Without doubt, AMD needs something revolutionary to pull it out of the mess it set itself in. AMD's first reaction to the Conroe onslaught was to lower prices and build up a "Smarter Choice" repute, though with successive price cuts from Intel and down-scale products based on the Core architecture coming out by the fortnight, and the transit to 45nm fab process, there's been an increasing need for AMD to get back to the drawing boards with their CPU division.

From what looks like an excerpt from an AMD company slide, can be seen AMD's CPU plans for 2009. The chart broadly shows that K10 architecture is here to stay. Throughout the year, desktop CPUs based on the K10 architecture feature in the roadmap, with no signs of their "truly next-gen" architecture. AMD completes its transit to the 45nm silicon fabrication process and will finally embrace DDR3 system memory standards. To begin with, the fact that the Deneb core's entry slightly steps into the 2008 column shows that the Deneb core-based desktop CPU could release sometime towards the very end of this year. Sources note that two models based on the Deneb core could be out by the end of this year. It supports both DDR2 and DDR3 memory standards and socket compatible with current AM2+ and future AM3. From what's known so far, AM3 is the same 940 pin design that adds pins for the DDR3 memory interconnect between the CPU and the memory.Deneb as we know is the K10 based quad-core 45nm derivative with 6 MB L3 caches. While Deneb aims to provide AM2+ and AM3 socket support, AMD will launch another quad-core chip core called Propus. This core lacks a level 3 cache, and is exclusive to the AM3. Presumably, it becomes exclusive since it might lack DDR2 memory controllers that Deneb and its predecessors had. Propus is aimed more to be a value offering, but hey, AMD's CPU lineup itself is basing heavily on the value moniker.

Towards mid-2009 a high-end Deneb FX chip is planned. The roadmap shows it to be exclusive to AM3 requiring DDR3 memory. Although it was indicated earlier about big plans to port this core to socket 1207 and possible DSDC based multi-CPU ganging, it's evidently out of the desktop roadmap, at least for 2009.

Moving on to triple-core and pretty-much the same form of variation as that between Deneb and Propus can be seen with Heka and Rana cores, with Rana lacking the L3 cache. These cores come in quick succession after Propus. There's a dual-core part on the chart called Regor as well. These 45nm AM3 supportive chips feature 1 MB L2 caches per core.

Moving on the thermal characteristics and the lineup looks largely the same except for that the highest offerings are rated at 125W followed by 95W chips and some Propus based parts being rated at even 45W. This is in comparison to current 65nm chips using the 140W, 125W and 95W ratings with some Agena parts being rated at even 65W. So there is a reduction attributing to the fab process transit, possibly higher clock speeds, though it isn't significant.

Finally, what's CPU talk without platform talk? Current 7-series chipsets find successors in the form of RD890 for the high-end and RS880D for performance thru mainstream segments. Current SB 750 southbridge chips are their sidekicks. RS880 and RS880C are the more mainstream thru value desktop platforms using the SB710 southbridge chips. The 8-series core logic exclusively supports the AM3 socket.

On the whole it doesn't look like there's something revolutionary though everything depends on how the Deneb core shapes up as it will without doubt be the torch-bearer for AMD in 2009 in its quest for a respectable market position. AMD plays a vital role in both CPU and consumer graphics segments in making sure innovations at humane prices are delivered to the consumer, from whichever market player products come from. Let the game begin.