Posted on 09/09/2002 2:44:45 AM PDT by JameRetief
Speed limits on P4 could open window for AMD
Can Barton scale to high speeds fast?
By : Sunday 08 September 2002, 23:47
This new layout might well be related to some significant errata in the processor, which we reported a few weeks ago.
But with the introduction of 512K cache "Barton" AMD XP chips, we think that Intel may well be giving the smaller chip company a real chance to catch up again on the clock speed front, irrespective of any Clawhammer introductions in Q4 this year or Q1 the next.
In fact, the roadmaps only show Intel able to reach something like 3.20GHz on Pentium 4s, and AMD might well have an additional lease of life in the constantly changing Megahurts Madness both firms play.
One problem, according to sources close to the matter, is that when the internal chip frequency hits 6GHz, as it does with the 3.06GHz because the adders are double clocked to get the work done in a single pipeline cycle, Intel will have to eventually re-engineer the design of the P4 to keep it viable. But such a task is of such magnitude that to achieve the frequencies the firm is projecting in 2005 or so, it is probably more realistic to start another design rather than re-engineer all the innards of the processor.
The same roadmaps show Intel has to swap to a 90 nanometer process for the Pentium 4 to achieve higher clock speeds. While some people are speculating that Intel may demo machines clocking at significantly higher frequencies at the Intel Developer Forum in San Jose this week, the new chemistry AMD is producing could give Chipzilla some real headaches.
The speculation is that Barton speeds might significantly increase over the next three to six months, giving AMD the performance crown at a time when it needs it, and also allowing them to slip in the Clawhammer as a performance booster too.
We're confident that Intel will be able to produce the 90 nano technology, but the P4 at 90 nano surely has to be the end of the road for this particular design.
Mega-DUH bump.
One word: Games! The average home computer is used to play games amongst other things. Minimum system requirements are now passing the 1ghz mark. As we all know, minimum system requirements are a joke. Usually to have a good gaming experience you have to far exceed the MSR. Honest reviews of the new Jedi Knight game have set the MSR at 2ghz with no less than a Radeon 8550 or Nvidia Geforce ti 4200 pushing video.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.