sergeriver
Cowboy from Hell
+1,928|7209|Argentina
Charting the upcoming changes in the CPU and GPU worlds can be a daunting task, the tech world is a fast-paced industry and thus rumors on upcoming products from AMD, ATI, Intel, and NVIDIA combined can change on a weekly, if not sometimes daily basis. Therefore what we wanted to do with this article is give a quick summation of what these four companies are up to so that you, the end user, could be kept abreast of what’s coming so you can plan your CPU and GPU upgrades accordingly.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AMD:

Let’s take a look at our projected roadmap for AMD for the next year:

AMD's CPUs:
Q4'06                   Q1'07                    Q2'07                    Q3'07                   Q4'07
FX-74                   5000+                Barcelona                 Altair                  Arcturus
FX-72                   4800+                                              Antares                 Spica
FX-70                   4400+
6000+                  4000+
5600+
5400+

The CPUs will all ship with 1MB of L2 cache per core (2x1MB L2) and will be clocked at 3.0GHz, 2.8GHz, and 2.6GHz respectively. AMD has stated that they plan to make the 4x4 platform less expensive than previous dual-processor solutions in the workstation/server space, but we do know that AMD’s 4x4 CPUs will not be based on AMD’s AM2 socket, relying on their server-oriented 1207-pin Socket F instead. This could end up making 4x4 motherboards more expensive than the comparable Intel-based solution, as Intel’s first-generation quad-core CPUs will be compatible with many of today’s existing motherboards.

AMD 90-nm Windsor Athlon 64 X2 CPUs:
Model Number                  Clock Speed (GHz)                L2 Cache Size
6000+                                     3.0                                   2x1MB
5600+                                     2.8                                   2x1MB
5400+                                     2.8                                  2x512KB
5200+                                     2.6                                   2x1MB
4600+                                     2.4                                  2x512KB
4200+                                     2.2                                  2x512KB
3800+                                     2.0                                  2x512KB

2007 marks the beginning of AMD’s transition from 90-nm to their smaller 65-nm manufacturing process. The smaller process should allow AMD to produce more CPU cores per wafer, but another tidbit about AMD’s 65-nm process that will help boost production is the fact that AMD will begin using 12-inch, 300mm wafers at 65-nm. Today’s 90-nm CPUs from AMD are built on smaller, 8-inch 200mm wafers.
As has become their tradition when introducing a new manufacturing process, AMD’s playing it conservative with their first wave of 65-nm parts. Rather than use the new process on an unfamiliar, untested core, AMD’s 65-nm Brisbane CPUs are essentially die-shrunk derivatives of today’s Windsor CPUs. In other words, AMD’s introducing no new features with these chips, and they’ll ship with the same 2x512KB L2 cache configuration used today on the 5000+ and other CPUs, as well as similar clock speeds. Take a look at the table below:

AMD 65-nm Brisbane Athlon 64 X2 CPUs:
Model Number                  Clock Speed (GHz)                L2 Cache Size
5000+                                    2.6GHz                              2x512KB
4800+                                    2.5GHz                              2x512KB
4400+                                    2.3GHz                              2x512KB
4000+                                    2.1GHz                              2x512KB

AMD will then follow-up Barcelona with “Altair” AMD’s first K8L chip with HyperTransport (HT) 3.0.
HT 3.0 runs at 2.6GHz, providing up to 20.8GB/sec of peak bandwidth. In comparison Athlon 64's HT 1.0 tops out at 1GHz, yielding up to 8.0GB/sec peak bandwidth. According to DigiTimes, the new Altair chips will reside in AMD’s Socket “AM2+”.

