AMD Puts Pressure On Intel In PC Gaming With New Socket For Two Dual-Core Processors

[ted]

to combat conroe, amd last trick is.....please read.
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2006/06/amd_puts_pressu.html#more

 

[Xentropy]

Interesting. So this is likely the "trick up their sleeve" AMD was purported to have by several AM2 articles across the web. Given what I've read, 4 threads isn't going to make much of a difference beyond 2, though. How many games even use 2 right now?

This will be great for certain people with certain software, but I don't think games are really the proper software for using more threads. Just look at where hyperthreading and dual core gave advantages; games didn't really see as much improvement from more threads/cores as rendering and encoding and the like.

Edit: Still, plenty of folks around here are going to be drooling over the idea of a dual-processor, dual-video-card system. And probably posting some nice benchmarks (even if they are ridiculously cost inefficient). Hmm, two FX's...could get top-of-the-line gaming systems back above $4k.

 

[tommo123]

depending on the cost, this might interest me more than conroe which i've been considering upgrading to soon. i do a lot of video encoding and this would deffo help out in that area

 

[F1shF4t]

Must resist......... i mean seriously i must resist, faster cpu does not matter, but something new.........
Does it work with any cpu, cause it would be cool to run 1 dual core and 1 single core. Also if only they brought it out it for socket 939.

 

[MBrown]

4 cores doesn't mean anything if the software is designed to use them. I don't see anything big here.

 

[Markfw]

Doesn't make any sense to me. They already have dual-core dual socket motherboards that have PCI-express slots, its called socket 940, and Duvie has one.

 

[coldpower27]

Originally posted by: Markfw900
Doesn't make any sense to me. They already have dual-core dual socket motherboards that have PCI-express slots, its called socket 940, and Duvie has one.

A platform more specifically targetted at enthusiasts, rather then targetted at servers.

 

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: coldpower27

Originally posted by: Markfw900
Doesn't make any sense to me. They already have dual-core dual socket motherboards that have PCI-express slots, its called socket 940, and Duvie has one.

A platform more specifically targetted at enthusiasts, rather then targetted at servers.

Also the article says this is ONE socket and not 2 seperate sockets. So the chips must actually touch each other in the socket?? Weird. If I'm reading that right anyway. I wonder what heatsink you would use for that?

Edit- not something I'm ever going to buy. The AMD rep states that game makers are really starting to code for multiple cores now. Yeah right. I'm programing my own game right now as we speak. It can use 8+ cores. Should have it done anytime now. I call it - Duke Nuke'em Forever.

 

[coldpower27]

Originally posted by: the Chase

Originally posted by: coldpower27

Originally posted by: Markfw900
Doesn't make any sense to me. They already have dual-core dual socket motherboards that have PCI-express slots, its called socket 940, and Duvie has one.

A platform more specifically targetted at enthusiasts, rather then targetted at servers.

Also the article says this is ONE socket and not 2 seperate sockets. So the chips must actually touch each other in the socket?? Weird. If I'm reading that right anyway. I wonder what heatsink you would use for that?

True, this could be AMD's version of the Presler implementation, except it probably uses HyperTranpsort to achieve the same ends.

 

[the Chase]

Originally posted by: coldpower27

Originally posted by: the Chase

Originally posted by: coldpower27

Originally posted by: Markfw900
Doesn't make any sense to me. They already have dual-core dual socket motherboards that have PCI-express slots, its called socket 940, and Duvie has one.

A platform more specifically targetted at enthusiasts, rather then targetted at servers.

Also the article says this is ONE socket and not 2 seperate sockets. So the chips must actually touch each other in the socket?? Weird. If I'm reading that right anyway. I wonder what heatsink you would use for that?

True, this could be AMD's version of the Presler implementation, except it probably uses HyperTranpsort to achieve the same ends.

HHmmm...which was my guess all along (Quad core being what AT was talking about) except for the HyperTransport being the interconnect......

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: XentropyThis will be great for certain people with certain software, but I don't think games are really the proper software for using more threads. Just look at where hyperthreading and dual core gave advantages; games didn't really see as much improvement from more threads/cores as rendering and encoding and the like.

This will only be true until HT/DC becomes more of a destop mainstay. I installed the Q4 1.2 patch this morning. id claims an 87% improvement over single cores. From what I've been able to tell from playing, there is a notable difference in the way Q4 runs.

