28nm AMD Server CPUs in 2013

[Soleron]

http://www.cpu-world.com/news_2011/2011080201_AMD_2012_-_2013_server_roadmap.html

(credit to Dresdenboy)

An AMD server CPU roadmap is now showing 20-core 28nm CPUs in 2013. I think this is the first time a half-node has been used for CPUs, and unless GF is developing a high performance, custom 28nm SOI for AMD we don't know of, I think this is likely to be bulk silicon. It's also possible to read from this that they won't have 20/22nm CPUs on the high-end in 2013, so AMD will be two years behind Intel's 22nm at least.

 

[Rifter]

i think they should worry about getting a good 32nm out in 2011 before going any further.

 

[Idontcare]

First thing I assume when I read the headline is that AMD is intending on releasing a server chip based on the 28nm shrunken Bobcat cores.

Only thing is that I distinctly recall JFAMD scoffing and outright dismissing the notion of using the bobcat lineage in a server environment, so that would suggest the 28nm server CPU is not based on a bobcat shrink.

So that leaves us with the possibility here that AMD is going to migrate away from SOI (it is costly for GloFo to develop SOI nodes if AMD is/was going to be the only high volume customer to continue using it) and will rejoin the industry in using bulk-Si CMOS (as needed if they had any intentions of truly becoming foundry agnostic on future nodes).

Maybe this is part of the reason they say Trinity will be able to cut power in half? Trinity is actually a 28nm part?

 

[darkswordsman17]

My guess is, since their GPUs will already be on 28nm, its easier to just move the CPUs than try to move the GPU to 32nm. Plus it'll have benefits for them in that they should likely be able to reduce cost as well as limit production constraints since they wouldn't be limited to GF. 2013 is around the time I would expect APUs based on GCN to start showing up, so I think that makes sense, and if they're putting in the effort to convert the CPU cores to 28nm they might as well do that across the board.

Any idea what cores those would be? I wonder if its just enhanced Bulldozer at 28nm or maybe they'll tweak it again. Could it possibly enable them to put more cache?

I wouldn't think they'd use Bobcat cores in server, but I don't know how Bobcat really compares or will compare to Bulldozer, but the latter seems aimed specifically at stuffing a lot of cores while also being relatively high performance. Bobcat seems like it'd be a poor fit and would require too much of a new niche product for AMD to mess with.

I'm almost completely certain Trinity isn't 28nm.

 

[Idontcare]

I'm almost completely certain Trinity isn't 28nm.

Same here...but I was also almost completely certain AMD would not transition their mainstream flagship server products to a 28nm half-node bulk-Si process tech too. So I'm done making assumptions about AMD's roadmap to 22nm SOI at this point. My interest is quite piqued though.

 

[soccerballtux]

how in the world could they go back to bulk Si, is beyond me, I thought strained SOI was so amazingsauce etc.