Nanotech - The Circuits Blog

Intel is planning price cuts to its lower-end mainstream quad-core processors on January 18.

Barron's Tech Trader Daily first reported the news, citing Pacific Crest analyst Michael McConnell.

These cuts are happening because of the recent introduction of Advanced Micro Devices' 45-nanometer Phenom II and "Shanghai" Opteron processors.

AMD's quad-core Phenom II "Dragon" processor platform has been garnering solid reviews and its Shanghai server chip has been adopted by top-tier server suppliers including Hewlett-Packard, Sun, Dell, IBM, and Fujitsu.

Cuts are expected mainly on quad-core processors, though other processors may also receive cuts.

940 versus 940. That may be the confusing Intel-AMD processor model-number juxtaposing that consumers can look forward to next year.

A Chinese Web site has posted details of Advanced Micro Devices' upcoming Phenom II desktop processors, of which at least two are due to be launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

The post on HKEPC lists more than a dozen new models due to be launched during the next eight months. AMD is now moving its chips to 45-nanometer process technology from an older 65-nanometer process. Generally, smaller geometries result in faster and more power-efficient processors.

Processors listed include the quad-core Phenom II X4 920 and Phenom II X4 940 due in January, rated at 2.8GHz and 3.0GHz, respectively.

Interestingly (and maybe not coincidentally), AMD's high-end Phenom II X4 920 and 940 model numbers match those of Intel's Core i7-920 (2.66GHz) and i7-940 (2.93GHz).

Both the AMD and Intel models are 45nm quad-core desktop processors with large caches. High-end Phenom II processors come with 8MB of cache memory. Typically, the more cache memory, the better the performance.

Other processors listed include the Phenom II X4 810 and 805, both due in February, rated at 2.6GHz and 2.5GHz, respectively, according to HKEPC. These have 6MB of cache memory.

HKEPC also lists triple-core Phenom II X3 processors and Athlon X4 processors.

The site also posted a table showing new naming scheme for the processors.

AMD will bring out its first generation of 45nm processors just as Intel is beginning commercial shipments of its second-generation 45nm product, the Core i7, which Intel officially introduced on November 17.

Advanced Micro Devices on Wednesday announced the availability of silicon targeted at the "performance" gaming community.

The new 790GX chipset is slotted below the existing, higher-end 790FX, which is targeted at the ultra-enthusiast game segment.

The 790GX allows gamers to safely run Phenom-processor-based systems at speeds of more than 3.0GHz using a technology AMD calls "Advanced Clock Calibration." A processor rated at 2.5GHz, for example, can be "overclocked" to run at 3.2GHz to get better performance in games.

AMD Advanced Clock Calibration boosts processor clock speed

(Credit: AMD)

"Significant tuning enhancements via Advanced Clock Calibration...introduced with the AMD 790GX make it the best platform for unlocking maximum AMD Phenom processor performance," AMD said in a statement.

AMD has enhanced the part of the chipset called the southbridge to achieve this extra performance.

"Performance cache" memory technology, which places a discrete memory chip on the motherboard, boosts video performance, the company said.

The 790GX chipset integrates an ATI Radeon HD 3300 graphics processor but can also scale up to high-end ATI Radeon HD 4800 series graphics cards, AMD said.

Major system makers such as Asus, Foxconn, and Gigabyte Technology are supporting the 790GX. "We share AMD's commitment to raise the performance bar," Asus said in a statement.

A high-end motherboard built around the 790GX combined with a quad-core X4 9850 2.5-GHz Phenom processor is priced at $355. By comparison, a motherboard based on Intel's P45 chipset with an Intel quad-core Q9300 (2.5GHz) is about $90 more, AMD claims.

Dell's Alienware unit is slated to put AMD-ATI front and center. The Dell subsidiary will bring out a relatively low-cost game PC with dual ATI graphics chips within the next two weeks.

This comes in the wake of a report that Dell will phase out its XPS game PC line in favor of Alienware systems.

Alienware will ship a system with 4GB of memory, two ATI graphics chips, and a quad-core AMD processor for less than $1,700, dirt cheap in the gaming PC world.

