Thanks for the ZDNet link, Goutama. Among some of the highlights:
AMD, in the second half of 2000, will turn the key on
Mustang, the code name for an even higher performing
Athlon chip. Mustang will support a 266MHz system bus
and up to 2MB of on-board cache. The chip also will be
AMD's first 0.18-micron processor to utilize copper
interconnects. The chip will work with Slot A or Socket A
packages.
Seems like this is the upcoming chip that AMD was talking about in their projected SPECint95_base and SPECfp95_base scores presented at Microprocessor Forum. This the high-end version of Mustang will probably go up against Cascades, while the mobile version will take on mobile Coppermine. (By the way, I like that codename, "Mustang." I've always said that Athlon is the Ford Mustang of x86 processors. <G> Besides, that name sure sounds more masculine than, say, "Madison" or "Deerfield.")
At least Mustang won't be here until 2H 2000. That should give a little breathing room for Intel.
AMD will also introduce a two-way processing chip set in the second half of next year. The chip set, named IGD 4, will be one of the first multiprocessing chip sets. It will support Rambus memory as well as AGP 4X. AMD partners Hotrail and API are developing four-way processor chip sets as well. All of the multiprocessor efforts are targeted primarily at the server market.
Funny, now even AMD is announcing Rambus support. Isn't that nice?
Anyway, that 2-way chipset is coming a little later than I thought. Seems like it will be quite a stretch for 4-way (and 8-way) Athlon systems to hit the market anytime before the end of 2000. But anything is possible, I guess.
Tenchusatsu |
