand Computing in Bangladesh
NComputing, AMD (NYSE: AMD) and BRAC announced today the completion of a collaborative project to deploy innovative technology solutions in 10 new school-based 50x15 Initiative Learning Labs throughout Bangladesh. BRAC, one of the world's largest non-governmental organizations, deployed NComputing virtual desktops and AMD Athlon(TM) 64 X2 Dual-Core processor-based desktop computers in 10 schools around the country as part of the 50x15 Initiative, a global initiative founded by AMD with the goal of providing computing capabilities and Internet connectivity to 50 percent of the world's population by 2015.
NComputing, a leading provider of desktop virtualization software and hardware, and AMD, a leading global provider of innovative processing solutions in computing, graphics and consumer electronics, are collaborating to empower people in emerging countries with tools and skills to help them succeed in today's modern world. Similar to previous 50x15 deployments, BRAC followed AMD's proven learning lab methodology, which includes providing tools, techniques and training to maximize educational impact. BRAC, NComputing, and AMD plan to apply the successes and lessons learned in these labs to future deployments.
The AMD/NComputing solution makes sense for budget-constrained areas. AMD is known for its work in energy efficiency throughout the world, and NComputing virtual desktop software and hardware allow the power -- and cost -- to be shared by multiple users.
BRAC organized the deployment of the Learning Labs, which now provide computing access to thousands of children in 10 cities. BRAC's Internet Service Provider arm, BRACNet, provided connectivity solutions to provide the locations with wireless Internet service.
"The deployment of 50x15 Learning Labs throughout Bangladesh will help this country to become a bigger part of the information society," said Abdul-Muyeed Chowdhury, chairman of BRAC BDMail Network Ltd (BBN). "Our goal is to provide PCs to 1,000 libraries and 15,000 non-formal primary schools all over the country. With NComputing's virtual desktop technology and the 50x15 Learning Lab model, we will be one step closer to bridging the digital divide that exists between developed countries and emerging nations, such as Bangladesh."
With the NComputing X300, seven users can simultaneously share a single computer, while the company's L-series supports up to 10 users on a basic computer, 30 on a mid-range system, and hundreds on enterprise-class servers. A breakthrough in green computing, NComputing access devices consume as little as 1.16 watts per user at idle, versus as much as 115 watts for some PCs. Support costs can be expected to plummet because fewer PCs are used (compared to one PC per user) and the solid-state NComputing access devices require little or no maintenance.
BRAC selected the AMD/NComputing solution because of the low costs of deployment, maintenance, support and upgrade along with the energy efficiency of the solution.
"NComputing believes that providing PC access to the next billion users is the single biggest challenge facing our industry today," said Stephen Dukker, chairman and CEO of NComputing. "Emerging countries make up the majority of this under-served mass market and we are gratified that NComputing's technology can be an important part of the solution in Bangladesh and around the world."
NComputing solutions have already been deployed by 15,000 organizations in over 70 countries, helping to slash their computing and electric consumption costs. Calculators for budget, total costs of ownership, and environmental impact are available on NComputing's website at www.ncomputing.com. One scenario is as follows: based on the one-PC-per-user model, seven computers that cost $700 each would cost a total of $4,900 for seven users. But a single $700 computer can support 7 users with 2 NComputing X300 kits. At a price of about $210 per X300 kit, that means a total cost for the hardware and NComputing virtualization software of $1,120 for 7 users ($700 for the computer plus $210 each for the X300 kits, for a total of $1,120). This calculation does not include keyboards, mice, monitors and software licenses, but it shows the potential for enormous savings.
"Learning Labs are deliberate, measured, strategic deployments of technology solutions used to gain insight and knowledge on how best to foster digital inclusion worldwide," said Dan Shine, vice president, 50x15 Initiative AMD and president, 50x15 Foundation. "This expansive project to create 10 new learning labs truly captures the spirit and vision of the 50x15 Initiative by bringing together global collaborators and developing an innovative solution based on leading-edge technology to provide Internet connectivity and computing capability to a new generation."
About NComputing
Winner of The Wall Street Journal's Technology Innovation Award, NComputing, Inc. was founded with the goal of making desktop computing affordable for everyone. Headquartered in Redwood City, CA, NComputing is a privately held virtualization software and hardware company. The company's patented technology can help lower desktop computing costs, improves manageability, and reduces both energy consumption and e-waste.
