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The surf report from here to eternity (or at least 2011)
Posted by John Taylor in 9:31 AM
Loading ...As I wrote last week, the AMD Financial Analyst Day held this year in Sunnyvale, CA , is an exciting day in that it represents a high-profile update on the state of AMD as an important innovator and business. We unveiled product and corporate roadmaps through 2011, including a technology direction with AMD Fusion that transcends that timeframe. The insights we shared on Fusion development, more widespread use of teraflops-class GPUs for compute, and our parallel performance/low-power x86 cores development in particular made waves in the business and tech trade press.
But as my high school friends might say on those stormy days when it was possible to truly surf off the west coast of Florida: “Some waves are tasty rides, and some knock you on your tail and get sand in your jams.”
So here’s the waves created by some of the media who attended in Sunnyvale or participated via Web cast.
Tasty waves:
- “Frankly, we’re jazzed about the possibilities…” – Darren Murph, Engadget (Thanks Darren, we are too!)
- “AMD has only recently made strides toward putting the pieces of the puzzle together, but it looks like it’s hitting the home stretch.” – Andy Patrizio, Internetnews.com
- “If all of this works, Fusion could be the basis for some compelling products. Rick Bergman, the head of AMD’s Products Group, promised the technology would “literally deliver a supercomputer on your lap . . . with all-day battery performance.” That’s an ambitious plan, but it’s good to see AMD get some of its mojo back.” – John Morris, ZDNet
- “[Bulldozer is] really a very elegant design and the basis for what AMD, Intel and NVIDIA have been talking about for years now. The CPU will do what it does best while the GPU does what it is good at.” – Anand Shimpi, AnandTech
- “Companies rarely make big news at financial analyst day events, but AMD bucked that trend Wednesday by unveiling details of its newly revamped roadmap, its two brand-new processor architectures, and its plans for CPU/GPU integration.” – Jon Stokes, Ars Technica
Life’s-No-Beach Waves:
- “If chip makers competed on the basis of code names rather than products then Advanced Micro Devices might have beaten Intel a long time ago.” – James Niccolai, IDG News Service
- “AMD has long struggled in the mobile segment, but the company’s 2010 roadmap is potentially strong enough to change its fortunes.” – Joel Hruska, Hot Hardware
- “AMD’s Opteron once held the high ground when compared to Intel’s server offerings. We reckon the boot is just about on the other foot…for now at least, and we wait with bated breath to see what kind of performance Bulldozer-driven Opteron can deliver in 2011.” – Sylvie Barak, HEXUS.net
Whether it’s criticism or praise, tasty or sandy, it’s always interesting to see how different media view our telling of the AMD story, and reshape it for their respective audiences. Overall, I like the “surf report” on the 2009 AMD Financial Analyst Day in the sense that media, to a deeper extent than before, perceive AMD has a unique strategy and unique IP to execute it. Yes, there were questions about how well AMD could win at a game currently defined by its competition (CPU-exclusive marketing and benchmarking). And that question can only be answered as AMD executes to its technology vision and design points.
Now, we’ve heard what the media have to say. What’s your feedback? Make some waves.
John Taylor is Director, Global Platform & Product Communications at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied. This blog contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally preceded by words such as “plans,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates” or “intends.” AMD Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements in this release involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
What a Day, a Year, a Future
Posted by John Taylor in 5:49 PM
We just wrapped AMD’s annual Financial Analyst Day, and throughout the event I couldn’t help but think “What a big year it’s been.” But more importantly, I can’t help thinking, “Wow, we’ve got a great future ahead, and people need to get in on the excitement.”
I tend to get excited about the product and technology disclosures we shared for the first time today. It’s why I drive to work down Hill Country back roads to the AMD Lone Star Campus each morning with a smile on my face – it’s very cool being a part of a company that creates technology that truly matters in people’s lives. It’s also professionally gratifying when media start picking up on that excitement, and I think they increasingly are. After today, I predict the positive vibes will flow even more. I can see media are beginning to recognize our sustained product momentum and unique technology roadmap, and what we presented to them today further illustrates how we plan to sustain this momentum and create high-value experiences across our entire product line.
Before we jump to 2011, let’s look back at 2009.
The entire tech industry, including AMD, entered 2009 on a down note, fallout from a worldwide economic implosion. In spite of that, we’re exiting 2009 in clear, crisp fashion. In 2009 AMD consistently executed, delivered what we promised, and launched well-received new platforms and products for every market we serve, most of them ahead of schedule. And we made sure to focus on delivering these platforms with the right blend of computing performance and superior graphics. Moreover, this year we focused on growing our partner ecosystem and strengthened our customer and OEM relationships by truly listening to customers’ and consumers’ demands and offering complete solutions to match their needs—including the AMD Server Platform featuring the Six-Core AMD Opteron™ processor, AMD Platform for Ultrathin Notebooks, AMD Vision Technology, ATI Radeon™ 5800 series graphics cards, and Dragon platform technology featuring AMD Phenom™ II processors.
So what exactly did AMD talk about today?
We talked about all the exciting and innovative things to come in 2010 and 2011. Senior executives including AMD President and Chief Executive Officer Dirk Meyer briefed media and analysts on the great things AMD has in store for the future and discussed the state of our business. During the day, other senior execs talked about our technology strategy, future product and platform plans and led a series of more technical sessions. Attendees got to see firsthand the roadmaps outlined for platforms and technology that span the most popular usage scenarios for customers at work, at home and at play. With the growing importance and ubiquity of multimedia, AMD’s momentum and lead in the graphics market will differentiate us from competitors, enabling a complete computing experience with stunning graphics and video that consumers demand. Our strong roadmap for 2010 is scheduled to be followed with the advent of “Fusion” and the first Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) codenamed “Llano,” in 2011. This arrival will mark a new era in computing, succeeded the previous generations of first clock frequency, then multi-core driven performance gains. We also plan to bring to market the first “Bulldozer” and “Bobcat” core-based platforms, focusing on power, performance and size.
As highlighted in the platform and technology roadmaps presented today, here are the highlights of what’s scheduled to come in 2010 and 2011 (by codename):
Next-Generation Technologies for Next-Generation Graphics
- While AMD maintains momentum in rolling out several more DirectX 11 capable parts from its wildly successful ATI Radeon™ HD 5000 series in 2H09 and 1H10 including graphics cards codenamed “Cedar,” “Hemlock,” and “Redwood,” AMD will also introduce DirectX 11 capable members of the ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5000 series in 2010, bringing incredible graphics capabilities and stunning HD video to AMD’s new notebook platforms.
- “Bobcat” is AMD’s low-power x86 processor core aimed at notebook processing in ultrathin and netbook form factors, and designed to be extremely small, highly flexible and single threaded.
- “Bulldozer” is AMD’s completely new, high performance architecture for the mainstream server, mainstream desktop and notebook PC markets that employs a new approach to multithreaded compute performance for achieving advanced efficiency and throughput. “Bulldozer” is designed to give AMD an exceptional CPU option for linking with GPUs in highly scalable, single-chip Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) configurations.
