Why the Buzz on Hammer Just Won't Quit

[uncleel]

Why the Buzz on Hammer Just Won't Quit
http://www.viahardware.com/hammerbuzz.shtm
Author: Joel Hruska 07/26/2002

AMD's upcoming 8th generation processor has been generating a steady buzz of discussion almost since the first of the year. Why do both Intel and AMD users keep talking about K8?

Again we see AMD preparing a new core at a time when Intel seems on the verge of decisively establishing its superiority... the P4 has slowly but steadily overtaken the Athlon.

Hammer isn't just AMD's next-generation 32-bit processor to compete against the P4; it's also the company's first 64-bit capable part. The x86-64- implementation AMD has chosen, moreover, is entirely different from the IA-64 technology Intel is backing, making this the first time Sunnyvale has ever challenged Santa Clara for control over such fundamental computer standards.

Intel isn't laughing. After watching the i820 tank, the P3's inability to scale past 1 GHz, and the P4's utter failure to impress at launch, Intel learned their lesson. Now we see chipset development back on track, the P4 is scaling like a bullet, and Intel's looking for blood. Not only has Santa Clara announced plans to ramp the P4 to 3 GHz by the end of the year, but they've recently launched Itanium 2, and dedicated tens of millions of dollars to developing software for it. From desktop performance to high-end servers, Intel is pouring on the speed and the cash; determined to neutralize K8 before it even has a chance to become a threat.

...everything is resting on Hammer's ability to perform as advertised, but even there, early indications are positive. Hammer is, essentially, a super-charged Athlon, with an integrated memory controller for vastly decreased latency, possible larger caches, a slightly longer pipeline for superior scaling, and a faster front-side bus speed, as well as, of course, support for 64-bit x86-compatible computing. Overall performance is expected to be between 15-25% higher than the AthlonXP at an equivalent speed, which could make K8 an extremely attractive product. Later on in the year, we'll have Opteron, AMD's new 64-bit server processor aimed directly at Itanium's market.

 

[uncleel]

My guess is that they won't be able to match the hammer line for a long time. Because Intel is going to be segmented (32 bit P4 for home and 64 bit Itanium for servers and other high end applications), it will have a tough time fighting the unified hammer series.

Intel does have the chip fabrication advantage. They will have to rely on volume of supplies of their chips and hope that AMD will not be able to deliver high quantities of hammer chips from their factories.

There are other reasons why I think that AMD will be the market leader for the foreseeable future when hammer is released, but the above are good indications.

 

[Rick]

Intel will be using 300mm wafers for their 64-bit CPU, but I figure this would drive up costs at first and then allow Intel lower prices really cheap in the future. Intel does not currently use 300mm wafers, do they? If they do not, this means they would (or already) have to refit their fab(s) with the proper equipment.. Whch should cost a pretty penny.

The actual processor die of the Itanium 2 is huge.. It's something like 10 times the size of the current Athlon XP. This will just drive upo the cost more in comparison with the Opteron. I'm not sure how big the Opteron will be, but the Itanium 2 is going to be at a major cost disadvantage.

Of course, much like the P4 was horribly expensive, I guesstimate that the Itanium 2 will cheapen up as time goes on. The lower end P4s are fairly priced I think... And s ince it is coming out before the Opteron, the Itanium 2 might get enough of a head start to compete.. Who knows.

I'm interested to see what unfolds next year, but from what I've read, I have to say the Hammer gets my choice for what sounds like the best "deal". Native 32-bit and 64-bit support makes it the best mainstream processor, hands down.