AMD K8L:
While the aforementioned chips will definitely be nice performers, AMD’s true answer to Intel’s Core 2 CPU won’t come until next year, in the form of K8L. K8L brings with it a number of improvements. Here are the highlights:
Native Quad-core design
New L3 cache
128-bit wide SSE units
Improved memory addressing (Up to 48-bit memory addressing)
Better prefetching (Going from 16 bytes to 32)
New Extensions added to SSE3

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INTEL:

Fresh off Core 2’s introduction earlier this summer, Intel’s ramping up from dual-core processing to quad-core, a transition Intel had originally planned to begin in 2007, but has now been bumped up to the end of 2006. The first of these quad-core CPUs will be the Core 2 Extreme QX6700, which was previously codenamed “Kentsfield”:

Intel's CPUs:
Q4'06                   Q1'07                    Q2'07                    Q3'07                   Q4'07
Core 2 Extreme     Core 2 Quad       Pentium E1060          Yorkfield               
Edition Quad             Q6600             Pentium E1040        Celeron 400
Core 2 Extreme  Core 2 Duo E4300  Pentium E1020
Edition X6900?

Kentsfield will be clocked at 2.66GHz, just like the Core 2 Duo E6700, with each of its two cores containing 4MB of L2 cache, for a grand total of 8MB L2 on the CPU itself.
In Q1’07, Intel plans to move quad-core to more mainstream price segments with the debut of the Core 2 Quad Q6600, which will also be based on Intel’s Kentsfield core.  It’s believed that the Core 2 Quad will run at 2.4GHz and contain 8MB of L2 cache, just like the Core 2 Extreme QX6700

INTEL CONROE-L:
When it debuts, Conroe-L will essentially replace the Pentium 4 from Intel’s low-end lineup. Besides being single-core, Conroe-L will sport a 1MB L2 cache, making it cheaper for Intel to produce. Like the E4300, Conroe-L won’t support virtualization, but it will support 64-bit, execute disable bit, and Enhanced Speedstep technology.  Fortunately there seems to be a consensus on clock speeds, it’s expected that Conroe-L CPUs will be clocked at 1.8GHz, 1.6GHz, and 1.4GHz, with an even lower-end Conroe-L variant, the Celeron 400.

INTEL YORKFIELD:
Yorkfield is Intel’s 2nd-generation quad-core CPU, and according to DigiTimes sources should have one L2 cache shared by both dual core processors, enhancing efficiency.  Yorkfield will be built on Intel’s upcoming 45-nm manufacturing process. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GPU's:

ATI:

R600:
The upcoming GPU ATI enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting is R600. R600 is ATI’s next-generation DirectX 10 GPU.  What we can expect for sure from R600 though is that it will fully support unified shaders, after all ATI’s had their first GPU based on a unified shader architecture shipping for nearly a year now in the form of the Xenos GPU sitting inside the Xbox 360. R600 will also support GDDR4 memory.
Obviously they just introduced the Radeon X1950 XTX, but they still would like to get R600 out the door before the end of the year. Right now it’s looking like the most likely scenario is a launch in the January timeframe, right around the same time Microsoft releases Windows Vista.
Specs:
65nm
64 Shader pipelines (Vec4+Scalar)
32 TMU's
32 ROPs
128 Shader Operations per Cycle
800MHz Core
102.4 billion shader ops/sec
512GFLOPs for the shaders
2 Billion triangles/sec
25.6 Gpixels/Gtexels/sec
256-bit 512MB 1.8GHz GDDR4 Memory
57.6 GB/sec Bandwidth (at 1.8GHz)
WGF2.0 Unified Shader

RV570:
RV570 is ATI’s replacement for today’s Radeon X1900 GT. It’s expected to be built on TSMC’s 80-nm manufacturing process and feature 36 pixel shaders and 12 ROPs, just like the X1900 GT. It will be clocked a little higher than the X1900 GT however, with its core clock expected to be 600MHz (25MHz higher than the X1900 GT), while its memory is rumored to run at 700MHz (100MHz higher than the GT). Like the X1900 GT, it will have a 256-bit external memory interface, and for the first time in an Radeon graphics card, ATI’s compositing engine will be built-in to the GPU, giving the chip native CrossFire support. In other words, you won’t have to buy a CrossFire master card, all RV570 GPUs will support CrossFire technology out-of-the-box.
Graphics cards based on the RV570 GPU will be known as the Radeon X1950 Pro, and will be offered with 256MB of memory.