Notebook Platforms:
- “Danube” is AMD’s new platform for the mainstream notebook market and will feature the new “Champlain” CPU, the first quad-core processor offered by AMD specifically for the notebook market that includes 2M cache and DDR3 memory support.
- “Sabine,” is AMD’s new mainstream notebook platform slated for 2011 and will be the first notebook platform to feature the quad-core “Llano” APU.
- “Nile” is AMD’s next generation platform for ultrathin notebooks and is scheduled for 1H10, with the dual-core “Geneva” CPU using DDR3 memory technology and is being designed to yield more than 7 hours of battery life under normal usage conditions.
- “Brazos” is AMD’s ultrathin notebook and netbook platform slated for 2011, and “Ontario” is the APU based on the “Bobcat” core.
Desktop Platforms:
- “Leo” is AMD’s next generation enthusiast-class desktop PC platform. Scheduled for 1H10, “Leo” will feature the industry’s first six-core desktop CPU, codenamed “Thuban,” for greater multi-tasking, as well as DirectX 11 capabilities for a visually enhanced gaming experience.
- “Dorado” is AMD’s next-generation mainstream desktop platform with AMD Athlon™ II processors, DirectX 11 discrete graphics options, and stream application acceleration.
- “Lynx,” and “Scorpius” are AMD’s desktop platforms for 2011. “Lynx” is the first desktop platform powered by the quad-core “Llano” APU. “Scorpius” is an enthusiast-class desktop platform featuring the “Zambezi” CPU, the first 8-core solution for enthusiast desktop users based on the “Bulldozer” core.
Server Platforms:
- “Maranello” is AMD’s next generation server platform and remains on track for introduction in 1H10. “Maranello” is a DDR3-based server platform which is expected to offer a new socket infrastructure, Socket G34, to support upcoming 8 or 12-core “Magny-Cours” processors.
- “San Marino” is AMD’s new server platform suited for large, dense deployments that require power efficiency and flexibility that is ideal for small/medium businesses, as well as web, cloud and infrastructure applications.
You can also check out AMD Senior Vice President and General Manager Rick Bergman’s presentation below.
We have an exciting road ahead of us, cool technological advancements and new innovative products we plan to bring to the market, so buckle up your seat belts and enjoy the ride and full featured experience we have in store. AMD has turned the corner, going in the right direction of a fully enhanced user computing experience for every market, there’s no looking back now – full speed ahead.
John Taylor is Director, Global Platform & Product Communications at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied. This blog contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally preceded by words such as “plans,” “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates” or “intends.” AMD Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements in this release involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
Review Highlights: AMD Athlon™ II X3 and Low-Power Variants
Posted by John Taylor in 11:46 AM
AnandTech: “AMD’s Athlon II X3 435 & New Energy Efficient CPUs: Killing Intel Below $90″
Putting today in context:
“A month ago AMD introduced the world’s first quad-core processor to debut at $99… And for the consumer, AMD is providing a ton of value these days. You’re getting more transistors per dollar than Intel will give you, and it’s not just bloat, these things are fast. The value train continues with today’s introduction of the first triple core Athlon II processors: the Athlon II X3 435 and 425.”
3 cores for the price of 2:
“They’re also quite affordable. The 435 will set you back $87 while the 425 costs $76. This puts them on par with Intel’s Pentium E6000 series dual core processors, but cheaper than the Core 2 Duo E7500. This has been AMD’s high end dual core strategy for the Phenom’s life: sell three cores for the price of two. And in the past, it has worked… The X3s AMD is announcing today are clocked high enough that you still have good performance in single threaded applications, and in those that can take advantage of three cores you’re almost guaranteed to have better performance than the Intel alternative.”
Thumbs up for AII X3:
“The Athlon II X3 435, priced at $87, is a better buy than any of the similarly priced Intel dual-core processors. In heavily threaded applications it’s even faster than the more expensive Core 2 Duo E7500. Compared to Intel, the X3 435 is a clear value leader.”
Tom’s Hardware: “Athlon II X3 435: AMD’s Three-Core, 2.9 GHz, $87 Triple-Threat”
Great expectations:
“Today AMD introduces what might turn out to be the ideal budget CPU, with three cores for multi-threading, a relatively high 2.9 GHz clock speed, and an impressive sub-$90 price tag.”
Thumbs up for Athlon II X3:
“In the final analysis, this author can recommend AMD’s new Athlon II X3 435 as the best budget CPU for the dollar available at stock clock rates. We haven’t properly compared all of these CPUs when overclocked, so we’ll leave that judgment for a future review. Regardless, the Athlon II X3 435 is a fantastic buy, and obviously offers reasonable headroom to the overclocking fans out there. We can’t help but speculate that the Phenom II X3’s days are likely numbered with the Athlon II X3 offering comparable performance for a lower price and on a more affordable die for AMD to manufacture.”
Low-power variants:
“Aside from that, AMD has introduced a number of low-power CPU options likely to be quite attractive to the power-conscious contingent, and with a maximum draw of 45W, the Athlon II X4 605e presents the lowest demands of any quad-core consumer-level CPU, potentially idea for home theater PC deployments.”
AMD has the value crown:
“For now, AMD has an impressive product in the Athlon II X3 435. With low prices, a great deal of selection, and good scalability, these CPUs are sure to score AMD favor with the value crown in the months to come.”
Firing Squad: “AMD Athlon II X3 435/Athlon II X2 240e Performance Preview”
AMD transitions value segment to 45nm:
“As we outlined at the outset of this article, completing the 45-nm transition is a significant step to getting AMD back in the black. These chips are cheaper for AMD to manufacture than older Phenom parts, they run cooler, and thanks to their high clock speeds, perform better. It’s a win for the consumer, and a win for AMD.”
AMD stands alone in the category:
“As it stands right now, AMD’s the clear performance leader in this space of the CPU market, and frankly it isn’t even close. From a price/performance perspective, AMD’s latest Athlon II CPUs are often priced against 45-nm Pentium, rather than Core 2, CPUs. As you saw in the benchmarks, the $84 Pentium E6300 we included in the charts was outrun by Athlon II X3 and Athlon II X2 CPUs in all of our gaming benchmarks, and only put up a strong showing in our MP3 testing with LAME. Everywhere else AMD’s Athlon II X3 435 reigned supreme. Its toughest competitor isn’t Intel, rather it’s AMD’s other Propus core that we raved about back in September, the Athlon II X4 620. Intel’s not only lacking in performance in this space either. Their value CPU lineup also lacks variety. While AMD offers a wide range of dual, quad, and now triple cores in the $60-$100 segment, Intel relies solely on dual-core Pentium CPUs.”
AMD owns value:
“AMD has this space locked down tight, and as long as Intel continues to basically ignore it in favor of higher margin Core 2 and Core i5/Core i7 CPUs, we don’t see this changing until Intel begins to introduce 32-nm parts. At that point, things may begin to get tougher for AMD. Until then though, AMD delivers the best budget CPUs money can buy.”
