AMD K10 PROCESSOR SKIN

Here's a simple overview of what's going in one module. There be some explainin' afoot, so let's zoom into one-quarter of the chip. You see, while there's no provision for integrated graphics, there are eight CPU cores present here, but each core doesn't quite fit into the fully-independent mould established by processors of yore. It won't escape your attention that in no portion of the picture is there reference to integrated graphics: Bulldozer is a pure CPU.Д«ut first glances can be misleading. With dual-channel DDR3 memory interfacing with the on-chip northbridge, е…ѓ cache, and four HyperTransport links out to the rest of the system, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot new here. A quick glance shows there to be four execution cores surrounded by lots of cache - 16MB, in fact. Here's Bulldozer as seen from a high-level overview. And it's in response to this required scaling that, literally, a modular architecture has been designed. AMD acutely understands that any new architecture needs to scale in terms of cores, power and performance, enabling it to fit into laptops, desktop machines and servers. AMD absolutely needs to support its partners and the channel when faced with abundance of Core chips flying out of Intel's fabs. Just how this will translate to Bulldozer yields is a closely-guarded secret for now, though AMD's PR machine has responded by stating there will be 'adequate supply' in the channel, whatever that really means. 32nm is a must in late-2011, and it enables AMD to squeeze in more transistors than the 45nm process used for Phenom II.Д«ut GloFo has endured well-documented problems in ensuring a steady supply of Llano chips.

AMD K10 PROCESSOR SKIN

There's a new fabrication process, general architecture, ISA support, cache setup, power-delivery system, and branding: phew! Let's get under the skin of Bulldozer by examining each in turn.ДЇollowing on from the process adopted for the CPU-and-GPU Llano, AMD is using 32nm Silicon-On-Insulator High-K Metal Gate fabrication from GLOBALFOUNDRIES. Making a clean break from the K10-derived Phenom II architecture, everything about Bulldozer is new.

Now ready to take the fight to Intel is a range of new mainstream CPUs that are designed to replace Phenom II. It's brought its own Fusion to play with the all-new desktop Llano, packaging a healthy dollop of GPU performance with an adequate CPU. To draw a tenuous boxing analogy, AMD's Phenom II is a boxer whose past his prime, and while price-cutting can mask a foible or two, there's not a whole lot of time left until he hits the canvas and simply fails to get up.ДЄMD's not stood still while Intel's been 'tick-tocking' its way to ever-more efficient, leaner CPU-and-GPU architectures. Meanwhile, competitor Intel has launched a raft of new technologies and architectures in the same eight years, culminating with the impressive second-generation Core chips released in January 2011. Tracing the lineage all the way back to 2003 with the release of the Athlon 64, architecture modifications - K8 to K10 - die shrinks, socket longevity, and across-the-board price-cutting means that, eight years on, the company's six-core Phenom II chips remain solid choices for a mainstream build. Goodbye, Phenom, hello, FX K10, a fond farewellДЄMD has pulled significant mileage out of its Athlon and Phenom CPUs.

Amd k10 processor