32nm | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Tue, 18 Aug 2015 10:21:49 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png 32nm | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Intel releases Quark microcontroller with 0.025W thermal design power https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/anton-shilov/intel-releases-quark-microcontroller-with-0-025w-thermal-design-power/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/anton-shilov/intel-releases-quark-microcontroller-with-0-025w-thermal-design-power/#respond Tue, 18 Aug 2015 10:18:25 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=263823 Intel Corp. has quietly released its new Quark D1000 microcontroller designed for smart electronics and embedded applications. The chip sports ultra-low power consumption and features x86 architecture. The Intel Quark D1000 microcontroller has one 32-bit x86 core clocked at 33MHz, lacks cache and has TDP of 0.025W. The Quark D1000 chip supports SPI and I2C …

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Intel Corp. has quietly released its new Quark D1000 microcontroller designed for smart electronics and embedded applications. The chip sports ultra-low power consumption and features x86 architecture.

The Intel Quark D1000 microcontroller has one 32-bit x86 core clocked at 33MHz, lacks cache and has TDP of 0.025W. The Quark D1000 chip supports SPI and I2C interfaces, has 24 GPIO lines as well as two UART controllers. Power consumption of the chip can be reduced to 0.0016W if clock-rate is decreased to 1MHz.

The Quark D1000 microcontroller comes in 6mm*6mm 40-terminal quad flatpack lo-lead (QFN40) package, reports CPU-World. The chip can operate in temperature range from -40°C to 85°C.

intel_quark_1

The new microcontroller will be Intel’s first chip of its kind, which will help the company to establish positions in the market dominated by various partners of ARM Holdings. Microcontrollers are used in automatically controlled devices, including such as home appliances, automobile engine control systems, remote controls, office machines, appliances, power tools, and other embedded systems. By microcontroller standards, the Quark D1000 is a relatively powerful product.

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KitGuru Says: Intel is slowly entering new markets with its Quark products. Unfortunately, it does not look like the Quark family is a massive success for the world’s No. 1 maker of microprocessors.

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Intel still committed to make new Itanium processors https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-still-committed-to-make-new-itanium-processors/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-still-committed-to-make-new-itanium-processors/#comments Fri, 17 Apr 2015 02:12:57 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=245498 Intel Corp. introduced its latest Itanium microprocessor code-named “Poulson” back in 2012 and since then the company has neither updated the lineup of its IA64 chips, nor revealed exact plans about future Itanium products. But while Intel has been consistently adding new reliability, availability and serviceability features to its Xeon E7 processors, making them suitable …

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Intel Corp. introduced its latest Itanium microprocessor code-named “Poulson” back in 2012 and since then the company has neither updated the lineup of its IA64 chips, nor revealed exact plans about future Itanium products. But while Intel has been consistently adding new reliability, availability and serviceability features to its Xeon E7 processors, making them suitable for mission-critical systems, the company is still committed to release new Itanium products.

“Intel remains committed to the Intel Itanium product line and to the delivery of the next-generation Intel Itanium processor, code named ‘Kittson’,” said Anna Cheng, a spokeswoman for Intel. “Kittson will be manufactured on Intel's 32nm process technology and will be socket compatible with the existing Itanium 9300/9500 platforms, providing customers with performance improvements, investment protection, and a seamless upgrade path for existing systems.”

intel_itanium_poulson_1

The Intel Itanium “Poulson” 12-wide issue central processing unit integrates eight multi-threaded cores with new micro-architecture and improved Hyper-Threading technology with dual domain multithreading, a ring-based system interface and combined 54MB cache on the die. Frequencies of the latest Itanium 9500-series processors range from 1.73GHz with a power level of 130W to 2.53GHz at a power level of 170W. High speed links of the new chips provide peak processor-to-processor bandwidth of up to 128GB/s and memory bandwidth of up to 45GB/s.

The “Poulson” chips added four new instructions that were supposed to lay the foundation for the Itanium architecture to grow with future needs as well as a number of technologies that made the chip even more reliable than predecessors.

Back in 2012, when the Itanium 9500 “Poulson” was released, Intel still had multiple partners, who used IA64 chips, including Bull, Hitachi, Hewlett-Packard, Inspur, Huawei and NEC. As a result, the company had a roadmap for future processors, including the code-named “Kittson” chip made using 22nm fabrication process. Around the time, Intel started to add RAS capabilities to its Xeon E7 processors based on the industry-standard x86 architecture. As a result, Bull, Hitachi and NEC decided to switch to Xeon chips and HP remained the only partner with more or less significant volume requirements for Itanium CPUs.

intel_itanium_server_man_badge_logo_1_650

Since demand for Itanium central processing units dropped significantly in 2012, Intel reconsidered its Itanium roadmap. Instead of using its 22nm technology to make “Kittson” products, the world’s largest microprocessor supplier decided to continue using the 32nm node for the CPU. Moreover, the company does not want to talk about innovations the “Kittson” products will bring.

“Intel, HP and our other OEM partners remain in discussion about the timing and feature set of Kittson,” added Ms. Cheng. “We have not disclosed any product plans after Kittson.”

While Intel will clearly release one more iteration of the Itanium, even HP does not believe in the IA64 platform. HP introduced its first Intel Xeon E7-powered NonStop X machines for business critical applications in November, 2013, and then followed with Integrity Superdome X business-critical servers featuring Intel Xeon E7 in December, 2014. The NonStop X machines run NonStopOS, whereas Superdome X supports SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 Service Pack 3, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5, 6.6, and 7.0. Intel Itanium-based machines from HP can run HP-UX 11i, HP OpenVMS I64 as well as various enterprise software designed specifically for IA64 chips. Once HP develops x86-64 version of its Unix and OpenVMS operating systems, there will be no need for Itanium.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Even though it is highly likely that “Kittson” chips will be released, it does not seem that Intel and HP actually want to invest R&D money in boosting performance of IA64 chips. As a result, it looks like the best thing “Kittson” will offer will be a 20 per cent performance improvement over current gen offerings.

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AMD faces massive securities fraud lawsuit because of ‘Llano’ problems in 2011 https://www.kitguru.net/components/apu-components/anton-shilov/amd-faces-massive-securities-fraud-lawsuit-because-of-llano-problems-in-2011/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/apu-components/anton-shilov/amd-faces-massive-securities-fraud-lawsuit-because-of-llano-problems-in-2011/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2015 22:59:17 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=243252 While Advanced Micro Devices has plenty of troubles today, it looks like the company could be hit by problems from the past, which are associated with the launch of its code-named “Llano” accelerated processing unit. AMD may have to pay damages to parties, which bought the company’s shares between April, 2011, and October, 2012. The plaintiffs …

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While Advanced Micro Devices has plenty of troubles today, it looks like the company could be hit by problems from the past, which are associated with the launch of its code-named “Llano” accelerated processing unit. AMD may have to pay damages to parties, which bought the company’s shares between April, 2011, and October, 2012.

The plaintiffs accuse AMD management of concealing slow ramp of its code-named “Llano” accelerated processing unit because of poor yields and other issues at GlobalFoundries with 32nm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) with high-k metal gate (HKMG) process technology, reports Reuters news-agency. The investors also believe that AMD’s management in 2011 mis-executed product launch and ramp up as well as co-operation with makers of mainboards. As a result, in 2012 the company had to write down $100 million of “Llano” inventory as not saleable.

AMD’s “Llano” was the company’s first high-performance APU with K10.5 “Husky” x86 cores and integrated Radeon graphics based on the TeraScale 2 architecture (which used VLIW5 compute units). The processing units featured FM1 form-factor. The chips, which were once supposed to be released in late 2010, were delayed to mid-2011.

amd_fusion_llano

When the production started in April, 2011, it quickly turned out that GlobalFoundries could not manufacture enough APUs for the market using 32nm SOI fabrication process. As a result, AMD had to ship the chips only to large partners among PC makers. The company’s management at the time declined any issues with availability or manufacturing technology.

