AMD CPUs "Coming Soon" - more info

[Snowy Commando]

amd AthlonXP "T-bred":

Same old, same old AthlonXP "Palimino" core except it now has a new core based on 0.13u manufacturing processe required for higher clock speeds to become available.

amd AthlonXP "Barton":

Again,

same old, same old AthlonXP except it now has an additional 256k L2 cache bringing it up to 512k running in synch with cpu. More cache = faster cpu.

amd Hammer:

I'm dumb on this one, all i know is its the first 8th generation that is 64bit and I don't know what all the fuss is all about.

As a gamer do i need it, I know i would have to use a 64 edition of WinXP or something of the sort.

Enlighten me on this one, please

 

[svtcobra]

With this said, the May 27th price drops are going to be a great time to buy a palomino for next to nothing..

 

[Rick]

There was some talk about 64-bit CPUs in another thread. I don't know if this will be of any help or not.. But it won't hurt to peek.

http://www.3dspotlight.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1287

 

[Snowy Commando]

I've read that post and am none the wiser.

All i've learnt about 64bit CPUs is that the Intel Itanium one will be true 64bit requiring software emulation to run old 32bit applications whilst the Amd Clawhammer will also be true 64bit but have built-in compatibility for 32bit applications requiring no software emulation.

I suppose, i'm trying to find out, does the introduction of the Clawhammer replace the current line of AthlonXPs and future versions that are yet to be released.

In terms of gaming, do I really need to consider an 8th generation CPU or can I stick with upgrading along the AthlonXP line of CPUs as higher clock speeds are released?

According to the AMD CPU roadmap here...

...The AthlonXP will continue to be released with the introduction of the "T-bred" and "Barton" cores alongside the initial Clawhammer core and for the most part, I know nothing about the kind of next generation games that could need a 64bit cpu.

To cut a long story short, can any computer experts out there tell me why i would want a 64bit cpu in the future or more likely when they will take over as 'main-stream' standard like the AthlonXP is now?

Heres an unofficial AMD CPU roadmap here...

Based on the above roadmap, if you were to upgrade to a KT333 chipset and some cheaper PC2100 DDR than PC2700, what would be the life expectancy of the motherboard and future compatibilities?

 

[erwin1978]

64bit relates to the size of the registers in the cpu, which are 64bits long in this case. The cpu executes instructions which are stored in these registers; the bigger the register size are the more instructions you can put in them. Thus a 64bit cpu can calculate more instructions per clock-cycle compared to a 32bit cpu.

It's only natural that we move to the 64bit era, however it will take time; my guess is a year or two before 64bit PCs become the norm in homes like mine. AMD and Intel will target the server industry first before the mainstream consumer as these chips will be too expensive for both chip manufacturers to profit from if they were to target the mainstream consumer market off-the-bat.

 

[Rick]

Theoretically, 64-bit processors have the capacity to double current operating speeds. Real world though, I don't know what to expect. But, it will offer significant performance gain. I've heard the figures "20% to 30% faster" thrown about, but we probably won't know until we see it in action.

Keep in mind, the software will have to be compiled to take advantage of 64 bit processors... And for all intents and purposes, all software will be 64-bit within a reasonable amount of time.

I am not certain how 64-bit programs will run on a 32-bit processor. Software companies may offer 64-bit and 32-bit alternatives when downloading/installing software I suppose.