About BRAC
Established in 1972 as a small-scale relief and rehabilitation organization, BRAC today is one of the largest NGOs in the world, pioneering a multi-faceted approach to development with programs in health, education and social development along with its economic development initiatives, which include microfinance. BRAC reaches an estimated 110 million people in all 64 districts of Bangladesh and in recent years has stepped beyond the borders to countries in distress like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Tanzania.
NComputing, a leading provider of desktop virtualization software and hardware, and AMD, a leading global provider of innovative processing solutions in computing, graphics and consumer electronics, are collaborating to empower people in emerging countries with tools and skills to help them succeed in today's modern world. Similar to previous 50x15 deployments, BRAC followed AMD's proven learning lab methodology, which includes providing tools, techniques and training to maximize educational impact. BRAC, NComputing, and AMD plan to apply the successes and lessons learned in these labs to future deployments.
The AMD/NComputing solution makes sense for budget-constrained areas. AMD is known for its work in energy efficiency throughout the world, and NComputing virtual desktop software and hardware allow the power -- and cost -- to be shared by multiple users.
BRAC organized the deployment of the Learning Labs, which now provide computing access to thousands of children in 10 cities. BRAC's Internet Service Provider arm, BRACNet, provided connectivity solutions to provide the locations with wireless Internet service.
"The deployment of 50x15 Learning Labs throughout Bangladesh will help this country to become a bigger part of the information society," said Abdul-Muyeed Chowdhury, chairman of BRAC BDMail Network Ltd (BBN). "Our goal is to provide PCs to 1,000 libraries and 15,000 non-formal primary schools all over the country. With NComputing's virtual desktop technology and the 50x15 Learning Lab model, we will be one step closer to bridging the digital divide that exists between developed countries and emerging nations, such as Bangladesh."
With the NComputing X300, seven users can simultaneously share a single computer, while the company's L-series supports up to 10 users on a basic computer, 30 on a mid-range system, and hundreds on enterprise-class servers. A breakthrough in green computing, NComputing access devices consume as little as 1.16 watts per user at idle, versus as much as 115 watts for some PCs. Support costs can be expected to plummet because fewer PCs are used (compared to one PC per user) and the solid-state NComputing access devices require little or no maintenance.
BRAC selected the AMD/NComputing solution because of the low costs of deployment, maintenance, support and upgrade along with the energy efficiency of the solution.
"NComputing believes that providing PC access to the next billion users is the single biggest challenge facing our industry today," said Stephen Dukker, chairman and CEO of NComputing. "Emerging countries make up the majority of this under-served mass market and we are gratified that NComputing's technology can be an important part of the solution in Bangladesh and around the world."
NComputing solutions have already been deployed by 15,000 organizations in over 70 countries, helping to slash their computing and electric consumption costs. Calculators for budget, total costs of ownership, and environmental impact are available on NComputing's website at www.ncomputing.com. One scenario is as follows: based on the one-PC-per-user model, seven computers that cost $700 each would cost a total of $4,900 for seven users. But a single $700 computer can support 7 users with 2 NComputing X300 kits. At a price of about $210 per X300 kit, that means a total cost for the hardware and NComputing virtualization software of $1,120 for 7 users ($700 for the computer plus $210 each for the X300 kits, for a total of $1,120). This calculation does not include keyboards, mice, monitors and software licenses, but it shows the potential for enormous savings.
"Learning Labs are deliberate, measured, strategic deployments of technology solutions used to gain insight and knowledge on how best to foster digital inclusion worldwide," said Dan Shine, vice president, 50x15 Initiative AMD and president, 50x15 Foundation. "This expansive project to create 10 new learning labs truly captures the spirit and vision of the 50x15 Initiative by bringing together global collaborators and developing an innovative solution based on leading-edge technology to provide Internet connectivity and computing capability to a new generation."
About NComputing
Winner of The Wall Street Journal's Technology Innovation Award, NComputing, Inc. was founded with the goal of making desktop computing affordable for everyone. Headquartered in Redwood City, CA, NComputing is a privately held virtualization software and hardware company. The company's patented technology can help lower desktop computing costs, improves manageability, and reduces both energy consumption and e-waste.