NVIDIA:

G80:
There’s actually less concrete info on G80 out there than there is on R600, even though it’s expected that G80 will debut first, possibly as early as sometime next month, but most likely definitely before the end of the year. NVIDIA’s PR/marketing group does a really good job of keeping info about their upcoming GPUs out of the public eye for the most part; they’ve even been known to use misdirection from time to time, so you’ve got to take the rumors about their upcoming products – particularly the earliest rumors that have the least chance of being credible – with a grain of salt, if that.
What is known is that G80 is NVIDIA’s next-generation part, and that it will support DirectX 10.
The specs were quickly taken down by the site, but chief among them was that G80 would sport a unified shader architecture and an unconventional 384-bit memory interface, as well as be available with both a conventional heatsink/fan cooler, as well as a hybrid water/fan cooler.
Specs:
* Unified Shader Architecture
* Support FP16 HDR+MSAA
* Support GDDR4 memories
* Close to 700M transistors (G71 - 278M / G70 - 302M)
* New AA mode : VCAA
* Core clock scalable up to 1.5GHz
* Shader Peformance : 2x Pixel / 12x Vertex over G71 (48 pixel and 96 vertex) (48 unified and 48 vertex *See post #16 for explanation)
* 8 TCPs & 128 stream processors
* Much more efficient than traditional architecture
* 384-bit memory interface (256-bit+128-bit)
* 768MB memory size (512MB+256MB)
* Two s at launch : GeForce 8800GTX and GeForce 8800GT
* GeForce 8800GTX : 7 TCPs chip, 384-bit memory interface, hybrid water/fan cooler, water cooling for overclocking. US$649
* GeForce 8800GT : 6 TCPs chip, 320-bit (256-bit + 64-bit) memory interface, fan cooler. US$449-499
"Expect G80 to be out somewhere in mid November along with Kentsfield."

Last edited by sergeriver (2006-10-25 17:23:29)

Brasso
member
+1,549|7082

Looks like gibberish to me, but some seriously researched gibberish. +1
"people in ny have a general idea of how to drive. one of the pedals goes forward the other one prevents you from dying"
Jbrar
rawr
+86|6994|Winterpeg, Canada
good stuff. +1
Flaming_Maniac
prince of insufficient light
+2,490|7159|67.222.138.85
Very, very nice. Looks like Nvidia is coming out strong and AMD might pull ahead of intel about this time next year.
DecJW
Webhoster
+38|7036

haffeysucks wrote:

Looks like gibberish to me, but some seriously researched gibberish.
Sydney
2λчиэλ
+783|7295|Reykjavík, Iceland.
I'm going for R600 instead of G80, I've had a better experience with ATi cards and GDDR4 > GDDR3 .

CPUs, gah! They are expensive and in the world of gaming they don't really matter, I've had my AMD64 3000+ for 2 years soon and it's still top notch working fine.
sergeriver
Cowboy from Hell
+1,928|7209|Argentina
All that means my P4 2.8 with 2gb and my Ati X850 Pro are a piece of shit.
<[onex]>Headstone
Member
+102|7154|New York
For some reason, The AMD roadmap has been changed and pushed back on there 65nm processors. I wouldnt expect to see them around the times you mrntion. Its more around Q407 and for there 45nm quads if they get there its in mid 08. Plus there Only going to add 6mb on the L3 instead of matching Intels 16mb L2 Quad4 Processors.