Since AMD’s “Llano” APUs in FM1 form-factor were almost not available in the channel, makers of mainboards produced appropriate platforms in very low quantities. As a result, when AMD could finally start volume shipments of “Llano” in late 2011 – early 2012, there were no mainboards for the APUs. When mainboard makers and AMD made the first-gen accelerated processing units and platforms available, it was too late.

AMD released its new-generation “Trinity” APU in FM2 form-factor in mid-2012. Since the “Trinity” chips were more powerful than previous-gen offerings, demand for “Llano” dropped sharply and in the third quarter of that year AMD had to write down massive amount of “Llano” inventory. As a consequence of the write down, AMD’s stock price dropped nearly 74 per cent from a peak of $8.35 in March 2012 to a low of $2.18 in October 2012.

A federal judge in Oakland, California, ruled that AMD must face claims that it committed securities fraud by hiding problems with “Llano”. The court case seeks damages on behalf of the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, Belgium-based KBC Asset Management and other investors who bought the company's shares between April 2011 and October 2012. Jonathan Gardner from Cohen Gardner LLP represents plaintiffs in this case against AMD. This is not the only class-action lawsuit filed by AMD investors in connection with “Llano” write downs. Another class-action against the chip designer was commenced by Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP in early 2014.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While a federal judge in Oakland, California, ruled that AMD must face a trial, this does not necessarily mean that the company will be found guilty. Moreover, there have been so many management changes at AMD in the recent years that people, who had the reigns in 2011, are no longer with AMD. Will be the lessons be learned?  Hardly, companies just do not ever say anything negative about their products.

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Intel boosts tablet SoC shipments targets for 2015 https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/anton-shilov/intel-boosts-tablet-soc-shipments-targets-for-2015/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/anton-shilov/intel-boosts-tablet-soc-shipments-targets-for-2015/#respond Sat, 17 Jan 2015 01:58:53 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=231058 Intel shipped 46 million application processors for tablets last year and became one of the largest suppliers of this kind of system-on-chips in the world. Although the company clearly exceeded its original tablet SoC sales goal in 2014, Intel set a rather cautious target for this year. “We set a goal to ship 40 million …

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Intel shipped 46 million application processors for tablets last year and became one of the largest suppliers of this kind of system-on-chips in the world. Although the company clearly exceeded its original tablet SoC sales goal in 2014, Intel set a rather cautious target for this year.

“We set a goal to ship 40 million tablets in 2014, this goal is intended to establish Intel architecture in the marketplace and scale the supply chain and the chart developers,” said Brian Krzanich, chief executive officer of Intel, during a conference call with investors and financial analysts. “I am pleased to report that we shipped 46 million tablet SoCs, becoming one of the industry’s largest merchant silicon providers in tablets.”

intel_atom_dual_core

For this year, Intel reportedly plans to ship 44 million application processors for tablets in 2015, reports DigiTimes web-site. Intel has never confirmed the goal officially, but it is likely that the company will try to ship more than 46 million units this year.

For Intel, it was very important to establish its presence in the market of tablets and make slate manufacturers use its platform. In a bid to do this, the company had to subsidize manufacturers and sell its Atom SoCs for tablets at a loss. While the company is expected to provide subsidies on a case-by-case basis, it will likely continue to lose money on tablet chips this year.

intel_atom_z2760_dell_tablet

It is obvious that until Intel’s Chinese partners like Rockchip, Spreadtrum Communications and RDA Microelectronics start to ship their x86 offerings, the company will likely continue losing money on tablet APs. Therefore, it is in Intel’s best interests to help its allies in development of appropriate SoCs.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Basically speaking, Intel bought itself a chunk of the tablet AP market. While this is not something exactly bad, it is clear that the world’s largest maker of processors will keep losing money on mobile SoCs until its Chinese partners introduce their tablet chips. What is unclear is when Intel plans to start making money on tablet products.

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AMD: GlobalFoundries makes APUs, CPUs, GPUs and console chips for us https://www.kitguru.net/components/anton-shilov/amd-globalfoundries-makes-apus-cpus-gpus-and-console-chips-for-us/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/anton-shilov/amd-globalfoundries-makes-apus-cpus-gpus-and-console-chips-for-us/#respond Thu, 04 Dec 2014 03:13:56 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=224768 GlobalFoundries, the world’s second largest contract maker of semiconductors, has leading edge process technologies and advanced fabs. However, in the recent years the company had to significantly alter its plans, which affected its performance and relations with customers. Fortunately, according to AMD, a key client of GF, the problems seem to be over and execution …

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GlobalFoundries, the world’s second largest contract maker of semiconductors, has leading edge process technologies and advanced fabs. However, in the recent years the company had to significantly alter its plans, which affected its performance and relations with customers. Fortunately, according to AMD, a key client of GF, the problems seem to be over and execution at GlobalFoundries is improving.

Advanced Micro Devices on Thursday confirmed that GlobalFoundries has successfully expanded the lineup of chips it produces for AMD. If previously GlobalFoundries only made central processing units and accelerated processing units using leading-edge fabrication processes, then right now the mix also includes graphics processing units as well as semi-custom AMD-designed system-on-chips for the latest video game consoles, such as Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox One as well as Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 4.

“I think the execution of GlobalFoundries has improved significantly and that helps us from an overall standpoint,” said Devinder Kumar, chief financial officer of Advanced Micro Devices, during his presentation at the Credit Suisse 18th Annual Technology Conference. “In 2014 for the first time in the history of the relationship we went beyond PC product and actually we are making graphics, PC, and semi-custom products at GlobalFoundries in 2014 and that will continue into 2015.”

globalfoundries_cleanroom_fab8

The CFO of AMD did not reveal exact chips that GlobalFoundries manufactures for the company, but given the fact that CPUs, APUs and GPUs are usually made using different process technologies, it is obvious that the relationship between the companies is pretty diverse.

“When you diversify the product that you make at a foundry like GlobalFoundries, it benefits them from a mix standpoint and benefits us from a mix standpoint,” added Mr. Kumar.

AMD and GlobalFoundries signed wafer supply agreement in April, 2014. While under the terms of the contract GlobalFoundries agreed to make various chips for AMD, the two companies have never confirmed that shipments of those chips had begun. In the past GlobalFoundries delayed launched of numerous products.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While we pretty much know what kind of process technologies GlobalFoundries uses for AMD’s APUs and CPUs, it is completely unclear which manufacturing processes are used for AMD’s GPUs and the chips for game consoles.

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Intel changes Quark roadmap, preps fully-integrated Quark SoC in 2016 https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/anton-shilov/intel-radically-changes-quark-roadmap-preps-fully-integrated-quark-soc-in-2016/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/anton-shilov/intel-radically-changes-quark-roadmap-preps-fully-integrated-quark-soc-in-2016/#respond Fri, 14 Nov 2014 22:32:31 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=221968 Intel Corp.’s Quark system-on-chips for extreme-ultra-low-power devices provide basic compute capabilities for smart appliances, simple robots and even wearable gadgets, but there are a number of reasons that prevent them from becoming popular. Among the key points of Intel’s concerns about the Quark family is low-performance, limited amount of I/O interfaces and lack of integrated …

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Intel Corp.’s Quark system-on-chips for extreme-ultra-low-power devices provide basic compute capabilities for smart appliances, simple robots and even wearable gadgets, but there are a number of reasons that prevent them from becoming popular. Among the key points of Intel’s concerns about the Quark family is low-performance, limited amount of I/O interfaces and lack of integrated graphics controller. Apparently, the company plans to take care of this in the coming years.