 

[coldpower27]

Originally posted by: HardWarrior

Originally posted by: XentropyThis will be great for certain people with certain software, but I don't think games are really the proper software for using more threads. Just look at where hyperthreading and dual core gave advantages; games didn't really see as much improvement from more threads/cores as rendering and encoding and the like.

This will only be true until HT/DC becomes more of a destop mainstay. I installed the Q4 1.2 patch this morning. id claims an 87% improvement over single cores. From what I've been able to tell from playing, there is a notable difference in the way Q4 runs.

Yeh, Quake 4 is wone of the games that shows the strongest performance improvements when using Dual Core.

However Quad Core seems to show no improvement with Quake 4 but we shall see on this.

 

[biostud]

I wonder if you need 2xx Opterons or if regular A64 will run on this.

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: biostud
I wonder if you need 2xx Opterons or if regular A64 will run on this.

That would be sweet, but I doubt AMD is willing to be that nice. Something like this would be a great selling point for the 940 as a reason to jump.

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: the Chase

Originally posted by: coldpower27

Originally posted by: Markfw900
Doesn't make any sense to me. They already have dual-core dual socket motherboards that have PCI-express slots, its called socket 940, and Duvie has one.

A platform more specifically targetted at enthusiasts, rather then targetted at servers.

Also the article says this is ONE socket and not 2 seperate sockets. So the chips must actually touch each other in the socket?? Weird. If I'm reading that right anyway. I wonder what heatsink you would use for that?

Edit- not something I'm ever going to buy. The AMD rep states that game makers are really starting to code for multiple cores now. Yeah right. I'm programing my own game right now as we speak. It can use 8+ cores. Should have it done anytime now. I call it - Duke Nuke'em Forever.

I was imagining just a longer rectangular socket where you can put two cpus side by side. I can't imagine how anything would work if you had the pins on two cpus shorted together.

 

[Polish3d]

I would still rather go with Conroe because it will be so much faster in single-threaded apps, particularly after overclocking... although I really like the idea of "sli" processors

 

[Munky]

The funny part about this quad-core cpu is that most users users, especially gamers, will see just about 0% improvement in single or dual-threaded apps. But when it comes to benchmarks with more than 2 threads AMD will most likely spank Intel's Conroe, just enough to ruin the party for Intel.

 

[AkumaX]

anyone think that intel can fire right back and release a 2 socket conroe?

 

[degeester]

Let me see, you have to buy two AMD2 chips and get a special motherboard. This will ship in sytems by the end of 2006.

But Intel will launch (losing two months to a quarter to AMD 4x4) Kentsfield (two dual cores on same die) in Q1 of 2007, which will work on the regular motherboards.

What makes more sense.

 

[SexyK]

Why would they even target this at gamers? A single OCed mid-range Core 2 should destroy this in 99% of games, yet you have to buy $2000 worth of CPUs to make it work? Guess this is aimed only at the ego-stroking crowd.

 

[jamesz42]

I like this article a little better.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=2638

It implies 2 sockets.

Question: Once you build the market for desktop dual socket motherboards, do we open the door to using that socket for a co-processor?

 

[Hard Ball]

Originally posted by: AkumaX
anyone think that intel can fire right back and release a 2 socket conroe?

They already had enough trouble in finding FSB fast enough for DP motherboards, where they had to resort to DIB. So unless they are going to adapt the Bensley platform for enthusiast market (extremely expensive proposition due to the cost of the mobo, 600-1000, and the cost of FB-DIMM).

Well, it looks like one hack is outdoing another. Presler is basically two dies attached on a single PCB; now AMD is not even using the glue. LOL, LOL

 

[Cooler]

I think anything AMD puts out to try to kill 2.93 x6800 will be stomped by intels 3.2ghz monster. Its the old bait and swap.

 

[TuxDave]

So the 4x4 Platform requires using FX processors? I forgot but are there any compatibility differences between FX and X2 processors?

 

[Hard Ball]

Originally posted by: TuxDave
So the 4x4 Platform requires using FX processors? I forgot but are there any compatibility differences between FX and X2 processors?

I don't think we know for sure either way; but whatever CPU they will need, will be required to have at least 2 HTT links (as opposed to the one right now on all A64 chips), at least one coherent-HTT (as opposed to 0 right now on current chips). So maybe the new AM2 FX62 already has that built in.