Interesting battle heating up. But biggest mistake in seeing is the release and revampage of the 90nm chips AMD will be releasing and trying to put up against the Intels. Should be very interesting indeed.
<[onex]>Headstone
Member
+102|7154|New York

sergeriver wrote:

All that means my P4 2.8 with 2gb and my Ati X850 Pro are a piece of shit.
Still plays you game, and thats all that matters. Just hold out as long as possible till prices come down and your good to go. Let everyone else be the test dummies and then pick out the best for the money then upgrade.
Bell
Frosties > Cornflakes
+362|7001|UK

Sweet +1
sergeriver
Cowboy from Hell
+1,928|7209|Argentina

<[onex]>Headstone wrote:

For some reason, The AMD roadmap has been changed and pushed back on there 65nm processors. I wouldnt expect to see them around the times you mrntion. Its more around Q407 and for there 45nm quads if they get there its in mid 08. Plus there Only going to add 6mb on the L3 instead of matching Intels 16mb L2 Quad4 Processors.

Interesting battle heating up. But biggest mistake in seeing is the release and revampage of the 90nm chips AMD will be releasing and trying to put up against the Intels. Should be very interesting indeed.
The article was written last week, but I can't put the link coz of some ads there, which would get me banned.

<[onex]>Headstone wrote:

sergeriver wrote:

All that means my P4 2.8 with 2gb and my Ati X850 Pro are a piece of shit.
Still plays you game, and thats all that matters. Just hold out as long as possible till prices come down and your good to go. Let everyone else be the test dummies and then pick out the best for the money then upgrade.
You're right, but it stinks to see your system being old when it's new.  The card I'm about to receive it.  Lol.  I bought the x850 in newegg as adviced by you.  Thx.

Last edited by sergeriver (2006-10-26 04:33:44)

Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|7168
Looks like G80 is going to be better.
https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png
Bell
Frosties > Cornflakes
+362|7001|UK

So the question.....

Better to go intel or amd?

Better to go nvidia or ati?
sergeriver
Cowboy from Hell
+1,928|7209|Argentina

Bell wrote:

So the question.....

Better to go intel or amd?

Better to go nvidia or ati?
AMD is getting strong and it bought ATI, so you have the whole bundle there.  I mean now they produce the CPU and GPU.  I changed from Nvidia to Ati for the first time.  In cards you get a better card for the same price.
Agent_Dung_Bomb
Member
+302|7188|Salt Lake City

I don't know that I buy the memory information on the R600.  The X1950XTX I have now has 512MB RAM, a 256-bit memory, and RAM at 2GHz.  Those specs would actually decrease the bandwidth over what I have now.

Unless I'm reading that wrong at the 1.8GHz is actual clock speed, not DDR, which would put the RAM finished RAM speed at 3.6GHz.
younggun
Member
+28|7096

PBAsydney wrote:

I'm going for R600 instead of G80, I've had a better experience with ATi cards and GDDR4 > GDDR3 .

CPUs, gah! They are expensive and in the world of gaming they don't really matter, I've had my AMD64 3000+ for 2 years soon and it's still top notch working fine.
You got that right. GDDR4 is faster than GDDR3. But it is also way more expensive. By the time R600 is released at like $6-- the 8800GTX will be down to like $500.

OP: R600 is not 65nm. It is 80nm!

Last edited by younggun (2006-10-26 13:36:41)

sergeriver
Cowboy from Hell
+1,928|7209|Argentina

younggun wrote:

PBAsydney wrote:

I'm going for R600 instead of G80, I've had a better experience with ATi cards and GDDR4 > GDDR3 .

CPUs, gah! They are expensive and in the world of gaming they don't really matter, I've had my AMD64 3000+ for 2 years soon and it's still top notch working fine.
You got that right. GDDR4 is faster than GDDR3. But it is also way more expensive. By the time R600 is released at like $6-- the 8800GTX will be down to like $500.

