Rumor: AMD "Piledriver" FX CPU production to begin Q3 2012

Idontcare

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
21,118
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I don't understand why AMD is doing this.

I thought their current CPU's were already "good enough" for the masses, that is why no one needs Intel's even faster chips that are available today, right?

Aren't all the laptops out there now already over-powered? Why is AMD improving on something they already have stated does no one any good if it becomes faster?

Rory Read said:
“That era is done,” Read, 50, said in an interview.“There’s enough processing power on every laptop on the planet today.”

link

It's almost like they say one thing, but don't really mean it or believe it themselves given that they are spending oodles of money directed towards the exact opposite message :hmm:
 

magomago

Lifer
Sep 28, 2002
10,973
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Just in time for Haswell. Good luck with that.

LOL yeah cause you know Haswell will be out with zero delays? I don't either, but I don't assume that it will be out smoothly because we can easily look at things like Ivybridge that had its own set of problems.
 

magomago

Lifer
Sep 28, 2002
10,973
14
76
I don't understand why AMD is doing this.

I thought their current CPU's were already "good enough" for the masses, that is why no one needs Intel's even faster chips that are available today, right?

Aren't all the laptops out there now already over-powered? Why is AMD improving on something they already have stated does no one any good if it becomes faster?



It's almost like they say one thing, but don't really mean it or believe it themselves given that they are spending oodles of money directed towards the exact opposite message :hmm:

sorry to sound like an a-hole here, but the rabid fanboyism is just annoying, even if you are deliberately asking rhetorical questions. AMD's announcement has little to do with the fact that people don't need more power, and more with the fact that they know they can't compete with Intel.
Because of that, they want to try to compete in another consumer space where intel doesn't have a massive r&d, process & manufacturing lead. A CEO's job is to be the company's cheer leader, and its easier to smile, lie and say "we think there is enough desktop power out there, so lets go another direction!" rather than "we can't compete profitably in the long run, but we'll try, however, we think there is an opportunity in lower power segments and we want to focus on that!"

I'm sure AMD will try to continue to improve its processors, but the announcement lets them (a) say 'we aren't looking to compete toe to toe with intel on performance in the desktop market' every time they release another version of a processor and (b) allows the company to more easily focus resources in a direction that they think they can be profitable.

Only time will tell, but its silly and naive to think that because they've made this announcement, all desktop processor technology development will cease.
 

Edrick

Golden Member
Feb 18, 2010
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If by just in time you mean 6+ months earlier, then... yes?

CPU going into Production Q3 2012 (assume no more delays) status means that we wont see it on shelves until Q1 2013. Haswell will be Q1 or Q2 2013. I don't see 6 months anywhere in there.
 

Edrick

Golden Member
Feb 18, 2010
1,939
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LOL yeah cause you know Haswell will be out with zero delays? I don't either, but I don't assume that it will be out smoothly because we can easily look at things like Ivybridge that had its own set of problems.

Ok, so your arguement is all based on IB being delayed 1-2 months due to issues with 22nm Trigate node process. Keeping in mind that Haswell is the SAME node, and SB was exactly on time (Intel's last Tock), I see no reason to believe Haswell will be delayed.
 
Aug 11, 2008
10,451
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sorry to sound like an a-hole here, but the rabid fanboyism is just annoying, even if you are deliberately asking rhetorical questions. AMD's announcement has little to do with the fact that people don't need more power, and more with the fact that they know they can't compete with Intel.
Because of that, they want to try to compete in another consumer space where intel doesn't have a massive r&d, process & manufacturing lead. A CEO's job is to be the company's cheer leader, and its easier to smile, lie and say "we think there is enough desktop power out there, so lets go another direction!" rather than "we can't compete profitably in the long run, but we'll try, however, we think there is an opportunity in lower power segments and we want to focus on that!"

I'm sure AMD will try to continue to improve its processors, but the announcement lets them (a) say 'we aren't looking to compete toe to toe with intel on performance in the desktop market' every time they release another version of a processor and (b) allows the company to more easily focus resources in a direction that they think they can be profitable.

Only time will tell, but its silly and naive to think that because they've made this announcement, all desktop processor technology development will cease.

Here is a novel idea: maybe people would respect them if they flat out DID tell the truth. And I really am tired of the "its good enough" excuse.
 

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
17,577
9,268
136
If they reach Phenom 2 performance lol.

