Ten, <If AMD were truly yielding very well, there would be no
need for them to create new "speed grades" by cranking
down the processor bus. Maybe once AMD does get good
yields, those 333, 366, and 380 (and perhaps 428?) speed
grades will disappear.>
Not soon. You need to realize that a CPU itself
is worth nothing unless it is working in a consumable
SYSTEM. It is the system stability/manufacturability
that dictates the need in variety of speed grades.
Why would you think HP is making 5.5x66=366MHz
systems? Just because AMD has labelled few parts
as 366 for them? Of course not!
There are many other parameters to consider when
making a system decision, especially for mass
production. EMI problem is for one. Memory/chipset
interaction may be the other. Do you remember how
much time it took for memory industry to learn
how to make memory sticks unconditionally
compatible with the Intel 440BX chipset?
Even if the so-called PC-100 specifications
were made available? You, as a server chipset
team member at Intel, must know that those set-up
and hold times and data/clock skews may drift
in opposite direction (across the temperature
range, say) on all four (at least)
components of computer data path - CPU, cache,
north bridge, and memory module. Your lovely
but useless AGP is also a part of this. By slowing
the bus down by only 5%, a system manufacturer
can solve most of the problems at once.
In conclusion, all this variety of speed grades is
an indication that AMD is very customer-driven
these days, in contrast to Intel dictatorship of
the past and present. |
