Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Intel Corporation (INTC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Pigboy who wrote (50719)	3/17/1998 11:14:00 PM
From: Paul Engel	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 186894

Pigboy - Re: " if AMD ever plans on putting the K6 into servers? " I believe the K6 is widely used by the Food Server industry. It sells like "hotcakes" from what I hear on the AMD threads! Re: ", why has it been so hard for AMD to penetrate into the server market thus far?" SPEED, SPEED and SPEED. Intel has addressed this not only by making faster processors, but by adding special hardware to allow for advanced programmable interrupt control (APIC) and symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) - where up to 4 Pentium Pros can be ganged together WITHOUT additional hardware - so all 4 can run in parallel with the appropriate multiprocessing-capable operating system. When Intel first came out with its Pentium, the Pentium was used in one way and dual processor servers. AMD was still trying to get the K5 to work. When Intel introduced the Pentium Pro in November, 1995, it proved extremely well suited for servers and became the de-facto standard for lower end x86 servers - helped along by special chip sets that enable up to four of these to work together in SMP mode. The full speed L2 cache in the Pentium Pro, running at 200 MHz, and up to 1 MegaByte in size, provides a solid basis for a server platform. By the time the K6 came along - it was too little and way too late (April, 1997). It is functionally equivalent to a Pentium MMX - it has no APIC or SMP capability. As I alluded to, Intel supports servers with very specific chip sets allowing multiple processors to work together. AMD doesn't make chip sets - they "buy" them from VIA technologies. Thus, Intel has a commanding advantage in supporting the server infrastructure as well as providing faster CPUs. The original Pentium II works with 2 processors in SMP mode, but with a half-speed L2 cache. The new Deschutes will be put into a Slot 2 SEC with full speed L2 cache, with CPU and cache running at 350, 400 or 450 MHz, with cache depths up to 2 MegaBytes. Chip sets with four way and later, eight way, SMP will be provided for the server market. Intel's Merced - a 1999 product - will support up to 256 processors in SMP mode. ECC - error checking and correction (2 bits detect, 1 bit correct) is also featured on Intel's L2 cache for the Pentium Pro and upcoming Slot 2 Deschutes. Paul