 |  |
 | |
|  |
|  |
|  |
|  |
|  |
|  |
|  |
|  |
|  |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Microprocessor
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top Stories for November 16, 2001 (details below) | |
| PC World | Transmeta Confident Under Intel Pressure |
| C/Net | For AMD, the chips just keep on coming |
| C/Net | Compaq, HP to build low-power Intel servers |
| Truths...from the rumor mill | |
| The Inquirer | Is Intel in trouble on 12-inch shift? |
| The Inquirer | Beware AMD PR rating confusion |
| The Inquirer | Transmeta-Fujitsu story comes true |
| The Inquirer | P4 mobile weighs in at Comdex |
| Microprocessor
Headline News Collected By Robert R. Collins |
Week of November 11, 2001 |
Older News |
| November 16, 2001 | |
Transmeta Confident Under Intel PressureDouglas F. Gray November 15, 2001 |
Chip maker Transmeta still hasn't announced a shipment date
for its delayed next-generation Crusoe processor, which will
face tough competition from Intel's recently announced
ultra-low voltage processor in the market for very compact
servers, but Transmeta isn't worried, David Ditzel, the
company's vice chairman and chief technology officer says. Transmeta is at the Comdex trade show here this week to meet with customers and the press, trying to interest both groups in the elusive 800 MHz Crusoe TM5800, and in devices using its current processors, such as servers and notebooks of all sizes. "This is a very convenient meeting place," Ditzel said. |
For AMD, the chips just keep on comingBy John G. Spooner November 15, 2001 |
Advanced Micro Devices trotted out a new 1.2GHz Duron
processor Thursday, its second low-priced debut of the week. The chip is AMD's latest processor option for low-price desktop PCs. It comes closely after the company's 1.1GHz Duron, which launched Oct. 1. The 1.2GHz Duron matches rival Intel's recently introduced 1.2GHz Celeron in clock speed. However, AMD says its chip's performance outpaces both the 1.2GHz Celeron and certain low-end Intel Pentium 4 chips, when paired with DDR SDRAM (double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM) in a PC. |
Compaq, HP to build low-power Intel serversBy Stephen Shankland November 13, 2001 |
Compaq Computer and Hewlett-Packard will be among the
mainstream server makers to release single- and dual-processor
systems based on a new CPU that Intel announced Tuesday. As expected, Intel released at the Comdex Fall 2001 trade show an ultralow-power version of its Pentium III chip, a 700MHz model that consumes comparatively little power, for use in superthin "blade" servers. These servers are designed to deliver Web pages, match computer names with network addresses, and perform other tasks that require numerous lower-end servers. |
| Truths...from the rumor mill | |
Is Intel in trouble on 12-inch shift?By Mike Magee November 15, 2001 |
WHAT DO YOU DO when times are tough and you're in business?
Well, one thing you can do is leave piles of invoices in the
in-tray and stave off demands from suppliers for as long as
possible. Ihis leads to what we've decided to call the Denver or possibly the Colorado Springs Crunch - a situation that Intel apparently ran into earlier this year, when contractors issued "liens" against the corporation as a result of bills that were, apparently, unpaid. |
Beware AMD PR rating confusionBy Mike Magee November 15, 2001 |
ONE OF THE REASONS we spoke out against AMD's plans to use PR
ratings for MHz speed was because we believed it was a recipe
for confusion for consumers. And a reader believes that's something to be carefully watched too. He points to a Promarkt piece of marketing bumpf in which it offers an HP Pavilion A943. |
Transmeta-Fujitsu story comes trueBy Eva Glass November 15, 2001 |
PROBLEMS WITH DELIVERING Transmeta chips, exclusively revealed
here at the INQUIRER, have caused Fujitsu and Sony to fume at
the chip supplier. That's no surprise to people who saw the story first on the INQUIRER a while back. But the problems, as originally reported here, may well not be down to Transmeta but to the people making their chips for them, again as reported here. |
P4 mobile weighs in at ComdexBy Mike Magee November 15, 2001 |
OVER AT Anandtech is the first sighting of a Mobile Pentium 4!
