AMD Athlon 64 FX "San Diego" Exposed

[XBoxLPU]

We now can confirm that AMD Athlon 64 FX processor based on 90nm San Diego core with Socket 939 form-factor will be launched next year, but will not be pin-to-pin compatible with existing mainboards, as The Inquirer told you earlier.

The new Athlon 64 FX microprocessor with dual-channel memory support is not likely to require expensive registered DIMM modules and hence will be more popular among end users. A problem with it is that it will not be compatible with existing Socket 940 mainboards since the design guide for the part will be available only in October. Looks like AMD goes Intel steps and forces some of its customers to play ?change your mainboard game? next year.

Small quantities of the AMD Athlon 64 FX ?San Diego? microprocessors made using 90nm fabrication technology in either AMD Fab30 in Dresden, Germany, or in IBM?s East Fishkill facility, will be available at the end of the first quarter next year, whereas massive quantities are expected to hit the market in the second quarter. Their core-clocks are very likely to be 2.60GHz or beyond to beat Intel?s Prescott processors at 3.60 ? 3.80GHz that also have 1MB of L2 cache.

There is no information about the branding of San Diego code-named chips, but I would expect them to use the same branding method that will be found on this year?s AMD Athlon 64 FX processors with dual-channel memory controllers.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20030822080030.html

 

[Tab]

1MB L2 Cache? How much are these going to cost??!?!

 

[jswjimmy]

i dont know a xeon 2.8 ghz with a 4 mb cache is like 6000$

 

[Tab]

Originally posted by: jswjimmy
i dont know a xeon 2.8 ghz with a 4 mb cache is like 6000$

I am going to look in the penny jar and see how much money I have.

 

[dexvx]

Originally posted by: jswjimmy
i dont know a xeon 2.8 ghz with a 4 mb cache is like 6000$

Xeons dont have 4MB cache.

 

[silent tone]

At 90nm they may be able to produce enough chips per wafer after increased die size and lower yield, to keep prices similar to .13 bartons with 512kB cache

 

[yhelothar]

sounds good... but i doubt amd could stay on time... they were always delayed when trying to go to a lower process

 

[digitalsm]

The Athlon 64 FX will cost $650 in lots of 1000. Im pretty sure Intels Prescott will cost in the same range.

 

[First]

Originally posted by: dexvx

Originally posted by: jswjimmy
i dont know a xeon 2.8 ghz with a 4 mb cache is like 6000$

Xeons dont have 4MB cache.

Yes they do. It's all L3 though, and I think it's only 2MB or 3MB.

 

[digitalsm]

Originally posted by: Evan Lieb

Originally posted by: dexvx

Originally posted by: jswjimmy
i dont know a xeon 2.8 ghz with a 4 mb cache is like 6000$

Xeons dont have 4MB cache.

Yes they do. It's all L3 though, and I think it's only 2MB or 3MB.

Xeon MPs have 256k-512k L2 cache, and your choice of 2MB, 1MB, or 512k L3 cache. So he was right the current Xeons do not have 4MB cache. However the Xeon MP 2.8Ghz with 2MB L3 cache does cost an arm and leg. Itaniums have 4MB cache. There might have been a time where Xeons did have 4MB cache, but the current Xeons do not.

 

[Arcanedeath]

The old P2 / Slot 2 based Xeons had an option for 4mb L2, if I recall correctly, but it didn't run at the full processor speed

 

[randumb]

Originally posted by: Arcanedeath
The old P2 / Slot 2 based Xeons had an option for 4mb L2, if I recall correctly, but it didn't run at the full processor speed

It only went up to 2mb L2.