In a bid to speed up the Quark roadmap, the world’s largest chipmaker cancelled its code-named “Dublin Bay” application specific standard product (ASSP) chip that was expected to arrive in early 2015 and slightly improve performance of the original Quark X1000 while retaining pin-to-pin compatibility and packaging. Instead of it, the world’s largest chipmaker plans to introduce code-named “Liffey Island” ASSP that will not be pin-to-pin compatible with the first-gen Quark, but will feature both performance and I/O improvements, reports CPU-World.

intel_quark_liffey_island_1

According to slides, which resemble those from Intel’s documents, published by several Chinese web-sites (12), the code-named “Liffey Island” will feature a single-thread Pentium-class P54C core operating at clock-rates up to 533MHz with 16KB L1 cache, 512KB L2 cache and a single-channel DDR3/LPDDR2/LPDDR3/DDR3L memory controller with ECC capability and up to 1066MHz frequency support. The “Liffey Island” ASSPs are projected to integrate a host of industry-standard I/O interfaces, including ACPI, PCI Express 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, HS UART controller, 25MHz SPI, SD/eMMC/SDIO, PC/GPIO, 8-channel ADC with 11-bit granularity, USB 2.0, I2S and so on. Just like the first-generation Quark, the “Liffey Island” will support internal AMBA (advanced microcontroller bus architecture, which was originally developed by ARM) bus that allows Intel to integrate various IP from other companies into Quark system-on-chips if needed. Thermal design power of the Quark “Liffey Island” is expected to be below 2W.

intel_quark_liffey_island

While the “Liffey Island” seems to be a rather interesting solution for a range of smart consumer electronics devices and appliances, there are considerably more powerful things incoming to Intel’s Quark family.

In 2016 the world’s largest chipmaker intends to introduce an all-new code-named “Seal Beach” ASSP, which will feature substantially higher performance – thanks to a new x86 general-purpose core that supports SSE2 instructions (it is unlikely that Intel plans to add SSE2 to P54C, so expect something new). In addition, the new “Seal Beach” system-on-chip will feature integrated 2D/3D graphics controller, which will make it suitable for applications that have displays and need support for graphics, such as smart-watches.

It is interesting to note that while all Quark processors we knew about so far carried code-names after places in Ireland (Dublin Bay, Liffey Island) since they were developed there, the third-generation Quark carries “Seal Beach” code-name, after a small town in California. While we cannot be sure about that, but it looks like Intel’s third-gen Quark is designed in the U.S., not Ireland.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

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KitGuru Says: Intel certainly wants to improve Quark as much as possible in order to enable leading-edge applications that are not possible today. The question is whether manufacturers of various devices will actually bite…

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AMD hires former exec from Dell to head enterprise, embedded, semi-custom businesses https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/dell-hires-former-exec-from-dell-to-head-enterprise-embedded-semi-custom-businesses/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/dell-hires-former-exec-from-dell-to-head-enterprise-embedded-semi-custom-businesses/#comments Tue, 28 Oct 2014 02:23:49 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=218777 Advanced Micro Devices on Monday announced that Forrest Norrod, a former vice president and general manager of Dell’s server business, has joined the company as senior vice president and general manager of AMD’s enterprise, embedded and semi-custom (EESC) business group. “Forrest is an industry veteran whose strong track record of establishing and growing businesses strengthens …

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Advanced Micro Devices on Monday announced that Forrest Norrod, a former vice president and general manager of Dell’s server business, has joined the company as senior vice president and general manager of AMD’s enterprise, embedded and semi-custom (EESC) business group.

“Forrest is an industry veteran whose strong track record of establishing and growing businesses strengthens our leadership team,” said Lisa Su, chief executive officer of AMD. “Forrest’s unique combination of engineering, business management and technical expertise at both the chip and system level make him ideally suited to lead AMD into an expanded set of markets where our differentiated technology assets provide a competitive advantage.”

Mr. Norrod will be responsible for managing all aspects of strategy, business management, engineering, and sales for AMD’s EESC business. Keeping in mind that at present AMD does not have competitive solutions for high-performance enterprise servers, the new executive will have, among other things, promote solutions for low-power servers, including Opteron processors based on ARM architecture.

amd_opteron_6300_g34

It is interesting to note that earlier this year Forrest Norrod was not exactly a fan of micro-servers. In an interview he said that he was not sure about the future of ARM-based servers because software vendors and data-center owners had not made decisions to support and use low-power server chips. As it appears, among other things, Mr. Norrod will have to convince server software developers to support ARM.

“The book's not written yet,” said Mr. Norrod in an interview. “It is not clear. If end-user demand is there, we can certainly fill it. […] It's always going to come down to software. […] There is still a brutal, brutal competition among those guys for what will be a small market at the onset. The battle will be to demonstrate the value of ARM. Is it large enough against x86 [to convince organizations] to support that second instruction set in the data center? We'll have a pretty good idea how it settles out by the middle of 2016.”

It is noteworthy that Forrest Norrod is not the first server executive from Dell hired by AMD to oversee its servers business. Back in 2003 AMD hired Patrick Patla, a former server executive from Dell and DEC. Mr. Patla helped to make Opteron popular among server makers. He left AMD for Samsung in 2012.

Prior to Dell, Mr. Norrod ran the integrated x86 CPU business at Cyrix and National Semiconductor.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While it is definitely nice to see a new leader at AMD, it should be kept in mind that he will have to sell hardware that is significantly behind competition or products that have not become popular on the market yet. As a result, do not expect AMD’s server business to thrive because of Mr. Norrod till 2016, when AMD is expected to roll-out all-new Opteron chips based on the new micro-architecture known as Zen (or Xen?) and ARM servers finally take off (or not).

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AMD’s lowest-cost eight-core FX processor costs just $125/£79/€99 https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/amds-lowest-cost-eight-core-fx-processor-costs-just-12579e99/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/amds-lowest-cost-eight-core-fx-processor-costs-just-12579e99/#comments Fri, 03 Oct 2014 22:58:28 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=215108 About a month ago Advanced Micro Devices unveiled several new FX-series eight-core microprocessors that featured either increased performance, or lower power consumption compared to previously released chips. Apparently, since then the company has also quietly rolled-out a new affordable eight-core chip that costs $125 now in the U.S. The AMD FX-8310 microprocessor (which was discovered …

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About a month ago Advanced Micro Devices unveiled several new FX-series eight-core microprocessors that featured either increased performance, or lower power consumption compared to previously released chips. Apparently, since then the company has also quietly rolled-out a new affordable eight-core chip that costs $125 now in the U.S.

The AMD FX-8310 microprocessor (which was discovered in AMD’s database by CPU-World) features four dual-core Piledriver modules (eight cores in total), 3.40 frequency (no dynamic acceleration technology, according to AMD’s database), 8MB L2 cache, 8MB L3 cache, dual-channel DDR3 memory controller and 95W thermal design power. The new chip features unlocked multiplier (which means, it can be easily overclocked) and is compatible with all AM3+ mainboards.

amd_fx_artwork

The new CPU costs $125 (£79/€99) in the U.S. at TigerDirect and is naturally positioned as the world's most affordable eight-core solution for those, who plan to overclock it eventually. Since the chip has emerged on the U.S. market, it is likely that it will eventually show up in Europe and the U.K.

amd_fx_specs_8310

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Affordable chips with good overclocking potential were bestsellers back in the days. Nowadays overclocking requires rather advanced mainboards and cooling systems, which, in many cases, reduces viability of overclocking in general. As a result, low-cost chips for overclocking today are not as popular as back in the early 2000s.

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Intel acquires 20% stake in Chinese mobile SoC developer https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/anton-shilov/intel-acquires-20-stake-in-chinese-mobile-soc-developer/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/anton-shilov/intel-acquires-20-stake-in-chinese-mobile-soc-developer/#respond Thu, 25 Sep 2014 01:11:24 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=213457 Intel Corp. has quietly acquired a 20 per cent stake in a Chinese holding company that controls developers of system-on-chips for smartphones and other mobile devices, according to two media reports. It is expected that the chip designers will develop application processors for mobiles powered by Intel’s x86 cores, which will greatly increase market share of …

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Intel Corp. has quietly acquired a 20 per cent stake in a Chinese holding company that controls developers of system-on-chips for smartphones and other mobile devices, according to two media reports. It is expected that the chip designers will develop application processors for mobiles powered by Intel’s x86 cores, which will greatly increase market share of the x86 architecture on the market of smartphones.