It weighs over six pounds! This isn't bad. When we first
talked about this with c't guru Andreas Stiller a year or two
back, he reckoned you might need a trolley and a heat stack to
cart a mobile P4 around. Thanks to JC's for the link. Via Hardware has had its snappers round about the Comdex show and discovered all sorts of goodies including pix of the X Box, plasma screens, new hard drives from Seagate, watercoolers, and a selection of mobos from three Taiwanese players. |
| November 15, 2001 | |
Itanium flunking Compaq server testsBy Michael Kanellos November 14, 2001 |
Intel's Itanium processor is failing to pass Compaq Computer's
stress tests, according to a Compaq representative, thus
holding up the release of Compaq's Itanium servers. A Compaq representative said that the company has experienced "sightings" with Itanium, Intel's 64-bit processor for servers, in Compaq's internal testing of its ProLiant DL590/64. The representative would not go so far as to call the issue a flaw, but said the problem appeared to be caused by the processor. The problem crops up with servers running both the 733MHz and 800MHz version of the chip. |
Delayed Crusoe chip maroons Sony, FujitsuBy Reuters November 14, 2001 |
Sony and Fujitsu on Wednesday postponed the launch of new
personal computers originally planned for later this week,
blaming the delayed development of power-efficient Transmeta
chips. A spokesman for Fujitsu said the company had decided to postpone the introduction of four "FMV-Biblo LOOX" notebook PC models to mid-December because of the delayed development of Transmeta's new Crusoe chips. Giving the same reason, Sony said separately the introduction of a new Vaio PC model would be postponed to mid-January. |
Intel's accidental revolutionBy Michael Kanellos November 14, 2001 |
The foundation of modern computing was something of an
accident. The Intel 4004 Microprocessor, which debuted thirty years ago Thursday, sparked a technological revolution because it was the first product to fuse the essential elements of a programmable computer into a single chip. Since then, processors have allowed manufacturers to embed intelligence into PCs, elevators, air bags, cameras, cell phones, beepers, key chains and farm equipment, among other devices. |
AMD mobile chips get Windows XP fixBy Matthew Broersma November 13, 2001 |
Microsoft has quietly fixed a problem with Windows XP that
disables the power management functions of AMD's line of
mobile processors. The fix allows users of laptops based on Athlon 4 and Duron mobile chips to use PowerNow technology, which extends battery life by reducing processor power when it isn't needed by applications. The glitch affects people who upgrade the AMD-based notebooks to Windows XP from an earlier version of Windows. The version of XP available on retail shelves doesn't include a driver--amdk7.sys--needed for PowerNow to function, although the driver is included with new laptops using the AMD chips and running Windows XP, according to AMD. |
| Truths...from the rumor mill | |
P4 shortages threaten Dell profitsBy Mike Magee November 14, 2001 |
THE SHORTAGES of Pentium 4 processors we exclusively reported
over a month ago have started to bite Intel's biggest
distributor, the Dell Corporation. According to one US wire, Dell has now been forced to put its 2GHz Pentium 4 parts on 40-day hold. A confidential Intel memo to its distributors we published on the 19th October warned that P4 products would be in short supply, and said the 478-pin part would suffer in Q4. (See Intel faces Pentium 4 shortage and Intel confirms Pentium 4 shortages). |
Intel confirms Itanium problemBy Mike Magee November 14, 2001 |
THE T6 ITANIUM PROBLEM we have reported on for the last few
weeks could be close to resolution, as Intel confirmed that it
and its partner Compaq had uncovered a problem with the 64-bit
processors. An official statement from Intel has also clarified what the firm means by the word "sighting" - a word that caused us some problems here yesterday. Said the statement: "Intel is working closely with an Compaq and investigating a sighting they have reported in connection with a 4-way Itanium-based configuration. The root cause of this sighting has not yet been determined but we are both working to identify it." |