About BRAC
Established in 1972 as a small-scale relief and rehabilitation organization, BRAC today is one of the largest NGOs in the world, pioneering a multi-faceted approach to development with programs in health, education and social development along with its economic development initiatives, which include microfinance. BRAC reaches an estimated 110 million people in all 64 districts of Bangladesh and in recent years has stepped beyond the borders to countries in distress like Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Tanzania.
AMD Foundation Launches ''AMD Changing the Game''
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the launch of AMD Changing the Game, the first initiative of the newly formed AMD Foundation. The AMD Changing the Game program is intended to improve critical technical and life skills by teaching kids to develop digital games with social content. The program is rooted in AMD’s commitment and experience in supporting education with the company’s passion and expertise in the gaming industry. The program’s launch accompanies AMD’s sponsorship and participation at the Fifth Annual Games for Change Festival to be held June 3 - 4 at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City.
AMD Changing the Game is a natural fit for AMD, which features products powering the visual experience of the two most popular gaming consoles in the world today1 and which recently launched AMD GAME!, a program designed to help consumers select perfectly suited PCs for high-definition gaming.
“We have a tremendous opportunity to harness the passion that kids have for gaming while teaching the skills they need to be successful in our 21st Century digital economy,” said Dirk Meyer, AMD president and chief operating officer.
In addition to technical skills such as science, technology, engineering and math, digital games can be used to help teach youth how to be more engaged citizens, to see conflict from another’s viewpoint and find positive ways to respond to challenging social issues such as poverty, hunger, disease, energy conservation, water use and global warming.
“Today’s youth are highly concerned about social issues and the current generation of youth gamers is among the most socially conscious in history,” said Suzanne Seggerman, co-founder and president of Games for Change. “The movement toward educating and engaging youth through digital games for change not only raises awareness of the importance of social issues, but gives youth an opportunity to make a difference. As this movement continues to build momentum, we believe that partnerships and grant support from leading technology companies like AMD will be critical to its success.”
Through AMD Changing the Game, AMD Foundation grants will go to nonprofit organizations that inspire young people learn while creating games with social content. Employees will also support the initiative through volunteer opportunities. In its pilot year, the following organizations will be funded:
Girlstart, is an Austin, TX-based nonprofit organization created to empower middle and high school girls to excel in math, science, and technology. In the summer of 2008, the AMD Foundation’s grant will enable 60 Girlstart participants to attend a program focused on games with social content. As a capstone project, girls will be creating a social awareness event in Teen Second Life, a virtual gathering place for teens 13-17 all over the world to make friends, play, learn and create. The Girlstart team will identify a social issue of importance to them and create an event in Teen Second Life that will help raise awareness and inspire action around the issue.
Global Kids, is a Brooklyn, NY-based nonprofit organization that seeks to transform urban youth into successful students and global and community leaders. Through its grant to Global Kids’ Playing for Keeps program, AMD has joined The Microsoft Corporation in enabling 20 young people from underserved communities to work with game developers to develop, create and distribute a game about the heroic role of residents following Hurricane Katrina. Last year, young people worked with developers in the Playing for Keeps program to create the game Ayiti: The Cost of Life which allows players to assume the role of impoverished people living in rural Haiti with the goal of meeting some key health, education and quality of life challenges.
Institute for Urban Game Design, is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization teaching science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills through the hands-on creation of digital games. Beginning in the summer of 2008, the AMD Foundation’s grant will enable IUGD participants to apply their learning in 3-D modeling, animation and computer programming to the development of a game focused on the issue of energy usage. Students will learn about and explore the social issues associated with different types of energy.
Science Buddies is a national, non-profit organization based in California's Silicon Valley offering a variety of web-based tools that help K-12 students explore science through research-based projects often done at Science Fairs and other school and community events. AMD Foundation’s grant will enable Science Buddies to launch a Video and Computer Games Interest Area on its site aimed at helping students understand and practice what is required to design digital games. AMD volunteers will work with Science Buddies staff scientists to develop project ideas to spark student interest in exploring topics such as human behavior in games, ergonomics, game design and programming and the incorporation of social or educational content in games.
As part of launching the Games for Change Festival, the AMD Foundation, in partnership with the John G. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is sponsoring “Let the Games Begin,” a day-long workshop for nonprofit organizations focusing on how to create social issue games. The workshop will feature interactive lectures by some of the nation’s leading authorities on social issue game development and cover fundamentals such as game design, fundraising, evaluation, youth participation, distribution and press strategies.
