BAD HARDWARE WEEK

HKEPC has received news from a motherboard manufacturer that AMD will start supplying 65nm CPUs in December 2006, first for the OEM market. Interestingly, it will nicely fit with delayed Vista. The consumer market will get theirs in Quarter 1 of 2007, first in Dual Core variants only, including Athlon 64x2 4200+ (2.2Ghz/512KB L2 x2), Athlon 64x2 4400+ (2.2GHz/1MB L2 x2), Athlon 64x2 4600+ (2.4GHz/512KB L2 x2) and Athlon 64x2 4800+ (2.4GHz/1MB L2 x2). The higher-end models however, such as Athlon 64x2 5000+ (2.6GHz/512KB L2 x2), Athlon 64x2 5200+ (2.6GHz/1MB L2 x2), Athlon 64x2 5400+ (2.8GHz/512KB L2 x2), FX-62(2.8GHz/1MB L2 x2) and FX-64(3.0GHz/1MB L2 x2) will still remain on 90nm process during this transition period.

The new 65nm AMD Athlon 64x2 cores will be code-named Brisbane, and will be manufactured using Stress Memorization and 3rd generation Strained Silicon technology, enhancing electronic conductivity by up to 42%, and enabling lower power consumption. As badhardware found earlier, we have here actually only a low powered shrink. Compare yourself the same performance processors in 90nm and 65nm. however, people at Anandtech are still unable to make a distinction. Core F in 90 nm must be architecturally the same as 65nm Brisbane, because Brisbane is its shrink. However, beside lower die area, 65nm is much better in power consumption and that is where AMD will hit. Thus except pure shrink, no new K8L anywhere in sight until perhaps 2008, as badhardware already found. But not all share my opinion.

Interestingly to note, Intel will have real 65nm comparative advantage only in a single, 4th quarter, but without Vista software their top guns are only a pieces of hardware, after Bill Gates found long time ago. Will it be enough to smash AMD? Anyway, AMD will cheaply sell off its remaining 90nm product line in 4th quarter and switch immediately after to 65nm. Nothing rosy for Intel is left. Here. And here. Because, AMD doesn't sleep on its laurels. Really.
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