Different strokes:
Now you’ll just have to pick which value AMD CPU to choose from. This answer is going to depend on your needs and your budget. HTPC users will probably opt for one of the 45W CPUs, but if you need more performance, the X3 435 or X4 620 would be better buys. And if you absolutely can’t cough up more than $70 for a new CPU, the Athlon II X2 is the CPU for you.”
Computer Shopper: “AMD Athlon II X3 435″ (Rated 8.1 out of 10)
Conclusion:
“But for most users spending their time with productivity apps, playing graphics-heavy games, or watching HD or standard-definition video, a triple-core CPU like the Athlon II X3 435 is a good choice. For $87, it offers more than enough speed and multi-core processing power to keep your system from feeling sluggish, even when multitasking heavily. Those who demand more performance but who still don’t need maximum video or graphics-editing speed might want to pick up a triple-core Phenom II chip, such as the Phenom II X3 720, for about $50 more. And those who spend hours editing media with professional programs such as Sony’s Vegas and Adobe’s CS4 will definitely want to splurge for a quad-core CPU. But for everyone else, the 435 offers more-than-sufficient CPU power for under $90.”
Computer Shopper: “AMD Athlon II X2 240e” (Rated 7.8 out of 10)
Editors’ Take:
“This dual-core CPU offers good budget-grade performance for everyday PC tasks while consuming half the power of similar chips under full load.”
Conclusion:
“While more-powerful CPUs are available for just a little more money, the $77 Athlon II X2 240e is still speedy enough for common PC tasks, and it never felt sluggish in our Windows 7 testbed PC. Its 45-watt maximum power rating is just over half that of many other mainstream CPUs, and it’s even more power-efficient when compared with high-end performance CPUs, so it should save you some measurable money in the long run. And those looking to save money now will appreciate this CPU’s compatibility with less-expensive AM2+ motherboards and DDR2 memory. This is a safe pick for budget-conscious upgraders and builders, and well suited to efficient, everyday productivity tasks should you see it in a prebuilt PC.”
Xbit Labs: “AMD Athlon II X3 435 CPU Review”
Multi-core value:
“Many users believe that the times of dual-core processors are coming to an end. However, so far there haven’t been any inexpensive processors with more than two cores in the market. Today AMD is correcting this: the new triple-core 45 nm CPUs are priced starting at $76!”
Competitive Comparison:
“[AMD] focused on inexpensive solutions that would be superior in functionality to Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo and Pentium processors within the same price range. For example, new triple-core Athlon II X3 are targeted for sub-$90 price range, which means that they are competitors to dual-core Pentium processors recently enhanced by Intel by raising their clock frequencies and introducing 1067 MHz bus support.”
… “New triple-core AMD Athlon II X3 processors fall into the same price category as the top Intel Pentium CPUs. That is why first of all we are going to compare these two…”
AMD Value:
“Not so long ago we reviewed a few of the first AMD solutions like that – Athlon II X4 quad-core processor family, with the junior models selling for no more than $100. These CPUs made a pretty good impression, especially in terms of price-to-performance. Today AMD went even further and announced even cheaper multi-core CPUs. Triple-core newcomers from Athlon II X3 series will be available for $70-$90. Frankly speaking, Athlon II X3 are in a way unique processors because neither AMD nor Intel have any other solutions like that. Only these CPUs have more than two cores but at the same time are extremely affordable. These particular features will make Athlon II X3 a pretty demanded solution. Multi-threaded applications become more and more popular. Today even games may benefit from an extra processor core in your system, not to mention numerous programs for work with media content that are becoming wider spread among home users.”
X3 recommendation:
“So, Athlon II X3 processors look like a very good and, most importantly, timely solution, which we have every right to recommend to those users who work with resource-hungry software applications and value the advantages of multi-core architectures.”
John Taylor is Director, Global Platform & Product Communications at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Special Edition Unprocessed: ATI Radeon™ HD 4770 Reviews
Posted by John Taylor in 5:13 PM
(10 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Today marks the launch of the ATI RadeonTM HD 4770. Review press are focusing on:
- Strong price/performance ratio
- Gaming performance value
- AMD technology leadership with the first desktop GPU based on 40nm process technology
Here’s a review round-up for Those Who Know (TWKs) and a video overview.
HardOCP.com: AMD Radeon HD 4770
- “The Radeon HD 4770 has a lot of potential for hardware enthusiasts, even at $100. We feel that AMD is finally making video cards for us hardware enthusiasts.”
- “The Radeon HD 4770 presents a very strong real-world value. At $99-$109 it provides a great gameplay experience compared to the competition. In most games the gameplay experience was the same.”
- “The Radeon HD 4770 provides value because it performs as it does using less power and producing less heat with potentially cheaper prices. It is fact that AMD has introduced new technology in at this price segment, while the competition has simply re-branded old technology. AMD’s goals of making the Radeon HD 4000 series GPU scalable have definitely worked out well for them.”
HardOCP Editor’s Choice Silver Award
Anandtech: Faster Graphics For Lower Prices: ATI Radeon HD 4770
- “40nm has arrived, and it looks pretty good. The Radeon HD 4770 always outperforms the older 4830 and sometimes gives the 4850 a run for its money.”
- “As for the competition, the 4770 comes out on top in the games we tested. The more expensive GTS 250 leads in Call of Duty World at War, while the 4770 blows the doors off everything in Age of Conan. As for the other benchmarks, they come out pretty close with the 4770 generally ahead. But the clincher is Far Cry 2 performance which shows the Radeon HD 4770 leading the GTS 250 fairly well in a heavy hitting graphics engine.”
- “It isn’t clear when NVIDIA will have a part in this generation of their architecture that competes in the near $100 market. For now, the best option is clear: the Radeon HD 4770 is the way to go.”
- “There is a lot to like about the new Radeon HD 4770. With itsexpected street price of about $109, which will be brought down further to $99 throughmail in rebates, the Radeon HD 4770 offers excellent bang for the buck.”
- “In the end, the Radeon HD 4770 is one of the best buys at its expected price point currently. Performance is strong in light of competing offerings, the price is right, and the card is cheaper to operate over time than anything else in its class. Anyone in the market for a new graphics card priced around a hundred bucks should definitely consider the new AMD ATI Radeon HD 4770.”
HotHardware Recommended
Extremetech: Radeon HD 4770--The First 40nm Desktop GPU
- “ATI has a real winner on their hands here. The 40nm process combined with GDDR5 have enabled an inexpensive card with a small GPU and 128-bit memory interface that meets or exceeds the performance of bigger GPUs that draw more power, run hotter, and are more expensive to produce.”
- “If you’re in the market for a low-cost card, especially if it has to go into a PC with a limited power supply, we highly recommend the Radeon HD 4770.”
- “This is the best value and best overall performer in the ~$100 price segment, and is especially suited to PCs with lower-wattage power supplies.”