A media report on Wednesday indicated that the world’s largest chipmaker has either already acquired or plans to buy a 20 per cent stake in Tsinghua Unigroup, an operating subsidiary of Tsinghua Holdings, a solely state-owned limited liability corporation funded by Tsinghua University in China. Intel reportedly paid $1.5. billion in cash for the stake, according to Motley Fool.

Tsinghua Unigroup acquired Spreadtrum Communication and RDA Microelectronics for $1.7 billion and $907 million, respectively, recently. Tsinghua Unigroup took over the two companies in a bid to create a developer of mobile SoCs that could compete against Qualcomm or MediaTek. While initially Tsinghua planned to merge the two companies, at present Spreadtrum and RDA still work independently.

intel_atom_merrifield

While Motley Fool reports that Intel bought a 20 per cent stake in Tsinghua Unigroup, which controls both Spreadtrum and RDA, Marbridge Daily indicates that the company only acquired a 20 per cent stake in Spreadtrum.

Last week it was reported that Intel was interested to make an investment in Spreadtrum in order to persuade the chip designer to choose its x86 cores over processing engines developed by ARM Holdings. Intel needs to popularize the x86 architecture on the market of smartphones and such investment in a mobile SoC developer could help the company.

Intel, Tsinghua, Spreadtrum and RDA did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The price that Intel reportedly paid or plans to pay for a 20 per cent stake in Tsinghua seems to be too high unless the company pursues certain additional goals with the purchase. One of such goals could be certain agreements with the Chinese government under which the company gets certain preferences on the local market. Another reason why Intel could pay $1.5 billion for Spreadtrum is because the latter is working on a $25 smartphone reference design. Since the latter is based on ARM's processing cores, Intel is clearly interested in substitution of ARM with its own x86 core.

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AMD announces three new FX microprocessors, slashes prices https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/amd-announces-three-new-fx-microprocessors-slashes-prices/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/amd-announces-three-new-fx-microprocessors-slashes-prices/#comments Tue, 02 Sep 2014 13:03:37 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=209920 Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday introduced three new AMD FX microprocessors for enthusiasts and slashed prices of existing high-end products. The move will make the FX-series chips slightly more competitive than they are today, but will hardly radically improve AMD’s positions on the market of central processing units. Three new AMD FX chips are the …

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Advanced Micro Devices on Tuesday introduced three new AMD FX microprocessors for enthusiasts and slashed prices of existing high-end products. The move will make the FX-series chips slightly more competitive than they are today, but will hardly radically improve AMD’s positions on the market of central processing units.

Three new AMD FX chips are the FX-8320e (eight-cores, 3.20GHz/4GHz frequency, 16MB cache, 95W TDP), the FX-8370e (eight-cores, 3.30GHz/4.30GHz frequency, 16MB cache, 95W TDP) and the FX-8370 (eight-cores, 3.30GHz/4.30GHz frequency, 16MB cache, 125W TDP). The new processors are not as fast as the code-named “Centurion” FX-9590 or FX-9370, but they are compatible with regular AM3+ mainboards. Moreover, the new AMD FX E-series processors feature 95W thermal design power, which makes them useful for systems in smaller form-factors.

amd_fx_models_prices

All new AMD FX microprocessors are based on the code-named “Vishera” design and the Piledriver micro-architecture. The chips are made using 32nm SOI process technology at GlobalFoundries do not differ significantly from CPUs launched almost two years ago. Still, keeping in mind that GlobalFoundries’ 32nm process technology might get a little bit better than it was in 2012, it is imaginable that new chips offer better overclocking potential.

Separately, AMD also slashed prices on virtually all FX processors. The most expensive model – the FX-9590 – now costs $229 in retail and $199 in mass quantities. The most advanced mainstream model – FX-8370/FX8370e –  is priced at $199 in retail and at $189 in mass quantities. AMD positions its FX-series chips as competitors for Intel’s Core i5 and Core i3 processors. The company does not plan to fight Intel’s Core i7 offerings with its FX-series products.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Keeping in mind that AMD does not want to compete against Intel’s “Devil’s Canyon” offerings, it is pretty obvious that the new models and prices will hardly improve popularity of the FX line up among enthusiasts who always want higher performance. Those, who want to have truly high performance will probably stick to Intel’s Core i7 “Devil’s Canyon” or even “Haswell-E” chips. Those, who want to have PCs with decent performance, but do not want to use expensive mainboards and cooling systems will not get the FX-9000 “Centurion” products. Meanwhile, the regular FX-8300-series chips are not popular among customers or system makers in general because of moderate performance and and two years of availability (those, who wanted an FX-8300-series chip have probably got one already). Perhaps, only 95W models will pose interest to those, who want to have a low-power AMD-based systems with maximum performance that AMD has to offer… Anyway, stay tunes for a fully-fledged review of the new AMD FX chips.

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AMD FX-8370 nearly breaks world’s clock-rate record at 8.7GHz https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/unannounced-amd-fx-8370-nearly-breaks-worlds-clock-rate-record-at-8-7ghz/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/unannounced-amd-fx-8370-nearly-breaks-worlds-clock-rate-record-at-8-7ghz/#comments Fri, 29 Aug 2014 22:53:54 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=209650 The Stilt, a famous Finnish overclocker, has managed to boost clock-rate of the yet-unreleased AMD FX-8370 microprocessor to whopping 8722MHz, which is just 72MHz lower than the world’s record CPU frequency. To overclock his eight-core FX-8370 chip to 8.72GHz, The Stilt had to increase the core voltage to 2.064V and used a system featuring Asus …

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The Stilt, a famous Finnish overclocker, has managed to boost clock-rate of the yet-unreleased AMD FX-8370 microprocessor to whopping 8722MHz, which is just 72MHz lower than the world’s record CPU frequency.

To overclock his eight-core FX-8370 chip to 8.72GHz, The Stilt had to increase the core voltage to 2.064V and used a system featuring Asus Crosshair V Formula-Z mainboard, 8GB of memory operating in dual-channel mode at 2218MHz, Asus Radeon R9 290X Direct CU II graphics card as well as liquid nitrogen cooling. The overclocker managed to boost default clock-rate of the FX-8370 processor (4.10GHz) by more than two times, an extraordinary result.

amd_fx_8370_overclock_1

What is especially important is that The Stilt managed to overclock his FX-8370 central processing unit with all eight cores (four dual-core Piledriver modules) active. By contrast, the record 8794.33MHz frequency was achieved by an FX-8350 chip with only two active cores (one dual-core Piledriver module).

amd_fx_8370_overclock

While AMD’s FX chips are based on the two years old code-named “Vishera” design, stepping 0, revision OR-C0, it should be noted that GlobalFoundries’ 32nm process technology might get a little bit better than it was in 2012. As a result, it is possible that over time chips like the FX-8370 will actually beat the world's record of 8794MHz.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The overclocking potential of the new AMD FX processors may be an interesting thing to investigate. If newer chips can actually work at higher frequencies without any problems, it may mean that eventually AMD could offer faster FX products even based on the current architecture.

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Intel sells quad-core Atom for tablets for $5 per chip – report https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-sells-quad-core-atom-for-tablets-for-5-per-chip-report/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-sells-quad-core-atom-for-tablets-for-5-per-chip-report/#comments Thu, 31 Jul 2014 13:30:49 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=205448 It looks like the price war on the market of mobile system-on-chips is in full swing. Just a day after Allwinner announced a quad-core application processor that will be sold for $4, it transpired that Intel Corp. already sells its quad-core Atom products for $5. Without making any announcements, Intel has launched a price war against …

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It looks like the price war on the market of mobile system-on-chips is in full swing. Just a day after Allwinner announced a quad-core application processor that will be sold for $4, it transpired that Intel Corp. already sells its quad-core Atom products for $5.

