AmdZambezi
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AMD ships 16-core Bulldozer chips for servers, makes consumers wait their turn
AMD's Interlagos, its server-styled Bulldozer chip -- Mr. Opteron 6200 to you and me -- is being pushed out to retailers and OEMs ready for an October launch. AMD is calling it the first 16-core x86 processor, although as we know from the required reading, it has eight two-core shared modules rather than 16 independent ones. The chips are compatible with Socket G34 motherboards, but most of this first production run will go straight into supercomputer projects. AMD remains mute on progress of the consumer-level Zambezi, but rumors are that the company can't clock it fast enough to compete with Intel's Core i7 -- the very class that Bulldozer was designed to bury. [Thanks, Sebastian]
More details emerge on AMDs Bulldozer for high-end desktops
AMDs Bulldozer is the company's anticipated high-power rival to Intel's Core i7 and the company just released a slew of new information about its internals. Now, pay attention 007 -- the "Zambezi for Socket AM3+" chips will include four modules, each with two cores and 2MB of L2 cache. Operating above these is a single Northbridge with 8MB of L3 cache to direct data between two 72-bit DDR3 channels and 4 x 16-bit receive / transmit HyperTransport links. Finally, the "Turbo Core" increases the whole chip's click speed when taxed or kills power to idle cores when it's not. Hustle on down to the source link to see the slides yourself. [Thanks, Bertrandsbox]
AMD resurrects its 'FX' brand for speed freaks, lexicon lovers
We saw AMD's old "FX" moniker repeated on a leaked price sheet recently, but we couldn't be sure of its significance. Now AMD has confirmed that it is indeed bringing back the FX brand to denote hardware aimed at gamers and graphics enthusiasts. In keeping with its penchant for complicated taxonomy, the chipmaker will use the resurrected badge not on individual products, but rather on desktop platforms that combine top-of-the-range components -- including the forthcoming Scorpius platform that will consist of a 9-series chipset, HD 6000 Series discrete graphics and an unlocked eight-core Zambezi CPU. This is all part of AMD's efforts to square up to Intel and present itself as the PC gamers' choice, and to that end the company also revealed it is partnering with more games developers to encourage use of its HD3D, Eyefinity and Dual Graphics technologies. Full PR (excessive nomenclature and all) is after the break.