ExtremeTech Approved
firingsquad.com: ATI Radeon 4770 Performance Preview
- “ATI’s Radeon 4770 is a deceiving performer. When you first see its “4770″ designation, you assume it’s been designed to slot in between the 4830 and ATI’s 4670. Its use of a 128-bit memory interface reinforces that assumption. But thanks to its blazing clock speeds and the use of the same 800MHz GDDR5 memory first adopted on the Radeon 4870, the 4770 is actually capable of outrunning ATI’s previous mainstream performance offering, the Radeon 4830.
- ATI should’ve designated the card as the Radeon 4840.”
- “At $110, the card’s closest competitor is NVIDIA’s GeForce 9800 GT. When compared against the 9800 GT, the Radeon 4770 was a little faster overall, but it certainly wasn’t a blowout.”
- “That’s probably going to be the time to pick up a 4770 in our opinion. With its 40-nm process and GDDR5 memory, the chip is begging to be overclocked, and by then RivaTuner should be up to speed with full support, opening the door to higher speeds than what we’re capped at today with Overdrive.”
legitreviews.com: ATI Radeon HD 4770 512MB Video Card Review
- “The ATI Radeon HD 4770 graphics card might cost just $109, but the card doesn’t look and perform like what many would expect out of a card in that price range. The Radeon HD 4770 was able to keep up with the Radeon HD 4850 and GeForce 9800 GTX+ in numerous benchmarks as a testament to that. For those that game in the 1280x1024 to 1680x1050 resolution range, the Radeon HD 4770 should be fine for most games with average settings as our testing had the image quality cranked all the way up in almost every test and the card did fine.”
- “Legit Bottom Line: The Radeon HD 4770 512MB graphics card brings all the latest hardware and process technology to the $109 price category.”
computershopper.com: ATI Radeon HD 4770
- “Excellent performance at the $100 price point; uses less power than comparable cards”
- “Thanks to its GDDR5 memory and a new 40nm manufacturing process, the ATI Radeon HD 4770 sets a new bar for graphics-card performance at around $100, while using less power than beefier boards like the Radeon 4850.”
- “But for gaming at medium resolutions, the Radeon HD 4770 does surprisingly well considering its budget-friendly price. In our testing, it fared nearly as well as (and even sometimes better than) the more expensive Radeon HD 4850, for a fair bit less. Another way to look at the value of the Radeon HD 4770 is to consider that, in most tests, this card even defeated the EVGA E-GeForce 9800 GTX, which, about a year ago, was the fastest single-GPU card available and sold for $350. Until the laws of competition force Nvidia to release a new card to compete (or to lower the price on an existing product with more muscle), the ATI Radeon HD 4770 is the best-performing graphics card for around $100.”
ComputerShopper Editor’s Choice. Editor’s Ranking 8.9
PCPerspective: AMD RV740 is all it’s cracked up to be
- “Performance: The gaming performance of the new AMD Radeon HD 4770 512MB graphics card is impressive. For a $99 part (after mail-in rebate…) AMD has created a great product and for gamers that are looking to power a system with a 1920x1200 or 1600x1200 display, it should offer more than enough power to get through most titles. In my testing, the HD 4770 was able to handle World in Conflict, Left 4 Dead, Call of Duty: World at War and even Crysis at top quality settings at 1600x1200 without issue. Far Cry 2 was a bit more complicated -- we tested the game at a quality level above what the GPU and memory buffer could really handle reliably and I feel that running the game at “High” quality would result in a great, and completely playable, experience.”
- “Final Thoughts: The beauty of the Radeon HD 4770 512MB graphics card is that it brings another low price, high performance part to the market that will also potentially make AMD more money as the ramp up to 40nm technology at TSMC increases. If prices stay stable (the $99 HD 4850 withstanding) then the HD 4770 is the best card you will find under $100.”
XBIT Labs: New Revolution: ATI Radeon HD 4770 Graphics Card Review
- “It is about a year since AMD’s graphics department provoked a revolution in the sector of inexpensive gaming graphics cards with the release of Radeon HD 4850. It looks like the revolutionary aspirations of ATI Technologies have become a tradition. The newly announced Radeon HD 4770 is even better in some aspects than its predecessor. The transition to the 40nm tech process is nothing extraordinary in itself, yet the new card’s performance in games is really amazing.”
- “Summing up everything we have just said, Radeon HD 4770 has every right to be titled the best budget graphics accelerator -- it has a ton of advantages and we couldn’t find any serious drawbacks.”
- “The HD 4770 offers good value at somewhere close to $100 USD. If you were judging by price, you’d classify the HD 4770 as a mid-range video card; but judging by game performance, the HD 4770 seems more at home with other enthusiast class cards than it does mid-range performers.”
- “In relation to the rest of ATI’s closest lineup, the HD 4770 is a welcome addition, and fits in nicely. If you are any more than a casual gamer, we would say the entry level ticket to satisfying gaming performance begins with the HD 4770.”
- “By taking the initial move to 40nm, AMD has won an important new milestone today. While the HD 4770 isn’t a game-changer in the video card landscape today, it is a great first step in a promising direction. Featuring improved power usage, lower operating temperatures, and high-end performance for a lower-end price, the HD 4770 bodes well for both ATI’s — and PC gamers’ — remaining months of 2009.”
Neoseeker Innovation Award
Tomshardware: ATI Radeon HD 4770: 40nm Goes Mainstream: Introduction
- “Writing about the latest and greatest hardware is fun-I’m not going to lie. Getting hands-on with technology in the lab is practically a hobby, and I’m fairly confident that most enthusiasts would share that excitement surrounded by a lab full of tech. But I’ll be the first to admit that $500 dual-GPU video cards and $1,000 Extreme Edition processors are Beluga caviar in a Big Mac world. There are some lucky gamers who really buy the pricey stuff. A majority, however, live vicariously through the reviews, and actually spends their money on components derived from high-end kit.”
- “Well, you know what they say about too good to be true. At the last minute, ATI changed the price to $109. Nothing about the card’s performance was altered. It remains a fast little board with good power consumption numbers. But it lost that “in your face for under $100″ sass.”
- “At $99, the Radeon HD 4770 was an award winner. At $109, it remains a good demonstration of 40 nm manufacturing at work and, as mentioned, a recommended alternative to the Radeon HD 4850/GeForce GTS 250 for budget-crunched gamers. Well-played ATI, well played.”
- “In conclusion, the ATI Radeon HD 4770 is perfect for HTPC builders and casual gamers looking for performance at a value with excellent cooling and overclocking capabilities. The HD4770 also matches well with AMD 770 motherboards, which currently sell for as little as $54.99 (after rebate). Benchmark Reviews has completed testing on the 40nm RV740, and our results have it performing at- or slightly-below the frame rate of a HD4850, and well ahead of the GeForce 8800 GT. With a double-slot cooler secured to a power-sipping 40nm GPU, budget enthusiasts can squeeze plenty more performance from the Radeon HD 4770 and get faster frame rates for no additional cost.”
