CPU/Chipset News

[comp@ddict]

This is one of the two dedicated NEWS Channels that have been created after much request by many!

And I think I don't have to say anything else to it.

MOD EDIT:

Post all those zillions of gossips you find in the internet not in seperate threads but here. It becomes hard to manage a hell lot of news items which may or may not be true or which may not be significant enough for threads.

This thread has been stuck for a reason: To avoid clutter in tech news section.

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Phenom II X2 550 @ 102$
Athlon II X2 250 @ 87$

AMD plans to launch two dual cores among many energy efficient CPUs and this will all take place on Tuesday June 2nd at Computex.

We managed to get the prices as Athlon II X2 250 based on Regor dual core and it works at 3.0GHz, has 1MB L2 cache per core and 65W TDP. The best of all is that it will sell for really affordable $87.

Faster of two and unlocked one is Phenom II X2 550 Black edition, based on Calisto core works at 3.1Ghz has 6MB L3 cache and 2x512KB L2 and this multiplier unlocked CPU has 80W TDP and will sell for $102.

http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/13929/1/

[MetalheadGautham]

difference only little.
Anybody would go for the Callistro Black Edition.

[comp@ddict]

^
But the X2 250 has a price cut potential, because it's Cost Of Production is much lower than the 70$ X2 7xxx series. This won't be the case with X2 550, because essentially, it's a quad-core with two cores disabled.

[MetalheadGautham]

And I was hoping to see the Athlon II X4 Energy Efficient 45W CPUs @ under 100$. Guess its my bad luck.

[comp@ddict]

^^ I don't think that will be possible. AMD will definitely sell EE processors for the same price as non-EE. Whereas INTEL sells it for a higher price.

[MetalheadGautham]

^^ I don't think that will be possible. AMD will definitely sell EE processors for the same price as non-EE. Whereas INTEL sells it for a higher price.

But at what price ? Even if I get 2.1GHz 605e its fine with me.

[comp@ddict]

Right now, I have no idea. BTW, see my blog and tell me about it.

[MetalheadGautham]

Nice blog. Anyway, I am interested in the Die size of the Athlon II (dual, tri and quad) CPUs. I heard L3 cache removal reduces die.

If they manufacture Athlon II Duals directly, without harvesting from quads, they can sell like hot cakes if they are priced around 50$.

[comp@ddict]

Yes, but useless AMD manufactures only 2 CPUs, a quad core with L3 cahce, and one w/o and both are quad cores. They then harvest that procc and makes sooo many others!

[MetalheadGautham]

Yes, but useless AMD manufactures only 2 CPUs, a quad core with L3 cahce, and one w/o and both are quad cores. They then harvest that procc and makes sooo many others!

That technique works only as a supplement to main fleet of CPUs in the long run. But I guess its one of AMD's cost cutting moves and also encourage people to take the gamble and buy 790GX boards instead of cheap 780G boards.

[comp@ddict]

^^Yup, you got that right!

[MetalheadGautham]

^^Yup, you got that right!

But hey, its working isn't it ?

People are running behind cheap 5.5K CrossFireX OverClocking 790GX boards like no time before.

When nVidia launched the Intel Chipset 650i a few years back for the same price, people bought it, but not with the same enthusiasm as for 790GX.

I guess AMD's stratagy of introducing cheap overclockable graphics cards which do wonder in crossfirex, and their stratagy of putting CFX at everyday Joe's reach did wonders.

There was a time for example, when Intel forced everyone to buy Original Intel Motherboards on 965G chipset for 5K since nothing else had such cheap solution into onboard graphics while dedicated GPUs cost a bomb.

Today people on a budget buy 780G mobos for 3.3K and wag their central fingers at their past lives.

[comp@ddict]

AMD has struck gold mine. That's y they said they would end up with profit BIG time from this year onwards.

[MetalheadGautham]

AMD has struck gold mine. That's y they said they would end up with profit BIG time from this year onwards.

I guess. But I think the Athlon II X2 250 would be more popular among OEMs than overclockers.

For 15$ (or 750 rupees) more you get 100MHz higher stock speed, an unlocked multiplier and full 6MB L3 cache.