(Credit: Alienware)

The $1,699 system--cheap by game PC standards--will come with 4GB (DDR2 800MHz) memory, a quad-core 9550 (2.2GHz) Phenom X4 processor, and a 3870 X2 board with two ATI HD 3870 graphics chips, said Marc Diana, Alienware product marketing manager for desktops. The system will ship within 48 hours, he said.

It will also sport an Asus high-end motherboard based on the AMD 790FX chipset, Diana said.

Systems configured with a quad-core processor and dual graphics chips are typically well over $2,000.

Overall, Alienware is seeing respectable demand for AMD-based systems. "AMD is a good entry point," according to Diana.

Alienware is already offering a relatively high-end system for less than $3,000 with a quad-core Phenom X4 9850 (2.5GHz) "Black Edition" (Black Edition indicates that the processor can be overclocked) and two ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 graphics boards (each with two 3870 graphics chips).

"It's not your granddaddy's AMD system. We're talking top-of-the-line quad core," he said.

This not the sentiment at all game PC makers, however. Falcon Northwest is seeing virtually no demand for AMD-based systems, according to a spokesperson at that company. Falcon Northwest sells Intel-based systems almost exclusively. The company attributes this to the fact that customers are spending big bucks for its systems and that they will invariably opt for higher-performing Intel chips.

Diana concedes that AMD will not take the performance crown--this goes to Intel. And in graphics, Nvidia typically performs better in games than ATI, he said. "(Nvidia is) able to refine their drivers more for the most popular games," he said.

And in the laptop gaming space, Intel-Nvidia rules too. Currently, Alienware offers no AMD-based gaming laptops, though this may change in the future when AMD brings out its Puma mobile platform later this quarter.

Alienware recently began selling a gaming laptop, the Area-51 m17x, with two Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTX graphics chips and the Intel Core 2 Extreme processor, starting at about $3,200.

Update: Circuit board makers using Advanced Micro Devices' high-end quad-core Phenom chips claim that there are compatibility issues with select boards. This comes as the chipmaker struggles to churn out processors that are competitive with Intel's offerings.

AMD quad-core Phenom X4

(Credit: AMD)

This issue was reported Monday at the Web site HKEPC.

AMD confirmed Monday that some motherboard suppliers are mismatching high-end quad-core Phenom processors with a lower-end chipset. (The motherboard is the main circuit board in a PC. The chipset allows the processor to interact with other components, among other functions.)

"What people have done, mistakenly, is paired a 780G (chipset-based) motherboard with the higher frequency Phenom--the 125-watt Phenom," said Jake Whitman, an AMD spokesperson.

Whitman is referring to the fact that the high-end 9750 and 9850 Phenom processors have a Thermal Design Power (TDP or thermal envelope) of 125 watts versus the lower-end 9600 and 9550 models that have a TDP of 95 watts. The higher-watt parts will not work with motherboards that contain the 780G chipset. The lower-end models do not have these TDP issues.

"They've taken an enthusiast-class quad-core part and paired it with a mainstream motherboard," Whitman said. "And not all motherboard manufacturers have tweaked their boards to support a 125-watt TDP." Whitman says that AMD's 790 chipset--not the 780--should be paired with the 9750 and 9850 processors and that a number of motherboard makers are already doing this.

"We've never made claims that 780G motherboards are enthusiast-class motherboards," Whitman said.

The inability to use high-end quad-core AMD processors on some motherboards may be symptomatic of a larger challenge. AMD is finding it difficult to compete head-on with Intel quad-core offerings in the consumer segment. Hewlett-Packard and Gateway, for instance, offer desktops with only the lower-performance Phenom chips, such as the 9100e (1.8GHz) and 9600 (2.3GHz). Neither HP nor Gateway offer desktops with higher-performance 9750 (2.4GHz) or 9850 (2.5GHz) Phenoms.

Meanwhile, Intel-based systems from these companies--though usually more expensive--come with quad-core chips ranging up to a 2.83GHz Q9550.

Whitman says there's a reason for this. First-tier PC makers "are not necessarily interested in building the fastest AMD-based quad-core systems, but are more interested in price." He expects wider adoption of the high-end Phenom chips with system builders and game-enthusiast PC makers.