Quality Recognition: Benchmark Reviews Silver Tachometer Award.
John Taylor is Director, Global Platform & Product Communications at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Special Edition Unprocessed: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition
Posted by John Taylor in 6:50 PM
(10 votes, average: 4.90 out of 5)
The Phenom™ II X4 955 Black Edition and the Dragon technology platform refresh is enjoying a positive reception from review press this week. Credit for that goes to a solid product at an attractive price. Additionally, the new AMD OverDrive 3.0 Beta, with the accompanying Black Edition Memory Profiles (B.E.M.P.) and Smart Profiles, expands the performance-tuning sandbox for Those Who Know (TWKs).
While these reviews often point out that AMD Phenom II X4 955 does not challenge Core i7 at the highest end of the desktop market, there is a clear pattern of praise for AMD’s tremendous value. The introductory heading in bold italic at the beginning of many bullets is my own encapsulation.
AnandTech: “AMD’s Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition”
· Value: “The prices are pretty attractive; the 955 will sell for $245 (and it already has been) and the 945 will go for $225. That pits the 955 against Intel’s Core 2 Duo Q9550 ($266) and the Core i7-920 ($284), the latter having a much higher motherboard cost of course.”
· X4 955 beats Q9550: “Unless you’re running applications that are very well optimized for Intel’s architectures, the Phenom II X4 955 is faster than the Core 2 Quad Q9550. Compared to the Core i7-920, it loses hands down although the chip does come close in some games.”
· DDR3’s time has come and charts uplift over DDR2.
· AMD has platform longevity: “From a longevity standpoint, the AM3 platform is much wiser to invest in than LGA-775. Intel has already shown all of its cards there, and there aren’t going to be any faster Core 2 Quads – just cheaper ones. By the end of this year Intel will begin transitioning to LGA-1156 and 775 will start fading away. By contrast, AMD’s Socket-AM3 is going to be the flagship for the company for all of 2009 and it’ll continue to live on into 2010. If you’re choosing between Socket-AM3 and LGA-775, AMD has made that choice very easy – Phenom II is the way to go if you’re concerned about a long term upgrade path, not to mention that the chips are generally cheaper than their Intel equivalents.”
Tom’s Hardware: “Phenom II X4 955: AMD’s Dragon Platform Evolves”
· Dragon Platform refresh: “Now AMD is fully on the platform bandwagon and we think the decision is a good one. In fact, the company is thumping its platform drum so hard that it’s difficult to believe it ever wanted anything different…This update nudges us up 200 MHz with a flagship running at 3.2 GHz. It gives us the option of adopting DDR3 memory and a Socket AM3 interface. It’s available alongside ATI’s new Radeon HD 4890 graphics card. And it includes a new processor-in-box reference cooling solution, which is just a tad smaller than its predecessor.”
· Value & overclocking with AOD 3.0: “At the end of the day, this comes down to price for most folks. If a Phenom II X4 955 plus 790FX/GX-based motherboard plus 4 GB DDR3-1333 memory kit are the upper end of your budget (let’s call that about $500), you won’t go wrong here.”
Tech Report: “AMD’s Phenom II X4 955 processor …Black Edition”
· Compatibility & Black Edition: “Since this is a Socket AM3 processor, it’s compatible with both Socket AM3 motherboards that support DDR3 memory and Socket AM2+ motherboards that use DDR2 memory. And since this is a new flagship for AMD, the 955 is a “Black Edition” processor with all of the privileges that title bestows—pretty much just “easy overclocking via an unlocked multiplier,” but hey, that’s not a bad perk.”
· Price / Performance: “The firm has made a commitment to remain competitive with Intel on price and performance, and the 955’s $245 price tag would appear to position it against the Core 2 Quad Q9550, a 2.83GHz chip with four cores and 12MB (or, more precisely, 2 x 6MB) of L2 cache. Intel’s current price list has the Q9550 at $266, so the Phenom II X4 955 undercuts it a little bit, in fact.”
· X4 955 and Q9550 are basically equal…: “The performance contest between the Phenom II X4 955 and the Core 2 Quad 9550 is crazy close, and even the X4 955’s one apparent weakness, a higher power/thermal rating, turned out to be a non-issue in our testing.”
· … so AMD gets the nod on platform value: “AMD knew what it had in this CPU: practically a mirror image of the Core 2 Quad Q9550. They’ve done two smart things, as a result. They’ve priced the chip right and have given it an unlocked multiplier to simplify overclocking. Add to those things the fact that Socket AM3 seems to have a better upgrade path than LGA775, and the Phenom II X4 955 looks to be the smarter choice for most consumers, should they be choosing between these two products.”
· Phenom II X3 720 still popular: “Strictly on value, one might wish to step down to one of our favorite Phenom II processors, the X3 720. Gamers, especially, don’t need four cores. If you do value multithreaded performance, the Core i7-920 could be an interesting possibility. But somewhere in between, the Phenom II X4 955 could make a whole lot of sense.”
Hot Hardware: “AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Processor”
· Phenom II X3 720 still popular: “AMD has released some mighty interesting processors as of late. The inexpensive tri-core Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition generated quite a bit of buzz upon its release, due to its excellent value and overclockability. And it didn’t hurt that a few weeks later news broke showing that some 720 BE processors could be modded into quad-cores with a simple BIOS tweak. The Phenom II 720 Black Edition was clearly a strong product in AMD’s mainstream CPU line-up. The new Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition and X4 945, however, take things up a notch at the high-end of AMD’s product stack, and like the Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition, they do so without breaking the bank.”
· Available & attractive platform: “The Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition and the X4 945 will be available immediately for $245 and $225, respectively (the 955 BE has already popped up on NewEgg). Pair one of these processors with an enthusiast-class 790FX or GX-based socket AM3 motherboard and 4GB of DDR3-1333 memory and you’ve got the makings of a powerful desktop platform for about $450. That’s not exactly cheap, but considering the performance and overclockability of the platform, it certainly represents a good value. Yes, Intel’s similarly clocked Core 2 Quads and Core i7 processors still maintain a performance advantage, but there is no denying that AMD’s Dragon platform is an attractive option that has only been enhanced by the introduction of these new CPUs.”
· Award: “Hot Hardware Approved”
FiringSquad: “AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Performance Preview”
· AMD OverDrive 3.0: “Of all the overclocking utilities that have been released from manufacturers over the years, AMD’s Overdrive suite is by far our favorite utility for CPU overclocking. With Overdrive 3.0, the best just got better, as AMD is adding Smart Profiles and Black Edition Memory profiles to Overdrive 3.0’s repertoire of features.”
· Smart Profiles (AOD3): “With so many games that are only dual-threaded on the market, Smart Profiles provides a nice option for enthusiasts looking to squeeze every ounce of performance out of their Phenom II processor.”