I've been trying to figure out how to adapt a Zoolander reference here:

"I've always been a fan of Blue Steel, and I hear Magnum is going to blow us all away", but gave up in the end. :)
 

Phynaz

Lifer
Mar 13, 2006
10,140
819
126
I don't understand why AMD is doing this.

I thought their current CPU's were already "good enough" for the masses, that is why no one needs Intel's even faster chips that are available today, right?

Aren't all the laptops out there now already over-powered? Why is AMD improving on something they already have stated does no one any good if it becomes faster?



It's almost like they say one thing, but don't really mean it or believe it themselves given that they are spending oodles of money directed towards the exact opposite message :hmm:

You're going to upset some people :)
 

Idontcare

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
21,118
58
91
the rabid fanboyism is just annoying

I've been characterized with a wide range of creative adjectives in the past, but "rabid fanboyism" is a new one to add to my cv.

I thought my questions were fair. If the answers to them all are something along the lines of "AMD is full of crap when they say what they say" then shouldn't that be on them?

Why is it on me just because I am pointing out the emperor appears to have no clothes?
 

blckgrffn

Diamond Member
May 1, 2003
9,110
3,029
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www.teamjuchems.com
You've upset some people :)

FTFY :p

Yeah, well, I like the way it is looking right now. If those numbers are anywhere close to accurate: ~10% better IPC, ~20%(!) power reduction, plus more MHZ, well, awesome job on the same node.

Or BD was just a really epic fail on the first pass.

As long as they don't pull the Intel playbook move of Williamette (ugh) --> Northwood (yay!) --> Prescott (OMFG really?) and just stop at the "Northwood" stage and make a move in a more competitive direction with Steamroller, it looks like AMD might be doing enough to keep Intel honest.


Why is it on me just because I am pointing out the emperor appears to have no clothes?

Your rabid fanboyism is showing again. Careful.

:biggrin:
 

magomago

Lifer
Sep 28, 2002
10,973
14
76
Ok, so your arguement is all based on IB being delayed 1-2 months due to issues with 22nm Trigate node process. Keeping in mind that Haswell is the SAME node, and SB was exactly on time (Intel's last Tock), I see no reason to believe Haswell will be delayed.

Lets just wait and see. Again, I never said it would be delayed, but I'm not making constant assumption about what is isn't happening.
 

Arzachel

Senior member
Apr 7, 2011
903
76
91
CPU going into Production Q3 2012 (assume no more delays) status means that we wont see it on shelves until Q1 2013. Haswell will be Q1 or Q2 2013. I don't see 6 months anywhere in there.

Trinity needed 4 months to go from production to shelves, why do you think Vishera will need more? Especially when the cores are nearly the same as those in Trinity?
 

blastingcap

Diamond Member
Sep 16, 2010
6,654
5
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Was this CPU developed and already in the pipeline prior to Read's emergence as CEO? Might not have been worth killing if it was already gestating.

Also, going mass cores smells like servers to me.

But anyway I think the real answer is that AMD would love to fight for performance crowns, but it can't, and Read has sour grapes.

I don't understand why AMD is doing this.

I thought their current CPU's were already "good enough" for the masses, that is why no one needs Intel's even faster chips that are available today, right?

Aren't all the laptops out there now already over-powered? Why is AMD improving on something they already have stated does no one any good if it becomes faster?



It's almost like they say one thing, but don't really mean it or believe it themselves given that they are spending oodles of money directed towards the exact opposite message :hmm:
 

Idontcare

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
21,118
58
91
Was this CPU developed and already in the pipeline prior to Read's emergence as CEO? Might not have been worth killing if it was already gestating.

Also, going mass cores smells like servers to me.

But anyway I think the real answer is that AMD would love to fight for performance crowns, but it can't, and Read has sour grapes.

That's a good point. Figure the design team for this chip was given project directives circa 2008, it is very likely to be what you are saying. Project was too far along to justify aborting when Rory came onboard.

Still though, the Rory of today hardly reflects the "we must be the predator" Rory that wanted the world to think of AMD back in Sept.

After Years Of Hard Knocks, AMD Honing Its Killer Instinct

Clown, copycat, casualty. AMD has been many things. Rory Read wants to learn to turn the processor designer into the one thing it’s never been: a killer.

link

So what did Rory learn about, or come to realize, in the past 6 months that he is now singing a different toon? Is it Piledriver not doing what marketing had him thinking it was going to do?

Something changed, the pipeline didn't, but the CEO's rhetoric sure did. What caused the change is very much of interest to me.