Following the Festival, the AMD Foundation and Games for Change plan to co-produce a how-to digital toolkit for nonprofits that includes examples of games with social content, interviews with key experts and additional guidance for nonprofits creating social issue games for the first time.
AMD is also working with PETLab, a joint project of Games for Change and Parsons The News School, to create a social issue game development curriculum for youth. The curriculum is expected to be piloted in the fall of 2008.
AMD Changing the Game is a natural fit for AMD, which features products powering the visual experience of the two most popular gaming consoles in the world today1 and which recently launched AMD GAME!, a program designed to help consumers select perfectly suited PCs for high-definition gaming.
“We have a tremendous opportunity to harness the passion that kids have for gaming while teaching the skills they need to be successful in our 21st Century digital economy,” said Dirk Meyer, AMD president and chief operating officer.
In addition to technical skills such as science, technology, engineering and math, digital games can be used to help teach youth how to be more engaged citizens, to see conflict from another’s viewpoint and find positive ways to respond to challenging social issues such as poverty, hunger, disease, energy conservation, water use and global warming.
“Today’s youth are highly concerned about social issues and the current generation of youth gamers is among the most socially conscious in history,” said Suzanne Seggerman, co-founder and president of Games for Change. “The movement toward educating and engaging youth through digital games for change not only raises awareness of the importance of social issues, but gives youth an opportunity to make a difference. As this movement continues to build momentum, we believe that partnerships and grant support from leading technology companies like AMD will be critical to its success.”
Through AMD Changing the Game, AMD Foundation grants will go to nonprofit organizations that inspire young people learn while creating games with social content. Employees will also support the initiative through volunteer opportunities. In its pilot year, the following organizations will be funded:
Girlstart, is an Austin, TX-based nonprofit organization created to empower middle and high school girls to excel in math, science, and technology. In the summer of 2008, the AMD Foundation’s grant will enable 60 Girlstart participants to attend a program focused on games with social content. As a capstone project, girls will be creating a social awareness event in Teen Second Life, a virtual gathering place for teens 13-17 all over the world to make friends, play, learn and create. The Girlstart team will identify a social issue of importance to them and create an event in Teen Second Life that will help raise awareness and inspire action around the issue.
Global Kids, is a Brooklyn, NY-based nonprofit organization that seeks to transform urban youth into successful students and global and community leaders. Through its grant to Global Kids’ Playing for Keeps program, AMD has joined The Microsoft Corporation in enabling 20 young people from underserved communities to work with game developers to develop, create and distribute a game about the heroic role of residents following Hurricane Katrina. Last year, young people worked with developers in the Playing for Keeps program to create the game Ayiti: The Cost of Life which allows players to assume the role of impoverished people living in rural Haiti with the goal of meeting some key health, education and quality of life challenges.
Institute for Urban Game Design, is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization teaching science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills through the hands-on creation of digital games. Beginning in the summer of 2008, the AMD Foundation’s grant will enable IUGD participants to apply their learning in 3-D modeling, animation and computer programming to the development of a game focused on the issue of energy usage. Students will learn about and explore the social issues associated with different types of energy.
Science Buddies is a national, non-profit organization based in California's Silicon Valley offering a variety of web-based tools that help K-12 students explore science through research-based projects often done at Science Fairs and other school and community events. AMD Foundation’s grant will enable Science Buddies to launch a Video and Computer Games Interest Area on its site aimed at helping students understand and practice what is required to design digital games. AMD volunteers will work with Science Buddies staff scientists to develop project ideas to spark student interest in exploring topics such as human behavior in games, ergonomics, game design and programming and the incorporation of social or educational content in games.
As part of launching the Games for Change Festival, the AMD Foundation, in partnership with the John G. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is sponsoring “Let the Games Begin,” a day-long workshop for nonprofit organizations focusing on how to create social issue games. The workshop will feature interactive lectures by some of the nation’s leading authorities on social issue game development and cover fundamentals such as game design, fundraising, evaluation, youth participation, distribution and press strategies.
Following the Festival, the AMD Foundation and Games for Change plan to co-produce a how-to digital toolkit for nonprofits that includes examples of games with social content, interviews with key experts and additional guidance for nonprofits creating social issue games for the first time.
AMD is also working with PETLab, a joint project of Games for Change and Parsons The News School, to create a social issue game development curriculum for youth. The curriculum is expected to be piloted in the fall of 2008.
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