Sony, Fujitsu bash TransmetaBy Tony Smith November 14, 2001 |
Sony and Fujitsu have had to reschedule the launch of at least
five new notebook computers - and it's all Transmeta's fault,
the two companies said today. Both companies have released Crusoe-based machines before, most notably Sony's Vaio C1 Picturebook sub-notebook. Sony planned to offer a faster version this week, but the portable will now ship mid-January. |
AMD gets out of chipset businessBy Mike Magee November 14, 2001 |
HARDWARE SITE Extremetech is reporting what we all suspected
for some time - AMD is exiting the chipset biz in favour of
its partners. According to the report, its policy was always to seed the market with stable chipsets, and then allow third parties, including Via, ALi and Nvidia, to pick up where it left off. This strategy is now complete and AMD is going to concentrate on doing the same with its up and coming Hammer chipset. |
AMD roadmap dashes Clawhammer hopesBy Mike Magee November 13, 2001 |
THOSE WHO HOPED AMD might be able to get the Clawhammer chip
ouf of the door by Q2 of next year have had their hopes dashed
by the appearance of a brand new roadmap on the AMD site. This confirms our earlier story, when we reported on the AMD yearly analyst conference. We'll see Thoroughbred MP, Appaloosa MP in the first half of next year, Clawhammer won't tip up until the end of the second half of next year. |
Sneak Intel DDR previewBy James Watson November 14, 2001 |
As predicted, Intel's DDR-supporting chipset, 845D, made a
sneak preview at Comdex yesterday. Chinese PC maker Legend
showed off its QDI P2D-A motherboard based on the chipset. Legend's board was shown running a P4 1.6GHz and 128MB DDR SDRAM. It will shipping worldwide from December for about $140, a spokesperson told PC World. Intel currently has two chipsets available, the 850 and 845, supporting Rambus' RDRAM and regular SDRAM respectively. Due to an agreement with Rambus, it has not been able to officially launch a DDR-based product before the end of 2001. |
Intel to offer Springdale DDR 2 chipset in 2003By Tony Smith November 14, 2001 |
Intel has committed itself to DDR 2 SDRAM technology and will
support the specification mid-to-late 2003, according to
Japanese site PC Watch. We're not entirely sure of PC Watch's source - (s)he appears to be close to standards-setter JEDEC, but our translation isn't great. If the source's claims are accurate, Intel will support DDR 2 with Springdale and Springdale-G, two Pentium 4-oriented chipsets the company will launch in Q3 2003. |
Details of Hammer chipsets leakBy Mike Magee November 13, 2001 |
A REPORT ON PC Watch in Japan has tabulated the possible
chipsets available for the Hammer processor when it is
introduced next year. The table includes AMD chipsets provisionally named Golem and Lokar, the K8HTB, which we first discussed here in August, ALi chipsets the M1687 and the M1688, and SiS chipsets the 755 and the 760. Most of these chipsets use Hyper Transport while the SiS chipsets use MuTIOL. |
Intel gives ALi mobile Pentium 4 licenceBy Fuad Abazovic November 14, 2001 |
A FEW DAYS AGO in a conversation with a senior ALi executive,
we learned quite a few interesting things. Just a few weeks back the firm announced its Pentium 4 chipset and it's very happy with it so far. It will compete with the SiS 645 and may possibly be faster than Via's P4X266. ALi seem to have priced it right, and mobo manufacturers are not suffering the fear they have of using Via's chipset because ALi, unlike Via, has a Pentium 4 licence. |
Nvidia mobile zooms into viewBy Mike Magee November 13, 2001 |
AN NVIDIA NON DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT (NDA) has gone legs up,
meaning that details of its mobile chipset have started
spilling onto the World Wild Web. Visit AMD Zone for details of these and ATis new chipolatas. In a frantic rush to get what remains of our hair sheared yesterday, we forgot to stick in a link to the Intel compiler with Transmeta chips which we're remedying by publishing it again. |
| November 13, 2001 | |
AMD catches Intel in mobile clock-speed raceBy Sumner Lemon November 12, 2001 |
ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES (AMD) Monday introduced the latest
versions of its mobile processors, the 1.2GHz mobile Athlon 4
and 950MHz mobile Duron processors. The new chips will compete
head to head with Intel's fastest mobile Pentium III-M and
mobile Celeron processors, which run at speeds as much as
1.2GHz and 933MHz, respectively. Both the mobile Athlon 4 and mobile Duron processors use a 200MHz front-side bus and AMD's PowerNow power-management technology, which the company claims can extend battery life by as much as 30 percent. The mobile AMD Athlon 4 has 384KB of on-chip cache and the mobile Duron has 192KB of on-chip cache. |
Chipmaker SiS extends its Rambus tiesBy John G. Spooner November 12, 2001 |
Chipmaker Silicon Integrated Systems (SiS) may be close to
launching a new chipset for Pentium 4 PCs using Rambus memory. The chipset maker announced Monday that it has expanded an existing licensing agreement with Rambus to include RDRAM--dynamic random access memory based on Rambus designs. The new agreement opens the door to SiS using Rambus memory in future products in the PC, networking and communications markets, the company said. |
SiS licenses Rambus 4i technologyBy Faith Hung November 12, 2001 |
Silicon Integrated Systems Inc. has obtained the license for
Rambus Inc.'s 4i four-bank Direct Rambus DRAM technology to
become the second core-logic chipset company after Intel Corp.
that would supply RDRAM-enabled chipsets. The licensing agreement confirmed an earlier report that SiS, which Intel has granted a license to a Pentium 4 chipset, is preparing to develop the technology. However, the Taipei-based company isn't expecting RDRAM to become the mainstream memory until the next three to five years, offering no details on production schedule or on volume. |
AMD Debuts Notebook Chips Nov. 12, 2001By David M. Ewalt November 12, 2001 |
Chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. on Monday unveiled two
processors designed for portable computers, firing the first
salvo in a market-share war that could lead to lower notebook
prices. The 1.2-GHz Athlon 4 processor and 950-MHz Duron processor are both designed for use in notebook computers and will ship in Presario 700 notebooks from Compaq later this quarter. The chips cost $525 and $160, respectively. |
AMD targets mobile market with new chipsBy John G. Spooner November 12, 2001 |
Advanced Micro Devices on Monday launched the first play in
its new game plan to gain ground in the notebook market. The chipmaker, which said last week it plans to pick up speed in the notebook and server markets in 2002, introduced a new 1.2GHz mobile Athlon 4 chip along with a new 950MHz mobile Duron processor. |
AMD places huge SOI-wafer order for 'Hammer' processor production, says SoitecNovember 12, 2001 |
Silicon-On-Insulator Technologies (Soitec) here today
announced a multi-million dollar order for 200-mm
silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers from Advanced Micro Devices
Inc., which plans to use the substrates to produce its
recently announced "Hammer" series of 64-bit microprocessors. Soitec, which claims to be the world's leading supplier of SOI substrates, said the purchase order was the largest in the company's history, in both the number of wafers and dollar amount. The company did not release specific figures on the value of the order or the number of SOI wafers being purchased by AMD. |
ATI and Nvidia raise the bar for notebook graphicsBy Bruce Gain November 12, 2001 |
After enabling PC OEMs to offer high-end graphics capabilities
in mainstream-priced desktops, ATI Technologies Inc. and
Nvidia Corp. are now raising the bar for graphics performance
in notebooks. And their cutting-edge graphics ICs for
notebooks, to be launched today, will also soon be available
at affordable prices, according to analysts. “Like they did in desktops, [ATI and Nvidia] start at the top with an incredible part and let it slide down into the mainstream as they get their costs down,” said Jon Peddie of Jon Peddie Research, Tiburon, Calif. “They get a nice long ride as every dollar they make at the lower end is pure profit after they've covered costs with their high-end [prices].” |
