AMD's 2007 analyst day: Platforms and the glass half full - The Tech Report - Page 2

Notebook
Among AMD's list of new platforms are the notebook-oriented Puma and Shrike. AMD has already talked about Puma: it's on track for a launch in the first quarter of next year, and will include a new "Griffin" dual-core processor, an RS780 chipset with DirectX 10-class integrated graphics, an M8x mobile graphics processor, and support for the DASH PC management specification.

In 2009, Puma will be followed by "Shrike," which will introduce a 45nm "Swift" CPU with three K10 microprocessor cores and one graphics processor core. ("Swift" is basically AMD's Fusion CPU/GPU chimera under a new code name. AMD says it will come out in the second half of 2009.) Shrike will also bring M9x graphics, a next-gen south bridge, and DDR3 memory support.

One of AMD's slides suggests Griffin will be dubbed "Turion Ultra," although AMD didn't speak about the brand directly. As for the M8x graphics processor, it'll be based on 55nm process technology and will feature native support for DisplayPort display outputs. The General Manager and Senior VP of AMD's Graphics Products Group, Rick Bergman, boasted that AMD has secured more design wins with notebook vendors for 2008 than Nvidia. Bergman believes AMD will return to being the number-one vendor of discrete graphics processors for notebooks next year.

Enterprise
In the enterprise (or "commercial mainstream") segment, AMD will roll out a new "Perseus" platform in the first quarter of 2008. Perseus will presumably fight it out with Intel's vPro platform, and it will bring quad-, triple-, and dual-core processors based on AMD's K10 architecture, an RS780 chipset with DX10 integrated graphics, optional R600-series graphics with "Hybrid Graphics," and support for the DASH and Trusted Platform Module specs. Hybrid Graphics technology will basically allow users to pair up a system's integrated graphics with a compatible discrete graphics card for improved performance. Perseus will also put an accent on energy efficiency, with a maximum processor power envelope of just 65W.

In the latter part of 2009, a new platform dubbed Kodiak will succeed Perseus. Kodiak will bring triple- and quad-core 45nm processors with the same RS780 integrated graphics chipset (albeit with a new SB700+ south bridge), optional R700-series graphics, and Socket AM3 motherboards with support for DDR3 RAM and future versions of the DASH spec.

Mainstream
AMD's "platformization" will carry over into the mainstream market, too, where the company will unveil a new Cartwheel platform in the first quarter of 2008. Cartwheel will combine quad-, triple-, and dual-core K10 processors, the RS780 DX10 integrated graphics chipset, optional R600-series graphics processors with Hybrid Graphics functionality, and Vista Premium certification. Cartwheel will include AMD Live! Explorer software to provide users with a "common [user interface] for all entertainment," as well.

Cartwheel will be followed in 2009 by a "Cartwheel refresh" platform with 45nm quad-, triple-, and dual-core K10 processors, DDR3 memory support, an RS780 chipset (but with a new SB800 south bridge), optional R700-series graphics processors (also with Hybrid Graphics capability), and new Socket AM3 motherboards.

Enthusiast
AMD has already rolled out its Spider platform (see our reviews of the Phenom processors, 790FX chipset, and Radeon HD 3800 graphics processors) but there's plenty more where that came from. Spider is set to be succeeded by the "Leo" platform in the latter part of next year. Leo will feature 45nm triple- and quad-core K10 chips with DDR2 memory support, 790FX/790/770 chipsets with SB700 south bridges, and R600-series graphics processors.

Leo will itself be replaced by a Leo Refresh platform in 2009. Leo Refresh will feature 45nm triple- and quad-core CPUs with DDR3 memory support, a new RS800 chipset with an SB800 south bridge, R700-series graphics processors, and new Socket AM3 motherboards.

Server/workstation
AMD even has plans for platforms in the server and workstation worlds, although those plans won't see the light of day until next year. For the second half of 2008 and early 2009, AMD will pair up its 45nm "Shanghai" quad-core Opterons with Nvidia and Broadcom chipsets as it currently does with its 65nm "Barcelona" Opterons.

In 2009, however, the situation will change as AMD rolls out its 45nm "Montreal" octal- and quad-core processors. Those chips will have 1MB of L2 cache per core, 6-12MB of L3 cache per chip, DDR3 memory support, and a new G3 socket code-named "Piranha".

Montreal processors will be coupled with the RD890S and RD870S north bridges and an SB700S south bridge. On the graphics front, AMD will offer R700-based FireGL and Fire MV graphics processors for workstation customers as well as ATI ES-1000 chips on the server. AMD hasn't assigned a code name to this bundle of products, but it will be an all-AMD platform much like those mentioned above.