[comp@ddict]

^^Here's something interesting:

PHENOM II X2 550 AND ATHLON II X2 250


For the processors athlon II X2 2xx AMD decided to use dual core processors with new crystals with the reduced area - the concealed core does not have simply cache in the third level.
Consequently, to convert the dual core processor series athlon II X2 2xx in four cores is physically impossible. Exception can be for the three core processors athlon II X3 4xx.

[MetalheadGautham]

Yup because the two defective cores have their L2 cache transfered to the working cores.

[comp@ddict]

^^no, it's a native dual core, meaning there are chances that the processor after price cuts will come down to 60$ price.

[MetalheadGautham]

Are you sure about them being native ? I have read several reports of them being defective quads with the cache of defective cores enabled.

If it indeed is native, its that much better. Hopefully we can see Athlon II X4 CPUs also with 4MB L2 cache.

[comp@ddict]

Gosh, look at this:

Core i7 i920 to be discontinued

Prepare to bid farewell to the $400 Core i7 upgrade dream. Chip major Intel is reportedly planning to discontinue some of the relatively affordable Core i7 processors, including the most commercially successful model, the 920. Cannibalizing the Core i7 920 and 940, will create market headroom for the company's upcoming Core i5 "Lynnfield" processors. Internal analysis reportedly show that the high-end Lynnfield processors perform too close to the lower models of Core i7, and that could potentially affect sales of those high-end Core i5 chips. Perhaps Intel is trying to oil the segment to make the most profits. Sources at motherboard manufacturers tell that the companies are already working on adjusting their X58 product lines to cater to the future lines of Core i7 processors, which, may start with the $649 Core i7 950 and beyond.

http://www.techpowerup.com/95603/Int..._920__940.html

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INTEL doesn't want Core i7 i920 to compete with the Core i5 processors, that's why they are doing this!

[MetalheadGautham]

Old news.

Core i7 940 also to be discontinued.

Core i5 launching at 195$. ====> This beats Phenom II X4 955.

[comp@ddict]

^^Earlier, only Core i7 i940 was to be discontinued, only to be replaced by the similarly priced i950 with higher speed. But if the i920 is gone, then people will be forced to buy i5 if they want i7-LIKE-Performance

EDIT:
Core i5 review/preview

http://anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/sho...spx?i=3570&p=3

[MetalheadGautham]

CHEAPEST AM3 3-way crossfirex motherboard hits the shelves.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157161

LOOK AT THE DAMN PRICE. Sh!t. We have nothing like that in India.

[j1n M@tt]

^^don't look at newegg prices...u will get P5Q Deluxe at 5k in newegg without box, and here we get it for 12-13k.

[MetalheadGautham]

^^don't look at newegg prices...u will get P5Q Deluxe at 5k in newegg without box, and here we get it for 12-13k.

without box ==> refurb. Here too we get for less price.

Anyway, 90$ @ newegg is 4500 rupees and most of the time it should easily come @ Rs. 5500 to India. I'm telling after comparing the usual CPU prices.

[j1n M@tt]

^^where do we get without box package shipping in India for less price??

[desiibond]

after looking at Anandtech article, it looks like AMD has a good chance of getting back it's market share now. A good price cut on 920 and 940 and 970FX/GX will put AMD right on top of Intel Core i5.

PS: That new LGA1156 socket and processor looks terribly ugly

[comp@ddict]

^^ INTEL is going bad in public's mind, they are discontinuing Core i7 i920. aka no i7 for below 562$!!!

[desiibond]

They had minimal competition for two years and now that AMD is back with Phenom II, they are in a confused state.

But yet, They fear that if i7 920 and 940 are availble, nobody will buy i5. People will either go for i7 or Phenom II.

[MetalheadGautham]

Actually AMD's not as safe as it looks. Intel can add lot more price cuts to i5 than Phenom II. Because i5 is sized similar to Core2 Duo CPUs while Phenom II is sized similar to Core i7 CPUs.

Unless they own silicon mines and have a patented high yeild process for ultra-purification of silicon not found anywhere else, AMD is set to make lot less profits than Intel.

[afonofa]

Maybe the Intel/AMD and Nvidia/Ati threads should not exist, because after every news there are going to be many comments and even without news there are going to be many comments.

So very soon these two threads will become difficult to keep track off and then those who are not able to check them regularly will most likely miss out on interesting/important news.

I think the old system of different threads for each piece of news (about intel,amd,nvidia) was better. Old news threads can be moved to a trash section as and when they become obsolete.