Without making any announcements, Intel has launched a price war against Chinese and Taiwanese developers of mobile application processors, such as Allwinner and Rockchip. The company sells its quad-core processors for “under $5”, which is significantly lower compared to prices of quad-core SoCs from Nvidia or Qualcomm, reports Want China Times.

This is not the first time when the information about “mainstream” quad-core app processors from Intel sold at around $5 transpires. Back in April a Taiwanese web-site already reported about extremely low prices of Intel application processors for tablets. Officially, quad-core Intel Atom processors for tablets cost starting from $17 per unit.

intel_atom_dual_core

In addition to selling its chips at low price points, Intel offers assistance to various manufacturers in a bid to help them integrate the Atom application processors into their designs. Thanks to affordable prices, technical and marketing help, it is likely that Intel will gain share on the market of inexpensive tablets.

Intel has a goal to ship 40 million mobile system-on-chips for tablets in 2014. So far the company has sold 15 million SoCs.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: On the one hand, the competition is always good, but on the other hand price-wars may force SoC developers to focus solely on pricing and cease to concentrate on things like performance and functionality. Stagnation of the market is never good for the industry.

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Intel sold highest amount of processors ever this past quarter https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-sold-highest-volume-of-processors-ever-this-past-quarter-company/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-sold-highest-volume-of-processors-ever-this-past-quarter-company/#comments Wed, 16 Jul 2014 16:56:54 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=203336 Thanks to strong sales of central processing units for personal computers, servers, tablets and other types of devices, Intel Corp. sold the record number of microprocessors in one quarter ever in the second quarter of its fiscal 2014. The company said that multiple factors affected demand for chips during the period. “The improving economic environment, …

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Thanks to strong sales of central processing units for personal computers, servers, tablets and other types of devices, Intel Corp. sold the record number of microprocessors in one quarter ever in the second quarter of its fiscal 2014. The company said that multiple factors affected demand for chips during the period.

“The improving economic environment, PC refresh, form factor innovation and the end-of-life of Windows XP combined to drive better than expected demand [for our products], said Brian Krzanich, chief executive officer of Intel, during the quarterly conference call with financial analysts and investors. “In fact microprocessor volume in the second quarter was an all-time record.”

Intel did not reveal the actual amount of microprocessors it sold during the quarter, but said it managed to ship ten million of chips for media tablets, which was in line with expectations. The company also sold more processors for desktops, notebooks and servers than it expected.

intel_microprocessors

Intel’s PC client group, which sells microprocessors, chipsets and other logic for desktops and laptops, had revenue of $8.7 billion, up 6 per cent year over year. The world’s largest chipmaker said that client platform volumes were up 9 per cent and platform average selling prices were down 4 per cent from a year ago.

According to Intel, desktop platform volumes were up 8 per cent and desktop platform average selling prices were up 2 per cent on a year-on-year basis in Q2 FY2014. Notebook platform volumes were up 9 per cent and notebook platform average selling prices were down 7 per cent compared to the second quarter of 2013. Relative to the first quarter, PC client group’s revenue was up 9 per cent with platform volumes up 12 per cent and platform average selling prices down 3 per cent.

The company’s data center group had revenue of $3.5 billion, up 19 per cent on a year-on-year basis. Platform volumes were up 9 per cent and platform average selling prices were up 11 per cent over the same period a year ago. DCG’s revenue was up 14 per cent from the first quarter with platform volumes up 12 per cent and platform average selling prices up 3 per cent.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It looks like sales of PCs and microprocessors are indeed improving. While it is doubtful that Intel makes any significant amount of money selling processors for tablets, it looks like the company does not have to lower prices of PC and server CPUs in order to sell record volumes. Good news for Intel and the industry (i.e., AMD).

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Intel: replacement of Windows XP-based PCs will help us in 2014 https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/intel-replacement-of-windows-xp-based-pcs-will-help-us-2014/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/anton-shilov/intel-replacement-of-windows-xp-based-pcs-will-help-us-2014/#comments Wed, 16 Jul 2014 16:42:07 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=203303 Chief executive officer of Intel Corp. said that replacement of Windows XP-based personal computers by businesses and enterprises will help the company to sell more microprocessors this fiscal year. While the company does not want to make predictions regarding next year, it does not exclude the possibility that the replacements will continue in 2015. “We …

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Chief executive officer of Intel Corp. said that replacement of Windows XP-based personal computers by businesses and enterprises will help the company to sell more microprocessors this fiscal year. While the company does not want to make predictions regarding next year, it does not exclude the possibility that the replacements will continue in 2015.

“We believe the [Windows] XP end-of-life kind of replacement will at least play through the end of the year and that’s as far as we have looked at it,” said Brian Krzanich, chief executive officer of Intel, during the quarterly conference call with financial analysts and investors. “It can go beyond that. […] We just have not really started to put our predictions and our estimates for 2015 together yet.”

Intel estimates that at present there are over 600 million of personal computers that are four years old and even older. A significant part of them are based on the Windows XP operating system and they are going to be replaced rather sooner than later, which represents additional opportunities going forward for Intel as well as its arch-rival Advanced Micro Devices.

What remains to be seen is when Windows 7-based systems made in 2010 – 2011 are set to be replaced. Such personal computers are powered by rather advanced microprocessors, offer decent performance and will be supported with security updates until 2020.

lenovo_think_idea_ultrabook_intel

After Microsoft ceased to provide security updates for its Windows XP operating system this April, businesses and enterprises started to replace their old personal computers with new ones powered by Windows 7 OS.

According to Intel, thanks to the end-of-life of Microsoft’s Windows XP operating system it managed to sell more processors for both desktops and notebooks.

For the second quarter of fiscal 2014 the world’s largest chipmaker reported revenue of $13.8 billion, up from $13.0 billion expected previously. The firm attributed additional revenue to increased sales of microprocessors for business PCs, such as the Core i-series chips with the vPro technology. Intel’s PC client group’s revenue during the Q2 FY2014 was $8.7 billion, up 9 per cent sequentially and up 6 per cent year-over-year.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: over 600 million old PCs that need replacement is clearly a huge opportunity for Intel and other chipmakers. However, when it comes to enthusiast-class PCs, many of three-year old Sandy Bridge-based machines will not be replaced this year or next simply because modern quad-core processors hardly provide substantial performance advantage compared to those old machines…

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Intel preps second-gen Quark ‘Dublin Bay’ processor https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-preps-second-gen-quark-dublin-bay-processor/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-preps-second-gen-quark-dublin-bay-processor/#comments Fri, 11 Jul 2014 22:58:24 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=202668 Intel Corp.’s Quark microprocessor for ultra-low-power systems, wearable electronics and smart appliances, has not yet gained any traction on the market, but the world’s largest chipmaker is already working on its replacement that will be available in 2015. The new platform is code-named “Dublin Bay” and at present not a lot of details about the …

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Intel Corp.’s Quark microprocessor for ultra-low-power systems, wearable electronics and smart appliances, has not yet gained any traction on the market, but the world’s largest chipmaker is already working on its replacement that will be available in 2015. The new platform is code-named “Dublin Bay” and at present not a lot of details about the new chip are known.

The first-generation Intel Quark X1000-series system-on-chips features a 32-bit single-threaded Pentium instruction set Intel architecture (ISA)-compatible x86 core (P54C) operating at frequencies up to 400MHz with 16KB L1 cache, 512KB L2 cache, a single-channel DDR3/LPDDR2/LPDDR3 memory controller, a PCI Express 2.0 controller, a USB 2.0 controller and so on. The chips consume up to 2.2W – 2.3W of power and are priced at $9.63 – $13.39. The Quark X1000 SoCs were designed in Ireland and are made using 32nm process technology.