· Good price, good value: “Considering that the Q9400 sells for about $220, and the Q9550 for $270, AMD’s $225 price tag for the Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition is actually a very good value. That $225 buys you an AMD processor that’s quite competitive with the Q9550 in performance, with the two trading wins depending on the application, but the AMD processor sells for nearly $50 less and sports an unlocked clock multiplier. Those are two very important pluses for hardware enthusiasts in this economy in our opinion.”
· AMD is competitive: “This is definitely the most competitive AMD has been with Intel since Core 2’s arrival in the summer of 2006.”
PC Perspective: “AMD Phenom II X4 955 Processor Review – AM3 gets serious”
· AMD’s timing right on DDR3: “With AMD being more of the “value choice” it would have certainly hurt them to try to push the AM3 platform with memory prices so high. So while the AM3 rollout was a slow affair, in hindsight it does seem as though AMD timed it about right.”
· Motherboard support and OC headroom draw enthusiasts: “AM3 motherboard support is now reaching the tipping stage, and we are seeing a variety of boards from multiple manufacturers that encompass prices from $109 to $199. I am certain that there will soon be $99 boards, as well as more “boutique” style offerings above $200. While AM3 is still not a value proposition as compared to AM2+ boards and DDR-2 memory, the ability of AMD to deliver a processor which can stand toe to toe with what Intel has at this particular price point is a good thing. Add onto that a good measure of overclocking ability, and suddenly there is a rebirth of enthusiast interest in AMD parts.”
· Great 45nm execution: “The real unsung hero of this story is AMD’s 45 nm process. In the history of AMD, I do not remember a process that has come out as mature and performant as this one has. If we consider that the 65 nm Phenom was a 450 million transistor part that ran at a max speed of 2.6 GHz, and pulled 140 watts (for the first generation of 2.6 GHz parts), it is pretty amazing what AMD has done.”
· Solid CPU / good choice: “Make no mistake, AMD has another solid part on their hands. The Phenom II X4 955 performs up to expectations, it does not consume all that much more power than previous versions, and the updates to the clock speeds and DDR-3 memory make it a much more interesting part. Now that we actually have a larger selection of AM3 motherboards from $109 to $199, consumers have some very good choices in where they want to put their money.”
· Easy overclocking: “AMD continues to move forward with new product launches, and it is nice to see that they have now fully fleshed out their AM3 offerings. The two new processors dropped on the market today will allow users to have a greater selection of products to choose from. With better cooling I likely would have been able to hit 4 GHz, and certainly the 3.8 GHz I was able to achieve is outstanding compared to how little work I had to do to get there.”
PC World: “Tested: AMD Launches New Flagship Phenom II CPU”
· Dragon Platform: “Though AMD has trailed Intel in CPU performance at the absolute top end of town, it’s continued to deliver an affordable and largely competitive computing platform that includes CPU, motherboard, and GPU. The current incarnation of this unified offering is dubbed Dragon, and the new CPUs top off a full refresh since its introduction at CES in January. New ATI Radeon HD 4890 graphics boards hit earlier this month, Socket AM3 motherboards are rolling out, and AMD’s long-awaited OverDrive 3.0 overclocking software is expected to make its appearance at today’s launch, albeit in beta form.”
· AMD OverDrive 3.0: “My tests of the pre-release OverDrive 3.0 software revealed a veritable tweaker’s paradise. You can tweak processor, HyperTransport, and memory speed and voltages with unmatched granularity, or simply move a slider in novice mode.”
· Dragon brings value and tuning: “It looks like the Dragon refresh should compete well against the similarly priced Intel setups, especially when overclocked. That said, it’s not in the same league as top Core i7 960 setups, but it’s also far cheaper. In a mid-level power system Dragon provides a lot of bang for your buck — especially if you like to twiddle clock and voltage settings.”
Computer Shopper: “AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition”
· Editor’s Rating: “8.2 / 10″
· Dragon hits the intended mark: “With this chip, AMD takes aim at Intel’s similarly priced Core 2 Quad 9550, rather than the company’s high-end Core i7 processors. The Phenom II, with its associated Dragon platform (which combines a Phenom II processor with a 7-series chipset and Radeon graphics) are designed to be competitive in today’s midrange-CPU market. To this end, this chip succeeds.”
· Unlocked and compatible: “The Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition may not feature a large speed bump over the previous high-end Phenom II chip, but it adds support for Socket AM3 and DDR3 RAM (both of which the initial Phenom II X4 940 lacked), while maintaining compatibility with DDR2 memory on Socket AM2+ motherboards. Like all Black Edition processors, the CPU multiplier is unlocked, simplifying the overclocking process.”
· AMD OverDrive 3.0: “AMD is continuing to court the enthusiast market by providing superb support for overclocking its CPUs. (The company does temper that support with a clear caveat that damage from overclocking isn’t covered by warranty.) AMD’s updated OverDrive 3.0 utility offers extensive control over speeds and voltages, like earlier versions, but it also adds a number of features to simplify the overclocking process. The first, Black Edition Memory Profiles, lets you automatically set optimal performance for supported DDR3 memory modules. Another, AMD Smart Profiles, can adjust settings on the fly for specific applications and games; for example, if a game only takes advantage of two of the Phenom II’s four processor cores, AMD OverDrive can boost the speed of two cores, while reducing the performance of the two unneeded cores. The initial release of OverDrive 3.0 includes 20 Smart Profiles, focusing on games and benchmarking applications; you can also create your own.”
· AMD better value: “When balancing value and performance, however, the Phenom II X4, coupled with an AMD 740-chipset-based motherboard and a Radeon graphics card, offers performance that’s very competitive with Intel’s Core 2 Quad series, often at a lower overall system price. As a bonus, AMD’s excellent utility bundle makes the Phenom II X4 an attractive choice for those who like to tweak to maximize performance.”
BenchmarkReviews: “AMD Phenom II X4 955BE”
· AMD is back: “With the launch of the Phenom II and Dragon platform, however, AMD has made a dramatic comeback.”
· Black Edition and AMD OverDrive 3.0: “As this is a Black Edition processor, overclocking via AMD’s OverDrive 3.0 utility was easy. Given time restraints, I wasn’t able to push the Phenom II X4 955 to its limits. However, by upping a few voltages and increasing the multipliers, I was able to achieve a decent overclock in only a matter of minutes. The end result was 2800 MHz for the northbridge (MC + L3 Cache), 2600 MHz for the HyperTransport bus, and 3800 MHz for all four cores. The increased core speed has obvious benefits, but the northbridge itself is an important factor as well. As you’ll see in the benchmark sections to follow, when paired with high-end DDR3-1600, the overclocked memory controller leads to some serious bandwidth.”
· Price / performance: “Once again, it looks like AMD is the price/performance leader.”
· AMD alone provides full platform with high-end GPU: “One other thing AMD has going for them is their ability to offer a complete desktop solution, including high-end discrete graphics. No other manufacturer can make this claim. (Although I’m sure they’re working hard at it!) For the time being, however, AMD’s Dragon Platform is one of a kind and with this refresh it’s gotten even better. The newly released Radeon HD 4890 and 790 series AM3 DDR3 motherboards are a perfect complement to the Phenom II family. Add to that great software support and you’ve got a very good system on your hands without having to break the bank.”
