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To: Cirruslvr who wrote (94318)	12/19/1999 8:15:00 PM
From: Tenchusatsu	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

Cirrus, <Does a new stepping of a processor mean that the core has been modified? Or is it vice versa?> It can mean a lot of things. A small stepping (usually A0 to A1 to A2, or B0 to B1 to B2, etc.) is just a change in a few metal layers or some other minor change that can be validated and implemented fairly quickly. I think the bug earlier this quarter that caused Dell to temporarily halt shipments for a few days is the type that can be fixed by a minor stepping. A major stepping (usually A to B to C) is a re-layout of the core, with some functional changes as well. This type of stepping would be necessary if, for example, there needs to be major rework needed for speed path optimization, or if there is a reduction in the die size. I guess you could consider this an actual "modification" of the core, much more than the minor stepping. <Do you two work in the same city? [PB and I]> Yes, but not in the same building. Tenchusatsu