Intel has been shipping the Quark X1000-series processors to developers, universities, entrepreneurs, various manufacturers of smart appliances, wearable computing devices, robots and various gadgets since the fourth quarter of 2013, but the shipments volumes are barely significant at this point.

intel_quark_1

Intel is already developing the successor of the Quark X1000, which is code-named “Dublin Bay.” The chip – which will probably be called the Quark X2000 – will also contain one x86 core with alleged multiple application-specific enhancements and will have up to 2W thermal design power, reports Expreview web-site. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether the chip will be made using 22nm or 14nm low-power process technologies. Since Intel’s upcoming Atom chips will be made using 14nm LP manufacturing processes, it is likely that Intel will also try to make Quark SoCs using its most-advanced technologies.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The original Quark system-on-chip in many cases targets enthusiast inventors, not huge companies, which are traditional customers of Intel. Obviously, large makers of smart appliances do not really like to share their ongoing developments, which is why we have no idea whether AEG’s or Electrolux’s next-gen smart kettles will be based on Intel Quark or Qualcomm Snapdragon. Still, so far Intel has demonstrated a very limited number of prototypes powered by Quark, which is somewhat alarming. Nonetheless, it is good to see that Intel has a roadmap for Quark system-on-chips.

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AMD readies new FX processor with bundled liquid-cooling https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/amd-readies-new-fx-microprocessor-with-bundled-liquid-cooling/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/amd-readies-new-fx-microprocessor-with-bundled-liquid-cooling/#comments Sat, 21 Jun 2014 21:45:45 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=199556 Advanced Micro Devices plans to release another FX-series desktop microprocessor that will come bundled with closed-loop liquid cooling system, the firm said this week. The company did not unveil any details about the upcoming chip, but demonstrated its packaging and said that it will be available soon. Roy Taylor, vice president of global channel sales …

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Advanced Micro Devices plans to release another FX-series desktop microprocessor that will come bundled with closed-loop liquid cooling system, the firm said this week. The company did not unveil any details about the upcoming chip, but demonstrated its packaging and said that it will be available soon.

Roy Taylor, vice president of global channel sales at AMD, on Friday published a photo of an FX processor packaging on Twitter saying that “something new is coming.” The box, which says it contains an “FX-series processor with liquid cooling technology,” is vastly different from packages of currently available AMD FX products.

Since the package says “processor,” then it is highly-likely that AMD plans to release [at least] another high-performance multi-core chip without integrated graphics designed specifically for enthusiasts (update: confirmed by a source close to AMD). If AMD planned to release a high-end Kaveri-based FX-series offering, it would call the product an “accelerated processing unit.” As there are no “Steamroller” micro-architecture-based multi-core CPUs for servers/high-end desktops scheduled to arrive in mid-2014 anywhere in AMD’s roadmaps, it is highly likely that the company plans to further increase frequencies of the existing Vishera design that features the Piledriver micro-architecture x86 cores.

amd_fx_roy

In a bid to respond to the launch of the code-named Haswell microprocessors last year, AMD introduced two “extreme” FX-series products: the FX-9370 (eight cores, 4.40/4.70GHz, 8MB L2 cache, 8MB L3 cache, 200W thermal design power) and the FX-9590 (eight cores, 4.70/5.0GHz, 8MB L2 cache, 8MB L3 cache, 220W thermal design power). The chips require high-end AM3+ platforms and sophisticated cooling solutions. While in many cases such central processing units offer pretty high-performance compared to Intel’s Core i7-4770K or Core i5-4670K processors, in general they are behind their rivals. Learn more in KitGuru's review of AMD's FX-9590 CPU.

It looks like (at least, based on the current information) AMD decided to release a microprocessor that will be a respond to Intel’s code-named “Devil’s Canyon” chips. AMD yet has to release actual specifications of the novelty, but if the company actually plans to speed-up the Vishera design one more time, then it looks like we are probably going to see an eight-core chip with default clock-speed of 5GHz or higher.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is very nice to see that AMD wants to compete for the high-end market. Unfortunately, we have no idea whether the company’s new FX chip will actually be competitive against Intel’s Core i7-4790K processor with 4GHz default clock-rate.

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Intel shipped five million tablet processors in the first quarter https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-shipped-five-million-tablet-processors-in-the-first-quarter/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-shipped-five-million-tablet-processors-in-the-first-quarter/#respond Wed, 16 Apr 2014 22:59:47 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=187768 Intel Corp. on Tuesday said that it had shipped around five million of application processors designed for tablet computers in the first quarter of 2014. The company hopes that it would achieve its goal of selling 40 million tablet chips this fiscal year. The firm did not reveal any additional details about the chips for …

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Intel Corp. on Tuesday said that it had shipped around five million of application processors designed for tablet computers in the first quarter of 2014. The company hopes that it would achieve its goal of selling 40 million tablet chips this fiscal year. The firm did not reveal any additional details about the chips for portables it sold.

“In the first quarter […] we shipped 5 million tablet processors, making strong progress on our goal of 40 million tablets for 2014,” said Brian Krzanich, chief executive of Intel.

Intel offers specially-designed Atom-branded processors for media tablets. At present the company sells several types of system-on-chips aimed at tablet devices. Those SoCs are made using 22nm or 32nm process technology and are based on either Silvermont or Saltwell micro-architecture, respectively.

intel_atom_bay_trail_baytrail_chip_2

Intel did not break out how many new and how many old chips for tablets it supplied to customers last quarter, but said it has won 90 designs with its chips.

“We set an aggressive goal of shipping 40 million tablet SOCs this year,” said Mr. Krzanich. “I am happy to say we've tallied more than 90 designs on Android and Windows and shipped 5 million units in the first quarter, placing us squarely on track to that goal.”

Although Intel officially goal is to sell 40 million application processors for tablets this year, some unofficial sources indicated that the internal goal is to ship 60 million SoCs for slates in 2014. With only five million sold in the first quarter, that internal target will be hard to achieve.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It is not really important how many tablet-oriented units Intel shipped during the quarter; what really is important is what were those chips. If Intel pushed a lot of old chips at a very low price to whitebox makers in China, it means that the company’s Bay Trail-T offerings are still not competitive enough against ARM-based SoCs and the company will have to play with the price to achieve its sales targets. If Intel actually sold millions of new-generation application processors based on the latest micro-architecture and made using 22nm fabrication process, then it means that the chipmaker is on the on right track and will become more successful in terms of future unit sales during the year.

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Intel aggressively drops prices on system-on-chips for tablets – report https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-aggressively-drops-prices-on-system-on-chips-for-tablets-report/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/intel-aggressively-drops-prices-on-system-on-chips-for-tablets-report/#respond Mon, 14 Apr 2014 22:52:04 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=187359 In a bid to boost its share on the market of media tablets, Intel Corp. has aggressively lowered the price on some of its system-on-chips designed for media tablets. While the chips are most probably outdated, it looks like Intel is extremely serious about winning designs in the tablet space, so it is doing something …

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In a bid to boost its share on the market of media tablets, Intel Corp. has aggressively lowered the price on some of its system-on-chips designed for media tablets. While the chips are most probably outdated, it looks like Intel is extremely serious about winning designs in the tablet space, so it is doing something it does not usually have to do with chips for desktops or notebooks.

Prices of certain Intel Atom microprocessors aimed at tablets have dropped to below $5 recently, which is in line with offerings from China-based developers of application processors (Allwinner, Rockchip, etc.) and is considerably below what companies like MediaTek, Nvidia or Qualcomm ask for their SoCs, reports DigiTimes. The media does not elaborate on specifications of the chips or terms of the purchase.

While the publication claims that Intel is selling its “mainstream quad-core tablet CPUs” for below $5, it is more likely that Intel is trying it get rid of various outdated chips made using 32nm fabrication process (e.g. Atom Z2000 “Cloverview” processors based on the code-named Saltwell micro-architecture). However, the fact that Intel is trying to compete against small Chinese chip designers is an extraordinary one, of course, in case it is actually true.

intel_atom_oaktrail
Intel Atom solution for ultra-mobile devices. Image for illustrative purposes only.

Besides selling chips at low price points, Intel offers assistance to various white-box makers in a bid to help them integrate the Atom application processors into their designs. Thanks to affordable prices, technical and marketing help to makers of actual tablets, it is expected that Intel will gain share on the market of inexpensive tablets.

