Carl,
A must read article. Contains lot of details about AMD - Year 2000 plans. To make it simple, I added summary at the bottom of the article by simply copying the pertinent details from the article. Enjoy.
ebnews.com ___________ AMD plans 2000 overhaul of desktop, mobile MPU lines
By Mark Hachman
Electronic Buyers' News
(11/17/99, 10:51:25 AM EDT) Betting on the strength of its 0.18-micron process technology, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. next year will overhaul its entire K6 and Athlon microprocessor portfolio.
A week after it disclosed details about the Athlon and its successors, the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based chip maker Tuesday at the Comdex show in Las Vegas confirmed that it is producing enhanced versions of both the older K6-2 and K6-III processors that will be specially designed for the mobile market. AMD also demonstrated an air-cooled 900-MHz Ahtlon.
AMD's new mobile chips, which feature a power-saving technology similar to Intel's SpeedStep initiative, will require modifications to the processor cores. Since the new chips are manufactured using 0.18-micron process technology, AMD is betting the process is stable, a wager that has broken AMD's bank during past quarters.
As little as a month ago, AMD representatives had not officially committed to the "K6-2+," a chip which integrates 128 Kbytes of Level 2 cache onto the die. Now they have, and AMD plans to produce the chip in the first quarter of 2000 for value-class PCs. At the same time, AMD plans to release the "K6-III+," which already boasts 256 Kbytes of on-chip cache. Instead, the K6-III+, like the K6-2+, will boast what AMD calls "enhanced mobile features" to differentiate from the older products.
As part of the die shrink, AMD's enhanced mobile features will include lower power consumption, although AMD executives did not disclose exactly what the power targets might be. More importantly, however, will be AMD's "Gemini" technology, essentially AMD's take on Intel's SpeedStep enhancement for trading off performance for battery life. Like SpeedStep, users will have the option of dynamically configuring their system for three increments: maximum performance, with high power consumption and low battery life; maximum battery life and a reduced operating voltage and processor clock speed; and some middle ground. Unlike SpeedStep, AMD's first Gemini iteration will be completely user-dependent through BIOS adjustments provided by Phoenix Technologies Inc., a BIOS manufacturer.
Future generations will adjust power consumption on-the-fly, as SpeedStep does. The system will likely recognize DC power provided by a wall current, however, and rev up to maximum performance.
AMD executives said they had not set the power and performance levels for the various settings, although a spokeswoman said the company was considering 200-MHz as the speed for the mode optimized for the longest battery life.
Intel has not completely clarified its official plans concerning SpeedStep, but observers believe it will be applied only to the latest Coppermine products. However, AMD will offer the Gemini technology top-to-bottom as part of its 0.18-micron mobile line next year, which will reach speeds of 500-MHz and beyond next year. Modifications will be required within the K6 core to provide an integrated CPU clock speed control, and additional pins will be required to control the programmable voltage regulator, executives said. The front-side bus speeds will not be altered.
AMD did not disclose the clock speeds of the new chips, only to say that they will exceed 500 MHz. In the second half of 2000, AMD plans to ship a mobile Athlon processor, executives said.
AMD made its desktop Athlon revisions public last week during a fall analyst meeting. At Comdex, AMD demonstrated an air-cooled 900-MHz Athlon as a demonstration of its 0.18-micron process. The K6-2+ for the desktop will likely be announced before December, company officials said; a desktop K6-III+ is not on the roadmap at the present time.
AMD will begin shipping 750-MHz Athlons before the end of the year, and then integrate level 2 cache memory into the "Thunderbird" core, with a smaller amount of cache memory designed into the lower-cost "Spitfire" core designed exclusively in a socketed package. "Mustang", the next chip to appear on the desktop, will also boast undisclosed mobile power enhancements, integrated caches up to 2 Mbytes, and an enhanced core. "Sledgehammer," AMD's first 64-bit processor, is slated to appear in 2001.
ebnews.com ___________
Pertinent points from this article
o Will be producing enhanced versions of both the older K6-2 and K6-III processors that will be specially designed for the mobile market.
o AMD also demonstrated an air-cooled 900-MHz Ahtlon.
o AMD plans to produce K6-2+ in the first quarter of 2000 for value-class PCs.]
o The K6-III+, and K6-2+, will boast what AMD calls "enhanced mobile features" to differentiate from the older products.
o New Terminology "GEMINI" Technology- Similar to, Intel's SpeedStep enhancement for trading off performance for battery life. Like SpeedStep, users will have the option of dynamically configuring their system for three increments: maximum performance, with high power consumption and low battery life; maximum battery life and a reduced operating voltage and processor clock speed; and some middle ground. Unlike SpeedStep, AMD's first Gemini iteration will be completely user-dependent through BIOS adjustments provided by Phoenix Technologies Inc., a BIOS manufacturer.
o GEMINI - future generations will adjust power consumption on-the-fly, as SpeedStep does.
o GEMINI - the company was considering 200-MHz as the speed for the mode optimized for the longest battery life.
o GEMIONI - AMD will offer the Gemini technology top-to-bottom as part of its 0.18-micron mobile line next year, which will reach speeds of 500-MHz and beyond next year.
o GEMINI - Future generations will adjust power consumption on-the-fly, as SpeedStep does.
o GEMINI - The system will likely recognize DC power provided by a wall current, however, and rev up to maximum performance.
o GEMINI - Modifications will be required within the K6 core to provide an integrated CPU clock speed control, and additional pins will be required to control the programmable voltage regulator.
o GEMINI - The front-side bus speeds will not be altered.
o K6-X+ speeds will exceed 500 MHz.
o The K6-2+ for the desktop will likely be announced before December.
o A desktop K6-III+ is not on the roadmap at the present time.
o AMD will begin shipping 750-MHz Athlons before the end of the year.
o "Sledgehammer," AMD's first 64-bit processor, is slated to appear in 2001.
Regards,
Goutama |
