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Technology Stocks : Advanced Micro Devices - Moderated (AMD) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: fastpathguru who wrote (200042)	6/2/2006 10:01:59 AM
From: combjelly	Respond to of 275872

"Who wouldn't spend $15 more on a dualie-capable MB, just for the option of filling the 2nd socket at a later date?" Heck, even a bottom feeder like me would consider getting a low end A64 instead of a Sempron and one of those motherboards if true.

To: fastpathguru who wrote (200042)	6/2/2006 11:36:50 AM
From: Joe NYC	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 275872

fpg, Bottom line: Adding the dualie capability to A64s is free for AMD, practically free for the boardmakers, and yet vastly increases the value of the platform. I think AMD marketers' argument agains making 4x4 available across the board (not just FX) is that it may canibilize Opteron sales, which IMO does not make much sense now when AMD has ALL Tier 1 OEMs. I don't understand why some are calling this a kludge, either. Definitely not me. It is elegant solution, as are all > 1 socket AMD products. I jus don't think it will fly if it is FX only. Who wouldn't spend $15 more on a dualie-capable MB, just for the option of filling the 2nd socket at a later date? Nobody's forcing you to fill both sockets immediately. It is a little like SLI, only worse. You can buy SLI board, you can buy an SLI capable card, and you have an option of getting a second one. If you are getting a system, you settle on the CPU (which in ovewhelming percentage is non-FX), why would you buy a 2 socket mobo along with it when from the outset you know you would have to throw out the 1st CPU to get 2 way. A logical approach for non-FX buyer is not to get 2 socket mobo upfront and only get 2 socket system when the CPU he is buying is 2 socket capable. NVidia got this part right. NVidia gae the option to get 2nd card to a lot of mainstream buyers, so NVidia's marketing gimmick (SLI) works. If AMD will make 4x4 FX only, it will not work. Joe

To: fastpathguru who wrote (200042)	6/2/2006 4:19:08 PM
From: pgerassi	Respond to of 275872

Dear Fpg: Why is everyone assuming that this is a new socket? It could be a standard AM2 socket with at most one pin missing. The easiest way for this to work would be the one 16/16 HT port to be split into 2 8/8 HT ports on each of two socket AM2s on one MB. The 8/8 HT link between the sockets would be cHT enabled ala Opteron 2xx. All AMD needs to do is stop disabling cHT on its 1MB L2 dies. No CPU changes are needed and at most one pin is removed as a key. This is likely a ground pin or future use pin. Thus any K8F CPU can still be plugged into a standard AM2 socket and function normally. Otherwise its a standard 2 socket AM2 MB like that used for 2S Opterons for years. It might have to be a extended ATX MB in size, but thats normal too for workstation MBs. The other way is the same as the first but, 80 pins are removed from being power, ground or future use pins and made into another 16/16 cHT port with one pin missing. When the AM2 K8F sees that pin not grounded (pulled up to Vcc on package), it uses the other pins as a 16/16 cHT port. Otherwise its a standard 2S Opteron MB. This requires some package substrate changes but, may be already planned for. In either case a non 4x4 AM2 CPU can not be plugged into this 4x4 MB but, any 4x4 AM2 CPU can be plugged into either of the two sockets. Any 4x4 AM2 CPU can be plugged into a standard non 4x4 AM2 MB. The first socket on the 4x4 MB must be plugged in first and then will operate as a standard MB. All of this MCM speculation is a engineering nightmare compared to this simple implementation. And its an implementation a lot of these writers would misinterpret as being far more complicated than it is. AMD also gets maximum flexability without much work. Who knows all future A64 X2, SC, FX and even Turions could be 4x4 enabled whereas Semprons are not. Intel couldn't match up against a 4x4 notebook even with NGA. Pete