· Award: “Golden Tachometer”
Bjorn3D: “AMD Phenom 2 X4 955 BE”
· Dragon platform attractive: “The higher performance and overclockability of the new Phenom 2 X4 lineup, combined with lower upgrade costs than the competition, makes the Dragon platform an attractive choice in these economic hard times. Economically speaking, the times may be hard but AMD has shown you can produce an affordable platform with out sacrificing performance. This move not only allows users to enjoy a high end platform but shows that AMD cares about the end user by keeping the prices down. Kudos AMD!”
· “The Phenom 2 X4 955 BE offers great performance at a good price. You can use your existing AM2+ board and DDR2 ram then upgrade to AM3 and DDR3, making it an even better choice in economic hard times.”
· Phenom II recommended on value: “The Phenom 2 X4 955 isn’t going to unseat the Core i7 CPU’s from their lofty throne but they rival them in some aspects. If we had to go out of pocket for a new rig at this point we’d heavily consider an X4 955. Not only is the CPU less expensive, the motherboards, on average, run about $100 (USD) less. You can snag a mid range AMD board with a SB750 and it’ll clock the unlocked multiplier X4 955 BE just as well as a deluxe board. The Asus M4A78T-E we use isn’t even a high end board and we easily hit 4 GHz.”
· Easy overclocking: “Speaking of overclocking, the Phenom 2 X4 955 BE overclocked insanely easy. We hit 3.8 GHz in about 15 minutes stable. Getting to 4 GHz took us about an hour, mainly by walking up the voltage on the CPU slowly. The Phenom 2 lineup is an overclocking champion and loves extreme cooling like Dry Ice and LN2, making it a good choice for air, water, and exotic cooling enthusiasts.”
· More praise for platform value: “We like the easy upgrade path on the Phenom 2 lineup and the price performance punch it offers. Dollar for dollar, we don’t think you’ll find a better platform out there than the Phenom 2 lineup and if you have a few bucks to spare, treat yourself to the Phenom 2 X4 955 BE with it’s unlocked multiplier and overclocking headroom. We love it.”
· Award: “Golden Bear Award”
eWeek Channel: “AMD Launches 3.2GHz Version of Phenom II CPU”
· AM2+ compatibility demonstrated: “We took a very straightforward approach to testing the 955; we simply yanked out the 940 in our AMD test system (see “AMD Guns for Intel’s Nehalem with the Phenom II”) and replaced it with the 955. Our test system uses an ASUS M3A78-T motherboard, which required an update to the latest BIOS to support the 955. The M3A78-T is an old standby and was developed during the days of AM2+ sockets.”
· AMD OverDrive 3.0: “Using the newest version of AMD’s Overdrive utility, we were able to experiment with different clock speeds on the 955 and found that, with our test system, we were able to run the 955 at 3.8GHz reliably. That increased our Passmark score to 1,146.5 and our CPUmark score to 4,846.4, a worthwhile increase.”
· Value of compatibility: “System builders should expect no surprises from the Phenom II x4 955 Black Edition, which in this case is a good thing. The CPU will quickly drop into current Phenom II configurations, making the transition to a faster CPU very simple, while cutting costs by a few dollars.”
CRN / Everything Channel: “AMD Refreshes The Dragon”
· AMD OverDrive 3.0: “OverDrive has historically been an easy way for novices and enthusiasts alike to overclock AMD processors. With version 3.0, the company has added new features that also make it easier to fine tune some settings. With another acronym, BEMP (Black Edition Memory Profiles), AMD has worked with memory manufacturers to create a database of specifications for certain high-frequency DDR3 modules. When using a motherboard with a BIOS that supports it, OverDrive 3.0 can use BEMP to look up frequency and latency settings and automatically set the parameters within the BIOS… Other new additions to OverDrive are Smart Profiles, which allow users to create (or use preconfigured) profiles that set parameters on a per-application basis. One good example of this is with games that are only dual threaded. With Smart Profiles, it is now possible to devote more processing speed to those two cores while reducing speed to the cores that are underutilized.”
· AMD a better buy: “Admittedly, the X4 955 is still no match for Intel’s current high-end CPU, the Core i7-965 Extreme, but its benchmarking scores come a lot closer than we would have expected. Considering the Core i7 Extreme is priced near $1,000, AMD’s latest processors are a great value at $225 and $245 for the X4 945 and Black Edition X4 955, respectively.”
· CPU and AOD3 are powerful: “Overall, the Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition, along with OverDrive 3.0, is a powerful and stable processor at a very reasonable price. Reviewers were pleasantly surprised at the performance we saw and look forward to what the competition between the two CPU powerhouses brings next.”
DesktopReview: “AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Review”
· Compatibility / Upgradability: “One major difference between AMD’s and Intel’s most recent CPU efforts is the issue of backwards compatibility. Due to the major structural changes on Intel’s side, such as moving the memory controller on-die, the newest processors can’t be used in any prior board. They also require new memory. AMD saw an opportunity here and brought out their AM3 processors, giving them the ability to lock into AM2+ chipsets. This way, users looking for a little extra oomph can drop in a new CPU and not necessarily be forced to buy an entire new system. The PII X4 955 is no exception, and can be put in many older motherboards, needing only a BIOS update. Once they’ve bought the processor, users can buy a new AM3 motherboard and DDR3 RAM at a later time, hopefully taking advantage of a lower price tag.”
Hi Tech Legion: “AMD Phenom II 955 X4 BE and Dragon Platform Refresh Review”
· Dragon has AMD back in the game: “At a price of under $800.00 for an entire system, the Phenom II 955 X4 Black Edition and the refreshed Dragon Platform has brought AMD back in the game for mainstream users and will also hand the enthusiast a plethora of overclocking options to play with. There is also the reverse compatibility factor. You don’t have to upgrade everything to take advantage of what the Dragon Platform has to offer.”
NeoSeeker: “AMD Phenom II X4 955 Review”
· Award: “Editor’s Choice”
AMDZone: “Phenom II X4 955″
· Award: “Editor’s Choice”
Extreme Overclocking: “AMD Phenom II X4 955 BE & 945 AM3 Processors”
· Award: “HIGHLY RECOMMENDED”
John Taylor is Director, Global Platform & Product Communications at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Live and Let Die (Sort)
Posted by John Taylor in 12:32 PM
I vividly recall the flight to San Francisco in fall 2007 for a press event to announce the addition of the world’s first triple-core x86 processors to our roadmap. I expected tough questions (looking back 18 months later, it appears our competitor may not face the same scrutiny on the identical subject; read on). My private thoughts en route:
- Will news media focus more on the value the processors should deliver to consumers, or on the mechanics of how it is made (from a quad-core die)?
- Will they appreciate that the ability to make a triple-core is a deserved windfall for AMD customers based on our investment in making a monolithic quad-core processor first, rather than a two dual-core multi-chip module (MCM)?
