.......As the lines between desktops, notebooks, servers, and even game consoles become increasingly blurred, so too will perceptions of the processors serving these markets. In the long run, both motherboard manufacturers and system vendors will demand an all-in-one CPU. This would not only afford incredible production-level cost savings, but let all levels of system manufacturing enjoy economies of scale that are virtually unprecedented in this industry. To catch the brass ring, the processor in question must offer value, high performance, and an up-to-date feature set, as well as being able to function in compact systems.
This is where AMD and its Hammer architecture come in. Looking over the initial specs, I can't help feeling that all the pieces are in place and AMD is thinking along the same lines: By segmenting based on clock speed and Level 2 cache, while otherwise maintaining consistency in design, Hammer could play a part in any system from an entry-level desktop to an 8-way corporate server.
Microsoft's Xbox philosophy may best illustrate this cross-platform ideal. I don't think it's a coincidence that gossip has AMD possibly replacing Intel inside the Xbox 2.
hardware.earthweb.com |