In related news reported by CNET News.com on Monday, supercomputer maker Cray said it would adopt Intel quad-core processor designs for its supercomputers. Though Cray says it will continue to offer configurations with AMD chips too, the move by Cray is seen as an endorsement of Intel multicore designs. Before this announcement, Cray had been using AMD processors only.

HP dc5850 can be configured with Phenom triple-core and quad-core processors

(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)

The Phenom processor is ready for business. On Monday, Dell and Hewlett-Packard refreshed their business desktop lineups with triple- and quad-core processors from Advanced Micro Devices, which is launching a small and medium-size business initiative.

Called "Business Class," the initiative pairs the new 780v chipset with triple-core Phenom X3, quad-core Phenom X4, or dual-core Athlon X2 processors.

Dell is refreshing its Optiplex 740 line of desktops while HP is adding two new models: the dc5850 and dx2450.

The platform supports security and manageability standards such as the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) module, which helps to lock out rogue software, and the Desktop and mobile Architecture for System Hardware (DASH) manageability standard, a suite of specifications for standards-based Web services.

Previously known by the codename "Hardcastle," Business Class taps into both AMD processor and ATI graphics technology. "One of the reasons we acquired ATI was to get the chipset and the graphics to deliver a complete commercial client platform--desktop and notebook," said Hal Speed, an AMD marketing architect.

Speed also reiterated what other AMD executives have said: That AMD has "under-penetrated" the commercial market. The Business Class strategy targets small and medium-sized business in particular, he said.

Initially, systems will not be offered with AMD's 8X50 and 9X50 series of processors that fix the outstanding "TLB" bus in silicon. (The 8450 and 9550 will, for example, replace the 8400 and 9500).

"Our customers want stability and longevity," said Speed. "They've said to us, 'I could care less about the model number. Don't break my BIOS, don't break my client image,' " Speed said, referring to difficult-to-modify corporate PC configuration settings.

AMD Business Class launch overview

(Credit: AMD)

The notebook component, codenamed Puma, will be coming later this quarter, Speed said.

Puma, in fact, will likely be the more interesting platform as more notebooks replace desktops. Puma is based on the RS780M mobile chipset and the dual-core Griffin processor--now called the Turion Ultra.

Advanced Micro Devices officially announced on Wednesday an updated Phenom chip line amid severe price pressure from Intel.

As expected, AMD has updated its triple-core Phenom X3 processors with the "50" series. The 8450, 8650, and 8750 models will replace and supplement the current 8400 and 8600. The newer models contain a fix for an extremely rare "TLB" bug.

The Phenom X3 8750 (2.4GHz) processor is priced at $195, the 8650 (2.3GHz) at $165, and the 8450 (2.1GHz) at $145.

AMD also announced a low-power quad-core Phenom X4 9100e processor that has a Thermal Design Power (TDP) or thermal envelope of 65 watts, compared with the 95 watts of standard X4 processors.

AMD Phenom processors with the new X3 models in bold.

(Credit: AMD)

AMD is looking to bundle the Phenom X3 chips with its 780 graphics silicon in low-cost gaming PCs. Hewlett-Packard and Gateway are currently using Nvidia graphics in their consumer boxes that use Phenom X3 chips.

According to AMD, the X3 platform offers the best balance of processor and graphics: "On one side, we have Nvidia saying that the only thing that matters is graphics. On the other side, Intel is saying that the only thing that matters is the processor. (AMD offers) a balanced platform that doesn't overemphasize one really expensive component over another really expensive component," said Brent Berry, product marketing manager for AMD.

But things may have just gotten a lot tougher for the No. 2 processor maker in the higher-end quad-core segment. Intel on Sunday cut prices on quad-core processors by up to 50 percent, undermining--or in some cases eliminating--AMD's price advantage.

"This product cycle is already discounted," said Ashok Kumar, an analyst at CRT Capital Group. "This puts additional pressure on AMD."

Intel's price cuts brought its quad-core Q6700 (2.66GHz) down from $530 to $266 and its Q6600 (2.4GHz) from $266 to $224. The latter is now priced below AMD's top-line quad-core Phenom 9850 (2.5GHz), which is listed at $235.

"With a 16 percent price cut, the Q6600 is now undoubtedly the processor of preference for a budget quad-core system," review site Hexus said.

