Friday, May 8th 2009
Fleets of New AMD Processors Closing in
After launching its 45 nm desktop CPU with its high-end CPUs such as Phenom II X4 940 and 955 Black Edition, AMD is preparing two distinct lines of mainstream and value processors: the energy-efficient line denoted by an "e" next to the model number, and the standard variant. Close to a decade into using the "Athlon" CPU brand name, the company finally chose to place a "II" next to it to denote a generation bump. The Athlon II keeps up with the Phenom II line, to make it slightly easier for consumers to discern which generation the processors belong to. The lower-end variants of the K10.5 "stars" core, that lacks L3 cache will be using this brand-name.
Taking advantage of the 45 nm core, Phenom II 900e series processors will operate in clock-speeds between 2.50 and 2.40 GHz, with complete 6 MB L3 cache. The rated TDP for the chips is 65 W. The triple-core Phenom II X3 700e series processors models 700e and 705e will operate in the same clock-speeds, with the same rated TDP. The Athlon II X4 600e and Athlon II X3 400e series processors in the making, 605e, 600e, 405e, and 400e, operate at speeds between 2.20 and 2.30 GHz. With no L3 cache to address and lower clock-speeds by the notch, the rated TDP is even lower, at 45 W.
Coming to the standard variants, AMD is prepping up its lines of dual-core processors under the Phenom II X2 and Athlon II X2 series. Again, the two are differentiated by the presence of L3 cache on the Phenom II line. Phenom II X2 550 and 545 are clocked at 3.10 GHz and 3.00 GHz respectively. The two come with 512 KB L2 cache per core, plus the full-chunk of L3 cache at 6 MB. These will be the dual-core processors with the highest amount of on-die cache, crossing the Intel Wolfdale-6M (Core 2 Duo E8000 series) chips that carry 6 MB of shared L2 cache. The rated TDP for these chips is 80 W. The Athlon II X2 200 series however, will lack the L3 cache, leaving it with 512 KB L2 cache per core. Models 250, 245, and 240 will be clocked at 3.00 GHz, 2.90 GHz, and 2.80 GHz, respectively. Since it doesn't address an L3 cache, its TDP is significantly lower, at 65 W. Finally, there's the Phenom II X4 925, the 2.80 GHz AM3-socket quad-core chip. Compared to its AM2+ cousin (Phenom II X4 920, TDP 125 W), this chip comes with a lower TDP at 95 W.
Sources:
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Taking advantage of the 45 nm core, Phenom II 900e series processors will operate in clock-speeds between 2.50 and 2.40 GHz, with complete 6 MB L3 cache. The rated TDP for the chips is 65 W. The triple-core Phenom II X3 700e series processors models 700e and 705e will operate in the same clock-speeds, with the same rated TDP. The Athlon II X4 600e and Athlon II X3 400e series processors in the making, 605e, 600e, 405e, and 400e, operate at speeds between 2.20 and 2.30 GHz. With no L3 cache to address and lower clock-speeds by the notch, the rated TDP is even lower, at 45 W.
Coming to the standard variants, AMD is prepping up its lines of dual-core processors under the Phenom II X2 and Athlon II X2 series. Again, the two are differentiated by the presence of L3 cache on the Phenom II line. Phenom II X2 550 and 545 are clocked at 3.10 GHz and 3.00 GHz respectively. The two come with 512 KB L2 cache per core, plus the full-chunk of L3 cache at 6 MB. These will be the dual-core processors with the highest amount of on-die cache, crossing the Intel Wolfdale-6M (Core 2 Duo E8000 series) chips that carry 6 MB of shared L2 cache. The rated TDP for these chips is 80 W. The Athlon II X2 200 series however, will lack the L3 cache, leaving it with 512 KB L2 cache per core. Models 250, 245, and 240 will be clocked at 3.00 GHz, 2.90 GHz, and 2.80 GHz, respectively. Since it doesn't address an L3 cache, its TDP is significantly lower, at 65 W. Finally, there's the Phenom II X4 925, the 2.80 GHz AM3-socket quad-core chip. Compared to its AM2+ cousin (Phenom II X4 920, TDP 125 W), this chip comes with a lower TDP at 95 W.
48 Comments on Fleets of New AMD Processors Closing in
Of course, the down side is that every time you add a new memory configuration, you have to change sockets. Which is why AMD had to change from 754 to 939** when they added Dual-Channel DDR support, then from 939 to AM2 when they went to DDR2, then AM3 when they went DDR3.
**Of course the move to 939 was also to prep for Dual-Core processors.
Anyway I wonder if they will ever move the memory controller back to the mobo. It would allow mobos to last a lot longer you would think.
AMD will have 45W TDP quads?!?!?!?!??!!!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!
Good.
The way it's done today is far more profitable.
So while all AM3 CPUs support all AM2+ motherboards, not all AM2+ motherboards support all AM3 processors.
for giggles i popped my 955/945ES into NF430 series boards and they ran the 955 however did not have the pstates correct so it did run at 3.2ghz however it ran at 800mhz :p thus proving your point :roll:
people, don't be confused with am3 (45 nm) technology from am3 socket, am3 cpu (ie, phenom ii 940) comes in with 2 different forms, either for am2+ or am3 socket. it should say right on the box. so, if you have older type of mother board with am2+ socket and want to use am3 cpu then make sure you pick up the one that says am2+ socket on the box, or else it won't fit.
some am2+ mother boards may say "am3 cpu ready" but it doesn't mean that you can slap an am3 cpu (made for am3 socket) into am2+ socket. it just means that the board can take a 45 nm type of cpus. on the other hand, mb with am3 socket are absolutely not compatible with am2+ cpus. i, myself, was once very confused about this. after few built i feel like a rocket scientist :D .... hope this will help someone of you.
phenom ii x2 550 is my top pick, i am next in line.
don't be confused with am3 (45 nm) technology from am3 socket, am3 cpu (ie, phenom ii 940) comes in with 2 different forms, either for am2+ or am3 socket. it should say right on the box. so, if you have older type of mother board with am2+ socket and want to use am3 cpu then make sure you pick up the one that says am2+ socket on the box, or else it won't fit.
some am2+ mother boards may say "am3 cpu ready" but it doesn't mean that you can slap an am3 cpu (made for am3 socket) into am2+ socket. it just means that the board can take a 45 nm type of cpus. on the other hand, mb with am3 socket are absolutely not compatible with am2+ cpus. i, myself, was once very confused about this. after few built i feel like a rocket scientist :D .... hope this will help someone of you.
phenom ii x2 550 is my top pick, i am next in line.
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The AM3 CPU might fit in all AM2+ boards, but all AM2+ motherboards do not support AM3 CPUs. Since they require a BIOS upgrade to support the new processors, if there is no BIOS upgrade available AM3 CPUs will not work. This issue becomes an issue very quickly with boards from companies that have gone out of business, like Abit.
So while all AM3 CPUs support all AM2+ motherboards, not all AM2+ motherboards support all AM3 processors.[/QUOTE]
those 45W X2 chips from AMD will be my choice for an HTPC :)
AM3 also looses a couple of pins so that it will work in both AM2 and AM3 boards but the AM2 chips will not fit in a AM3 board.