Chipmakers favor data exchange standardBy John G. Spooner November 12, 2001 |
The HyperTransport standard for exchanging data between
semiconductors is picking up speed. More than a dozen companies have licensed the new standard, the HyperTransport Consortium, an the industry group charged with stewarding the technology, announced Monday. Acer Laboratories, Altera, AMCC, Fast-Chip, Flow Engines, GDA Technologies, Josipa Company, LEDA Systems, Marvell Semiconductor, Nokia, Spinnaker Networks, Teradyne, Xilinx and 0-In Design Automation have all licensed the technology and agreed to work further to develop it. |
Taiwan's Via rolls out design kit for tablet PCsNovember 12, 2001 |
Taiwan's Via Technologies Inc. today announced a reference
design kit that enables OEMs to develop a tablet PC product
line. Weighing less than today's laptops, the VIA Tablet PC reference design kit is based on the company's C3 EBGA processor line. It also features Via's ProSavage PN133 integrated mobile chip set. The VIA Tablet PC prototype has a 10.4-inch, electro-magnetic digitizer screen in portrait mode, wireless connectivity, and communications capabilities, based on IEEE 1394 and USB technologies. |
| Truths...from the rumor mill | |
WinXP causes Intel mobile chips to overheatBy Mike Magee November 12, 2001 |
MICROSOFT IS WARNING users of Intel notebooks that use its
latest Pentium III-M "Tualatin" processor that they may suffer
overheating and short battery life when using Windows XP. Users of brand new bright and shining Windows XP are being told that the problem occurs if users don't have a driver file that supports the .13 micron mobile processor. Microsoft warns: "The battery life for the notebook computer may be less than you expect" - isn't it always - and "the notebook computer may become excessively warm". |
Itanium bug halts Compaq shipmentsBy Mike Magee November 12, 2001 |
CORPORATE USERS wanting to buy Itanium machines are being told
that the processors are going through rigorous testing but the
INQUIRER can now confirm there is a serious bug with 733MHz
and 800MHz versions of the processor preventing them from
shipping. According to a source at a large Swiss bank - Compaq - one of Intel's major PC customers has warned it that there are reliability and other problems in the die of the processor that prevent the product from being shipped. |
| November 12, 2001 | |
AMD Delays Release of Sledgehammer ChipBy Ken Popovich November 10, 2001 |
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. has pushed back the release of its
first 64-bit processor designed for multiprocessor
workstations and servers, codenamed Sledgehammer, from the
second half of 2002 to early 2003. At its annual fall analysts' meeting Thursday, AMD revealed new processor roadmaps that showed that while the first incarnation of its 64-bit Hammer architecture, codenamed Clawhammer, was still on track for introduction late next year, the dual-CPU chip set for Clawhammer as well as the multiprocessor Sledgehammer processors won't be released until the first half of 2003. |
AMD won't return to profitability until Q2 of 2002, says CEONovember 8, 2001 |
During a conference with financial analysts today, Advanced
Micro Devices Inc. here said current market
conditions--especially weakness in flash memories--will delay
AMD's return to profitability until the second quarter of
2002. The Sunnyvale company also reaffirmed its outlook for the fourth quarter, predicting revenues would be sequentially flat to slightly higher on record shipments of PC processors. |
AMD to use outside factoriesBy Michael Kanellos November 8, 2001 |
Aiming to compete in an increasingly costly race with rival
chipmaker Intel, Advanced Micro Devices said Thursday that it
will use another company's factories for the first time to
help make its microprocessors starting in 2003. At a meeting for financial analysts, AMD said it will use an outside foundry to produce its microprocessors with the 90-nanometer (.09-micron) manufacturing process, set to begin production in 2003, although foundry-made chips could start hitting the market late next year. The company expects its newest fabrication plant (fab), in Dresden, Germany, to be running at full capacity by next year. |