Intel plans to sell 40 to 60 million system-on-chips for tablets this year.

Intel did not comment on the news-story.

KitGuru Says: In case Intel actually sells certain chips for $5, then expect sub-$150 or even sub-$100 tablets featuring x86 microprocessors in the coming months from Chinese vendors.

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AMD officially announces Opteron ‘Warsaw’ microprocessors https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/amd-officially-announces-opteron-warsaw-microprocessors/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/anton-shilov/amd-officially-announces-opteron-warsaw-microprocessors/#respond Wed, 22 Jan 2014 12:49:06 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=173461 Advanced Micro Devices on Wednesday introduced two new server-class Opteron central processing units (CPUs) based on the code-named “Warsaw” design. The new chips boast slightly better power efficiency compared to predecessors, but feature similar performance and a set of technologies compared to existing code-named “Abu Dhabi” multi-core processors. Initially, there will be only two Opteron …

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Advanced Micro Devices on Wednesday introduced two new server-class Opteron central processing units (CPUs) based on the code-named “Warsaw” design. The new chips boast slightly better power efficiency compared to predecessors, but feature similar performance and a set of technologies compared to existing code-named “Abu Dhabi” multi-core processors. Initially, there will be only two Opteron “Warsaw” models available.

AMD Opteron “Warsaw” 6300-series central processing units will feature two six-core or eight-core dies to provide a total of 12 or 16 x86 cores based on the “Piledriver” micro-architecture. The new microprocessors pack 12MB or 16MB L2 cache, 16MB of L3 cache, quad-channel DDR3 memory controller (with support for up to 1866MHz clock-rate), four HyperTransport 6.4GT/s links and so on. The chips are compatible with socket G34 (LGA1944) infrastructure and can work in 2P or 4P configurations.

The code-named “Warsaw” chips feature a number of chip design optimizations implemented to improve their power efficiency compared to the “Abu Dhabi” multi-core CPUs that make them more competitive in certain segments of the server market. The new processors are made using 32nm SOI process technology by GlobalFoundries, just like their predecessors.

Opteron_6300_Series_hand_white_background

According to AMD, the new Opteron 6300-series “Warsaw” central processing units are optimized to handle the heavily virtualized workloads found in enterprise environments, including the more complex compute needs of data analysis, xSQL and traditional databases, at optimal performance per-watt, per-dollar.

“With the continued move to virtualized environments for more efficient server utilization, more and more workloads are limited by memory capacity and I/O bandwidth,” said Suresh Gopalakrishnan, corporate vice president and general manager of server business unit at AMD. “The Opteron 6338P and 6370P processors are server CPUs optimized to deliver improved performance per-watt for virtualized private cloud deployments with less power and at lower cost points.”

Initially, AMD will offer two products based on the “Warsaw” architecture: 12-core Opteron 6338P (2.30GHz default clock-speed, 2.50GHz P1 frequency, 2.80GHz P0 frequency, 28MB total cache, 99W thermal design power) and 16-core Opteron 6370P (2.0GHz default clock-speed, 2.20GHz P1 frequency, 2.50GHz P0 frequency, 32MB total cache, 99W thermal design power). Eventually, the lineup will likely be extended with new offerings.

amd_opteron_6300_warsaw_specs

The first two processors from the “Warsaw” family look like specially-configured chips for particular customers and systems. It is expected that eventually the family will be expanded and then it will be interesting to see by how much AMD will be able to cut power consumption of its high-performance Opteron 6300-series and microprocessors that currently sport 115W – 140W thermal design power. Alternatively, AMD will be able to boost clock-rates of chips aimed at the higher-end of the server market.

The new AMD Opteron 6338P and 6370P processors are available today through Penguin and Avnet system integrators and have been qualified for servers from Sugon and Supermicro at a starting price of $377 and $598, respectively.

KitGuru Says: While AMD can win new server designs with the Opteron “Warsaw” microprocessors, it is hardly unlikely that the chips which are essentially over a year old can help the company to regain any significant part of the server market in general.

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New 95W TDP quad, hexa and octo-core FX CPUs from AMD coming https://www.kitguru.net/components/stephen-dougherty/new-95w-tdp-quad-hexa-and-octo-core-fx-cpus-from-amd-coming/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/stephen-dougherty/new-95w-tdp-quad-hexa-and-octo-core-fx-cpus-from-amd-coming/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:19:39 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=79394 A freshly leaked slide updating us on future models in AMD's FX Series desktop processor lineup has made its way onto the web from the powers that be and what we can learn from this particular leak is that there will be three new AM3+ 32nm FX models arriving before this quarter comes to an …

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A freshly leaked slide updating us on future models in AMD's FX Series desktop processor lineup has made its way onto the web from the powers that be and what we can learn from this particular leak is that there will be three new AM3+ 32nm FX models arriving before this quarter comes to an end. All three chips run a 95 W TDP and include the FX-4150 quad core, FX-6120 hexa-core and FX-8140 octo-core.

The FX-4150 has a 3.9GHz base clock speed with 4.1GHz Turbo speed and carries 12MB of cache in the form of 4MB L2 and 8MB L3. The FX-6120 runs at 3.5GHz and also has a 4.1GHz Turbo clock speed with 14MB of cache.

Looking at the FX-8140, it's a 3.2GHz clocked part again with 4.1GHz Turbo and includes 16MB of cache.

KitGuru says: Pricing details on the new chips are yet to be disclosed, which is really what it all boils down to for AMD's FX line if it has a chance of snapping up sales from its fierce competitor.

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AMD shares its 2012-2013 roadmap https://www.kitguru.net/components/stephen-dougherty/amd-shares-its-2012-2013-roadmap/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/stephen-dougherty/amd-shares-its-2012-2013-roadmap/#respond Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:11:41 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=77092 Today we get a clearer picture of AMD's hardware plans heading well into 2013 thanks to the company presenting an updated client roadmap at its annual Financial Analyst Day yesterday. As we've learned through several previous roadmaps, their APU days have only just begun with preparations for the arrival of Trinity, Brazos 2.0 and Hondo …

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Today we get a clearer picture of AMD's hardware plans heading well into 2013 thanks to the company presenting an updated client roadmap at its annual Financial Analyst Day yesterday.

As we've learned through several previous roadmaps, their APU days have only just begun with preparations for the arrival of Trinity, Brazos 2.0 and Hondo APUs to come out this year, along with the Vishera (2nd-gen FX series) CPU.

AMD is expecting Trinity to do really good things for the company, aiming it square on as their main x86 contender when it debuts in Q2 of this year. Otherwise known as the 2nd gen of A Series processors, Trinity is based on a 32nm process featuring DX11 graphics, two or four Piledriver cores (of which are said to be at least 25% better in the performance stakes compared to the Stars cores used in its Llano APUs) and with a TDP that can drop to just 17 W with certain mobile parts.

The Brazos 2.0 (C and E Series) APUs are 40nm based, as is Hondo (Z Series) oriented more toward tablets. These low-power, low-cost mobile/desktop offerings feature either one or two Bobcat cores with DX11 graphics and a super low TDP between 4.5 W to 18 W.

Once Vishera surfaces later this year, it looks to be AMD's sole weapon for desktops right through 2013 as well. This 32nm based part will refresh AMD's FX series with the use of 4, 6 or 8 Piledriver cores. Apart from the possibility of higher-clocked models heading well into 2013, it doesn't look like there'll be much else happening in this segment for some time.

If we turn our attention to next year, AMD has a lot of 28 nm chips lined up which comprise new APUs in the form of Kaveri (replacing Trinity), Kabini and Temash and also its Sea Islands GPUs which will apparently bring with them a new type of architecture and HSA (Heterogeneous Systems Architecture) features.

Kaveri will be squarely aimed at the mainsteam mobile and desktop segments, featuring integrated GCN based DX11.1-supporting graphics in conjunction with either two or four Steamroller x86 cores and HSA application support. Meanwhile, Kabini and Temash will take care of the lower cost, low power segment, also carrying GCN graphics and using Jaguar x86 cores (up to four of them for Kabini and two for Tamesh).