On Monday, Hewlett-Packard's Japan arm introduced a raft of consumer PCs with plenty of offerings using processors from Advanced Micro Devices in addition to Intel chips.

In the v7000 small-form-factor tower series, HP deployed both the AMD triple-core Phenom X3 processor and quad-core Phenom X4 processors. Models are available with the X3 8400 (2.1GHz), low-power X4 9100e (1.8GHz, 65 watts), and X4 9500 (2.2GHz).

HP tx2105 ultraportable notebook (top) and HP s3000 and v7000 series desktops (bottom)

(Credit: Hewlett-Packard)

Interestingly, AMD-based models in the v7000 series come with Nvidia graphics, not AMD-ATI graphics, a synergy that AMD has had trouble realizing in some segments. Configurations are offered with either the NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE, GeForce 8400HD, or GeForce 8500GT graphics chips.

Phenom X3-based systems start at around 69,930 yen or just under $700.

The 4.3-pound TX 2105/CT ultraportable notebook uses a dual-core Athlon 64 X2 TK-57 processor. Another model comes with the AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-60 processor. All models pack NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics. Pricing starts at just over $900.

Intel-based HP notebooks were introduced with an array of processors including new 45-nanometer Core 2 Duo T8100 and T9300 processors as well as Celeron 540/560 series chips. But no AMD-ATI graphics here either. Systems come with one of the following: Intel X3100, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS, or NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GS graphics.

Intel-based desktop systems come with dual-core Core 2 Duo E8400 and quad-core Core 2 Quad Q9300 processors, among other configurations. Graphics chips offered are the NVIDIA GeForce 8400HD and NVIDIA GeForce 8500GT.

Update: Are three cores better than two? Consumers now get the chance to decide. AMD's X3 Phenom processors are available in low-cost consumer systems from Hewlett-Packard (HP), Gateway, and eMachines.

Also, on the quad-core front, AMD said Wednesday that Dell is offering five server platforms based on the AMD "Barcelona" Opteron processor.

Gateway model GT5670 with Phenom X3 is priced at $549

(Credit: Best Buy)

The AMD Phenom X3 8400 (2.1GHz) and 8600 (2.3GHz) are the first mainstream x86 processors to use three cores. "The value proposition is simple. Three cores versus two cores. You make the choice," Pat Moorhead, VP of Advanced Marketing at AMD, said in a recent interview.

The Gateway model GT5670 packs an X3 8400 processor (2.1GHz) with 2MB of L3 cache memory, 3GB (PC2-5300 DDR2) of main memory, an Nvidia GeForce 6150 SE graphics card, and a 320GB Serial ATA II hard disk drive with 8MB cache (7200 rpm). This configuration goes for $549 at Best Buy.

The HP Pavilion a6430f is eerily similar. It also comes with an X3 8400 Phenom, 3GB PC2-5300 DDR2 memory, and Nvidia GeForce 6150 SE graphics. However, instead of a 320GB hard disk drive, it doubles the capacity with a 640GB drive. This system is priced at $679. HP also offers the Pavilion a6450z series on its Web site with the X3.

The eMachines J4509 is being sold in Japan and features an X3 8400 and AMD 780G integrated graphics. With a 19-inch LCD display, it retails in Japan for just under $1,000.

The initial Phenom X3 processors will ship as the B2 "stepping" or version. The follow-on versions in the channel will be the B3, said Moorhead. The B3 version fixes the TLB bug, which AMD has said all along is an extremely rare occurrence and affects virtually no one except, possibly, very high-end customers. Any chips designated with a "50" suffix will be a processor that implements the fix in silicon.

AMD also recently announced the availability of four new Phenom X4 processors with the TLB bug fix. Led by the AMD Phenom 2.5GHz X4 9850 Black Edition processor (which is designed to be overclocked) and 2.4GHZ 9750, these CPUs will be matched with the AMD 790 series chipsets. The quad-core Phenoms are targeted at higher-end gaming segments.

In related news, AMD announced Wednesday that Dell servers using the quad-core AMD "Barcelona" Opteron processor include the PowerEdge SC1435, 2970, M605 blade server and 6950 platforms, as well as the new PowerEdge T605 tower server. Dell follows HP which already lists its ProLiant G5 servers with quad-core Opteron processors.