AMD looks to break-up Wintel duopolyBy Karl Flinders November 9, 2001 |
In a bid to buck the current economic trend, chip maker AMD
promised to make profits in 2002 by increasing its laptop and
server focus and lowering manufacturing costs. Jerry Sanders, chief executive of the chip giant, outlined targets for 2002 at the company's annual analyst meeting. "The year will largely be defined by our success in the server and mobile [notebook] space as we strive to hold ground in the desktop space," he said. AMD lost $187m in the third quarter of 2001. |
AMD's future: Notebooks, servers, HammerBy Michael Kanellos November 8, 2001 |
AMD spent most of 2001 increasing its market share in
desktops; next year it will concentrate on notebooks and
servers--and gear up for the 2003 push on Hammer, its
next-generation chip. "2002 will largely be defined by our success in the mobile and server space, and holding ground in the desktop space," CEO Jerry Sanders said at the company's annual analyst meeting Thursday, where AMD also revealed its product plans for the coming year. |
VIA Announces Development of Tablet PC Reference DesignBy Brandon Hill November 11, 2001 |
VIA continues the drive for 'Total Connectivity' with the
Microsoft Windows-powered Tablet PC concept. Taipei, Taiwan,
11 November 2001 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator
and developer of core logic chipsets, microprocessors, and
multimedia and communications chips, today announced the
development of a |
National Semi bundles Geode chip with Jungo software for residential gatewaysNovember 9, 2001 |
National Semiconductor Corp. today said it was joining forces
with nearby Jungo SoftwareTechnologies Inc. to enable original
equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to quickly develop residential
gateways. Under the alliance National Semiconductor will distribute development platforms featuring its Geode processor bundled with Jungo's OpenRG software for evaluation and development of residential gateways. |
SIA says slow 2002 chip recovery will be followed by 21% growth in 2003November 7, 2001 |
After plunging 31% in 2001, chip revenues will begin a slow
recovery in 2002, growing 6% to $150 billion, followed by a
21% increase in 2003 to $181 billion, according to a new
forecast released today by the Semiconductor Industry
Association here. The annual SIA forecast shows chip revenues
growing another 21% in 2004 to $218 billion (see geographic
and product forecast tables below). The SIA's U.S. industry consensus forecast is based on the assumption that the recovery will begin in the fourth quarter of 2001, following more than a year of inventory corrections. The 2001 downturn will end up pushing semiconductor revenues down to $141 billion this year, a 31% drop from a record high of $204 billion in 2000. |
Market researcher expects chip market will shrink in 2002November 7, 2001 |
London-based market research firm Future Horizons said it
expects a 5.5% decline for the 2002 worldwide semiconductor
market. It had previously been anticipating a slow positive
growth. At the same time, the firm downgraded its 2001 forecast, from -25.6% to -33.2 percent. With the 2002 market now pegged at $129 billion, a level not seen since 1996, Future Horizons forecasts that the industry will not now recover its $200 billion, 2000 value until 2004. |
| Truths...from the rumor mill | |
Intel: supply squeezed until mid-DecemberBy Ramdas S November 9, 2001 |
INTEL HAS TOLD its partners and distributors that the supplies
squeeze on Pentium 4 478 pin based chips will continue until
at least mid December. An e-mail, which we managed to view
over the shoulder of an Intel partner, clearly states that
Pentium 4 1.5 GHz and 2 GHz parts are (and will be) in major
shortage! Distributors of Intel in South Asia tell The Inq that Intel has advised them not to plan for any deliveries of these two parts in the immediate future. The only chance for the distributor to get these parts will be when any of the existing orders with Intel, which is approved of deliveries will get cancelled. Intel advises the partners to sell more processors based on the 423-pin base. |
Intel Blade Server chips exact 20% premiumBy Mike Magee November 11, 2001 |