OP: R600 is not 65nm. It is 80nm!
Everywhere it's 65nm.
kebabking
Member
+14|6856|Brisbane, AUstralia
wel i got a intel pentium 4 3.2ghz processor with 2gb ddr2 ram and a ati x600 pro video card.. will they still be okay?
The#1Spot
Member
+105|6992|byah

kebabking wrote:

wel i got a intel pentium 4 3.2ghz processor with 2gb ddr2 ram and a ati x600 pro video card.. will they still be okay?
nope p4 is old stuff now and the x600
majorassult
I <3 ak101
+307|7115|under there hayousaidunderwear

kebabking wrote:

wel i got a intel pentium 4 3.2ghz processor with 2gb ddr2 ram and a ati x600 pro video card.. will they still be okay?
weird...iv got the same exact thing
younggun
Member
+28|7096

sergeriver wrote:

younggun wrote:

PBAsydney wrote:

I'm going for R600 instead of G80, I've had a better experience with ATi cards and GDDR4 > GDDR3 .

CPUs, gah! They are expensive and in the world of gaming they don't really matter, I've had my AMD64 3000+ for 2 years soon and it's still top notch working fine.
You got that right. GDDR4 is faster than GDDR3. But it is also way more expensive. By the time R600 is released at like $6-- the 8800GTX will be down to like $500.

OP: R600 is not 65nm. It is 80nm!
Everywhere it's 65nm.
Wrong. Not even remotely close to being right, although I wish it was.

Who is ATI's parent company now? What 65nm products does AMD have on the market right now? None. ATI has no fabs, they use TSMC. All of AMD's fabs are used up trying to compete with Intel and get a 65nm core out.

You can expect 65nm from Nvidia to be atleast announced by this time next year. Until then, 80nm it is.

Beyond 3D wrote:

D3D10, 500M+ transistors, release sometime between January and the end of Q1 2007, certainly 80nm. Based on GDDR4, vast numbers of reports claiming a 512-bit external bus, although only midly reliable. Minority reports for 256-bit bus (although sometimes from more reliable sources), or a dual-chip solution (256-bit bus per chip, 2 chips per board).
http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34676

Last edited by younggun (2006-10-26 20:30:34)

<[onex]>Headstone
Member
+102|7154|New York

younggun wrote:

sergeriver wrote:

younggun wrote:


You got that right. GDDR4 is faster than GDDR3. But it is also way more expensive. By the time R600 is released at like $6-- the 8800GTX will be down to like $500.

OP: R600 is not 65nm. It is 80nm!
Everywhere it's 65nm.
Wrong. Not even remotely close to being right, although I wish it was.

Who is ATI's parent company now? What 65nm products does AMD have on the market right now? None. ATI has no fabs, they use TSMC. All of AMD's fabs are used up trying to compete with Intel and get a 65nm core out.

You can expect 65nm from Nvidia to be atleast announced by this time next year. Until then, 80nm it is.

Beyond 3D wrote:

D3D10, 500M+ transistors, release sometime between January and the end of Q1 2007, certainly 80nm. Based on GDDR4, vast numbers of reports claiming a 512-bit external bus, although only midly reliable. Minority reports for 256-bit bus (although sometimes from more reliable sources), or a dual-chip solution (256-bit bus per chip, 2 chips per board).
http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34676
AMD is having problems someplace in there 65nm Fabs They have converted in germany and most everywhere already, so theres problems someplace, probably in the silicon. But biggest problem is this time IBM isnt around to bail them out like they did with the hammer. Germany said that if the Deal wasnt done by a certain time, they had to close up shop, so they got it done, but to what extent? We shall see i guess. Im pretty confident they have something for the GPU market, but arnt bragging Like Nvidia, whose hungry to be on top of the moutain again.
Cybargs
Moderated
+2,285|7168
Intel would come out on top in the end... Theyre not gonna be lazy pricks now they're gonna build a new architecture every 2 years... 3.4ghz conroes next year... the speed
https://cache.www.gametracker.com/server_info/203.46.105.23:21300/b_350_20_692108_381007_FFFFFF_000000.png
kebabking
Member
+14|6856|Brisbane, AUstralia
hey well thanks for the replys
elmo1337
Banned
+186|7011|The real world
kebab is very good food though

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