Posted on Wednesday, May 02 2007 @ 14:35 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
While AMD still needs to roll out its 65nm K10 processors, the firm is already talking about a shrink to the 45nm process in the second half of 2008. In the same year we can also expect DDR3 and Socket AM3 from AMD:
The halo AMD 45nm chip, Deneb FX, shares the same functionality as its 65nm counterpart, Agena. Both families incorporate native quad-core designs and shared-L3 cache support. Deneb FX goes one step further, adding support for DDR3 on the integrated memory controller.
However, the bulk of AMD's 45nm quad-core offerings will come with the Deneb (non-FX) family. AMD suggests Deneb will be the first processor on the new AM3 socket. Previous AMD documentation indicated that AM2 and AM3 would be forward/backward compatible -- yet AMD engineers claim the AM3 alluded to in 2006 is not the same AM3 referenced in the 2008 launch schedule.
"At the time AM3 was the likely candidate to become AM2+," claimed one field application engineer familiar with AMD's socket migration. "[AMD] wanted to keep the socket name associated with DDR2 memory and backwards compatibility, but AM3 emphasizes DDR3 support."
After Deneb, and closer to 2009, AMD's guidance states that 45nm Propus and Regor will replace the 65nm Kuma and Rana mid-range products. Propus is very similar to Deneb: 45nm, shared L3 cache, AM3 package. However, Propus will only feature two cores. Regor is identical to Propus, but will not include shared-L3 cache support.
AMD's low-end single core Athlon 64 and Sempron appear consolidated with the introduction of the Sargas family. Sargas is an optical shrink of the 65nm Spica core, with the addition of DDR3 support and AM3 packaging. AMD's ultra-low end Sparta-family, slated for introduction this year to replace the Manila-family Semprons, has no successor.
More info
at DailyTech.