CUNNING CHIP GIANT Intel, which as we first reported in spring
is to use Tualatin .13 mobile Pentium IIIs in its "blade
servers" launching round about now, will charge an extra 20
per cent for plugging them into server boards. Distributors and dealers are already slightly miffed that they won't be able to build the "blade" 1U and 2U units, but roadmaps seen by the INQUIRER show that the low voltage and ultra low voltage Pentium-IIIs will have a 20 per cent "adder" over their mobile Pentium III-M equivalents. |
Fujitsu looking hard at TransmetaBy Eva Glass November 9, 2001 |
FIRST THE GOOD NEWS, but now there's maybe bad news for
Transmeta, the startup which wowed Wall Street, but was then
hit by the chip downturn just when it could have used one of
the Semiconductor Industry Association's I Ching like up
cycle. The rumour mill in Silicon Valley tells the INQUIRER that no 5500 or 5800 Crusoes are expected now in this quarter, deepening gloom and doom at Transmeta. |
Transmeta and Intel gain from Compaq TabletBy Mike Magee November 9, 2001 |
SOURCES CLOSE to the action in Silicon Valley tell the
INQUIRER that Transmeta has a reason to be cheerful, despite
glum news from Toshiba earlier in the week. Compaq, according to the informant, has awarded Transmeta a contract for a Tablet PC while it appears that Intel has also won a contract, suggesting that two versions of Q's machine are on the cards. The units will be manufactured by LG in Korea, and staff at both INTC and TMTA have had the good news in internal memoranda. |
AMD pins 2002 hopes on HammerBy Mike Magee November 8, 2001 |
AMD'S ANALYSTconference today revealed the extent to which the
company believes its 64-bit "Hammer" architecture will benefit
it next year. AMD luminaries on the stage included Jerry Sanders III+, Athlon and Hammer chip architect Dirk Meyer, CEO pretender Hector Ruiz and Rob Herb. Meyer said that AMD will manage to keep the delta between the performance of its processors and the competition next year. He said: "Hammer has both frequency and architectural advantages and will maintain those advantages." |
AMD to debut Mobile Hammer in 2003By Tony Smith November 9, 2001 |
AMD will drive its Hammer family of 64-bit processors into the
mobile market in the second half of 2003, a year or so after
it makes its debut in servers, the company revealed at its
analysts confab yesterday. The chip maker extended its mobile roadmap into 2003 at the conference, and slides from the presentation - which you can view here - schedule Mobile Hammer's arrival during the second half of 2003. The model numbers, derived from AMD's new 'more than megahertz' nomenclature will be 3800 and 3600. These parts will draw 35W and 25W, respectively. |
Hammer diagrams show way aheadBy Mike Magee November 10, 2001 |
AN ARTICLE ON THE Watch site outlines the possible differences
between the different members of the AMD Hammer family.. If you go here there are some Clawhammer, Sledgehammer and Hammer diagrams showing the block display diagrams for each. So far so good, although we can't read the script apart from the "big" character which keeps appearing in the L2 cache box. Then, if you go here, there is a much bigger block diagram of the Hammer design, along with a lengthy article with more diagrams. |
Two teams working on Intel BaniasBy Mike Magee November 9, 2001 |
INTEL NOW HAS TWO teams working in Israel, in parallel, on its
notebook chip design codenamed Banias, according to insiders
in the corporation. That means there will be at least two
versions of the ground breaking processor. Banias is a design which Intel has publicly said will be designed from the ground up, but it is not unusual for the company to use this approach when designing new microprocessors. |
Intel to release 533MHz FSB earlyBy Mike Magee November 9, 2001 |
DESPITE CURRENTLY HAVING supply problems with both the Xeon
Foster and the Pentium 4 Willamette, Intel is maintaining it
is ahead of time with the 533MHz front side platforms it will
release next year. According to sources at Intel in Oregon, the company will pull its 533MHz FSB Pentium 4s into the second quarter of next year with support for microprocessors at 2.26GHz and 2.40GHz. |
| Advertisement |