KitGuru says: A sign of AMD saying goodbye to the CPU altogether by 2015?

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Globalfoundries back on track with 14nm on the cards https://www.kitguru.net/components/stephen-dougherty/globalfoundries-back-on-track-with-14nm-on-the-cards/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/stephen-dougherty/globalfoundries-back-on-track-with-14nm-on-the-cards/#respond Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:35:50 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=76372 GlobalFoundries publicly disclosed for the first time its preparations for 14nm process node technology during an interview with EE Times late last week. The world's third largest independant semiconductor foundry has already begun planning phases for 14nm, indicative that they have made quite the turn-a-round after experiencing a year that was plagued with setbacks, followed …

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GlobalFoundries publicly disclosed for the first time its preparations for 14nm process node technology during an interview with EE Times late last week. The world's third largest independant semiconductor foundry has already begun planning phases for 14nm, indicative that they have made quite the turn-a-round after experiencing a year that was plagued with setbacks, followed by a supposedly much more positive Q4 2011 revenue result.

Its 14nm wafer production will take place after further developing its fabrication plant in Dresden, Germany, where it will also be continuing production of its 32nm, 28nm and 20nm process technologies.

KitGuru says: A good sign perhaps, but many wounds to heal after a rather rocky road been travelled. Can they recover from lost credibility with their customers and an apparent cancellation by AMD of 28nm products? Only time will tell.

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Intel’s Sandybridge, 2nd generation Core technology https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/faith/intels-sandybridge-2nd-generation-core-technology/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/faith/intels-sandybridge-2nd-generation-core-technology/#respond Sat, 20 Nov 2010 21:39:25 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=24107 Ever since the pre-launch videos of Conroe taking FX apart, each new Intel processor range has delivered a solid THWACK to the PC market. Not only has each generation of chip delivered substantial increases in performance, the overall production quality has been nothing short of stunning. On the eve of war, KitGuru spies have smuggled …

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Ever since the pre-launch videos of Conroe taking FX apart, each new Intel processor range has delivered a solid THWACK to the PC market. Not only has each generation of chip delivered substantial increases in performance, the overall production quality has been nothing short of stunning. On the eve of war, KitGuru spies have smuggled us the hot and spicy sauce that you all know and love so well.

Say Chandler to most people and they think of Monica's husband in Friends. KitGuru, on the other hand, thinks about nothing other than Intel's state-of-the-art 32nm fabrication plant (FAB). One of the most interesting facts about Intel's up-coming Sandybridge chip is that the process being used has been completely proven. This is what Intel refers to as a ‘tock' cycle – proven process that's ready for a new design. Because 32nm is not new to Intel, it will have 3 FABs up and running at full steam – almost from day one. That's a LOT of chips. The boys in blue have been reading the PC market forecasts from IDC and others, and they are expecting huge demand. In a marketplace saturated with a wide variety of CPUs, Intel's Sandybridge will need to go a long want to stand out. Is Intel right to expect strong demand?

Each process has produced some master overclocking chips. Here are some of KitGuru's favourites.

One of the biggest changes with the new architecture is the level of integration. Bringing everything onto the same chip delivers huge performance advantages. Think about the difference in workrate between having a buffet, with everything in front of you on a single table, and going from store to store to get all of the things you want to eat. The advantage is clear. It's more complicated to engineer, but if you get it right then you're going to raise the bar to a seriously high level. Graphics performance alone will leave Intel's previous integrated solutions looking like a slow kid using a pack of crayons on rough paper.

Apart from laptops or consoles, most KitGuru readers will have minimal interest in integrated graphics solutions for the desktop. What we're focused on is the pure CPU performance. Also enhanced in the new architecture.

All of the Core ranges are due for a serious update. Not only the icons, but also the key architecture

Over the next 3 months, Intel's Sandybridge architecture will no doubt spawn a million HTML pages of tests, thoughts, opinions and pictures. Remember where you saw it first !   Enough of the preamble, let's take a first look at the results that  Santa Claus brought back from Arizona (neatly highlighted on this map).

Turning sand into gold is what Intel's all about. Where better to set up shop than the edge of a desert?

Having teased you right to the point of the processor penetrating the gaping mainboard socket with pin point accuracy, we're going to have to pull the shutters down. While some data has already moved into the public domain, we're going to go slow with this product. It has been many years in the making and we don't want to rush it just yet.

Results seen so far back up Intel's claims that Sandybridge will offer class leading performance, that it's proven 32nm architecture is rock solid under pressure, that cache sharing has some very cool benefits for graphics processing and power management is excellent. If you want to know more about features like the Advanced Vector Extensions and the way that the low-latency modular core improves throughout, then you gonna have to wait a little longer.

From our intelligence reports, this Sandybridge processor will actually have more transistors than the 1.18 million offered by Intel's original 486. Shocking. Absolutely shocking.

What can we tell you about the second generation experience so far?

The second generation of Intel's Core series processors doesn't disappoint. Matching core to core, clock to clock, processor intensive applications get a boost up to 20%. KitGuru has seen some claims of 30% on the web, but we have yet to substantiate that.

The design team in Haifa decided early on that ‘Formula One thinking' was the real win. Improvements where performance gets boosted while power consumption is reduced and deemed ‘really cool'.

Also in line with F1 designers, they have put safety high on the list and Sandybridge includes a lot of security enhancements. Naturally, with the changes in server demands, they have also beefed up the virtualisation capabilities.

CPU genius Bob Valentine had a big hand in the design of Sandybridge at Intel's ultra efficient Haifa complex. The Advanced Vector Extensions were Bob's responsibility and he seems to have nailed them.

KitGuru is certain that the CPU architecture team has learned from the Larrabee project. Traditionally, CPUs would branch all over the place, while the best analogy for a graphic core was a waterfall. A massive and continuous flow of data, all going in the same direction, with enormous parallelism. To ensure that the waterfall does not need to change direction/function etc, a lot of processing goes into lining instructions up in the best way possible. If you can get the right sized blocks of data, bunched together in the most efficient way possible, maximising cache hits etc, then serious performance gains are to be had. This is something well known to nVidia and ATI in the old days.

So just how much does Sandybridge manage to avoid waste?

Sandybridge's engineering team claim to sustain a cache hit rate of around 80% for most applications, and intelligent pre-processing ensures that each cycle completes the maximum possible number of instructions. The new chips also spend a lot less time doing useless work, because branch prediction has been improved yet again.

Why is that important?

Well, it's this ‘pass completion rate' that has most hampered recent AMD designs. Intel simply gets more work done per cycle. Sandybridge will extend that lead by a substantial amount.

When it comes to producing ever better processors, Intel is a machine. A terminator. It never gets tired. It never gets bored and it never sleeps. Each generation of architectural design brings a substantial improvement in performance – often at exactly the same price point.

These second generation Core i3, i5 and i7 processors would make most competitors just want to give up

Enthusiasts across the world were waxing lyrical about the Nehalem architecture when it delivered stunning levels of power and overclocking. Sandybridge takes that design to a new dimension. Sandybridge has an ability to buffer and check data WAY before it's every allowed near the real processing engines. In some cases (load buffers for example), the amount of holding space available in Sandybridge is 33% bigger than Nehalem.

Nehalem was an amazing architecture, but Sandybridge delivers much, much more than simply putting Nehalem on steroids. It has been completely re-engineered for performance, while reducing the power draw as much as possible. Second generation Turbo Boost delivers the power when and where you need it most. Even the initial results we've seen have been enough to make KitGuru salivate, pick up a hammer and smash mister piggy bank over the head. We feel the need. The greedy need for speed.

KitGuru says: Nehalem was the smartest processor design in history and Sandybridge blows it away. It does so without significant changes in price point. At the same time, there has been an overall improvement in power envelope characteristics. Intel's second generation Core series gives you armour piercing performance, at its sharpest and most intelligent. Stunning.

Comment below or in the KitGuru forums.


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