- Will they rightfully extrapolate that Intel would likely emulate this approach once it also began to manufacture native quad-core processors?
The press event went well enough, but the Q&A session was a little rough. We were asked whether we thought triple-core would confuse consumers, and responded that differentiating on cores or “brains” seemed far more intuitive than differentiating on abstract brand names and the size of Level 3 cache memory. And we were asked “Aren’t these just quad-core processors with one core disabled?” with an accusatory tone that just as easily could have demanded “Weren’t you the one seen in the parlor holding the candlestick over Colonel Mustard’s body?”
Clearly, these anticipated questions didn’t surprise, and our execs handled them well. What we didn’t anticipate, however, happened soon after at the Intel Developer Forum. Here’s how ExtremeTech reported it:
“During a question-and-answer session following his keynote speech, Otellini was asked his thoughts on including three cores on a processor die, as AMD indicated it would on Monday. AMD’s solution turns off one core, which may or may not have met its rated speed. “We see a distinct advantage in having all the cores on our die work,” Otellini replied.”
Otellini’s comment was widely reported and it entered into conventional wisdom about triple-core. In hindsight, perhaps Otellini did not anticipate that his own roadmaps would deliver, only 1.5 years later, server processors with two cores on the die disabled?
Egged on by the CEO of the world’s largest semiconductor company, scrutiny of how AMD triple-core processors are made became part of the processor’s narrative within the industry, distracting from its amazing performance and value. Consider this review conclusion from Tech Report, which manages to praise performance while alluding to manufacturing approach in one fell swoop:
“Well, jeez, it’s hard not to like the Phenom II X3 720, which is just a bundle of gimpy goodness…In more widely multithreaded apps where the 720’s third core kicks in, the Phenom II X3 almost always outruns the E8400, sometimes dramatically. Oddly enough, the 720’s combination of three cores and relatively high clock speeds may be the ideal trade-off for the current state of PC software. Who knew? Add in the X3 720’s fairly tame power consumption, its apparently excellent overclocking proposition, and the fact that—regardless of memory type—the Phenom II has a superior system architecture to the Core 2, and the E8400 starts to look rather weak by comparison. The Phenom II X3 720 is our new favorite among mid-range PC processors.”
Need more convincing about the solid value proposition that is AMD Phenom II X3?
Anandtech: “…The most interesting CPU is the Phenom II X3 720; at $145 its only Intel competitors are the Core 2 Duo E7500 and the Core 2 Duo E8400, both of which are dual-core CPUs. The extra core in the 720 can provide a clear advantage in well threaded workloads.”
But then, last week Intel had its big coming out party for Nehalem EP, and I was a little disappointed with the level of analysis present in the first days of coverage, and pointed to questions of my own. Here’s one more question from me:
Why has not one reporter asked Intel, or at least published a story, about the die used for the new dual-core Intel Xeon E5502 and L5508? According to Insight64 principal analyst Nathan Brookwood, he has confirmed with Intel these are “defeatured quad-cores that create a low-end socket-compatible part.”
Intel publicly jeered AMD triple-core desktop processors with one core “defeatured,” yet they are apparently “defeaturing” two cores for their new datacenter darling.
Perhaps no one wrote this story because the press now “get it” that this is just good, smart business in making a complete product family from a monolithic quad-core. But let’s just hope this remains a tri-lateral “agreement” honored by all involved parties: Intel, AMD, and the news media.
John Taylor is Director, Global Platform & Product Communications at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Did Seth Sayeth the Truth?
Posted by John Taylor in 4:19 PM
Some of you may have read Seth Weintraub’s blog post about Lauren (her video is below), the star of the new Microsoft campaign. In the spirit of conversation and transparency, I want to share the essence of our input, delivered via e-mail at Computer World’s direction, in response to our request to talk to Mr. Weintraub directly about the post.
We understand that the “Apple Ink” blog is intended to be pro-Apple, which is great. I’m pro-Apple too. And pro-Microsoft, pro-HP, pro-Dell, pro-Google. But I’m especially pro-Lauren, and pro-people out there just like her trying to find the best value in buying wondrous PCs and Macs.
Here’s the points we made to Computer World to address some of the more technical aspects of the post, and the opinions based on those points. The text in quotes below comes directly from Seth’s blog:
1. ComputerWorld/Seth: “It runs Vista Home on a slow AMD mobile processor”
· The nearly three-year-old ZDNet article to which Seth links actually refers to the Turion™ 64 X2 TL-56 processor running at 1.8GHz, while the processor included in the HP dv7 cited in the Microsoft ad is the 2.1 GHz AMD Turion™ X2 RM-72 dual-core mobile processor. The HP Pavilion dv7 laptop launched in June 2008, so linking to a ZDNet article from 2006 is incorrect at best and misleading at worst.
2. ComputerWorld/Seth: “it has DDR2 RAM which is what $300 Netbooks run.”
· Current market data from IDC shows that only 29% of the entire PC market is currently using DDR3 because DDR2 is generally seen as sufficient, a statement especially true of those consumers looking for mainstream, well-priced notebooks. What’s more, even high-end notebooks, such as the just-announced Asus G71Gx, feature DDR2 memory.
3. ComputerWorld/Seth: “this is the type of setup that sparked the “Made for Vista” lawsuits.”
· I think Seth is referring to the “Vista Capable” lawsuit. This lawsuit was aimed at notebooks and desktops which failed to visually power the full Windows Vista Premium experience – devices which, by the way, employed our competitor’s integrated graphics solutions.
· AMD is proud of its strong history of providing graphics processors capable of providing the full Windows Vista Premium experience; in fact, AMD was the first to market with WHQL certified Vista drivers. The HP dv7, in fact, is an AMD “Puma” platform-based notebook; Puma brought full HD video capability to mainstream notebook customers.
4. ComputerWorld/Seth: “Its networking is five years old. 802.11G wireless and 100Mb Ethernet are surpassed by $300 Netbooks. 2004 called. It wants its motherboard back.”
· Actually, wireless technology is not found on the motherboard in this AMD platform. AMD was the first to market with platforms that included 802.11 draft n, and today our current platform based on the AMD Turion X2 Ultra features industry-leading wireless capabilities from Atheros, Broadcom, and Ralink and are compatible with both 3G and WiMAX technology. If AMD had its way, every notebook would ship with 802.11N but it is not at all uncommon to find many notebook configurations at retail equipped with 802.11G.
5. ComputerWorld/Seth: “The thing is almost two inches thick and weighs in at almost eight pounds. Do you think that PC buyer wants to be hauling that thing around? She didn’t look like she spends her afternoons pumping iron on Venice Beach.”
· The 17” Macbook Pro weighs a substantial 6.6 pounds, while the dv7 weights exactly 7.8 pounds. Consumers with portability as a priority would surely choose a notebook smaller than 17”. Lauren, for example, did not state ultra portability in her criteria.
6. ComputerWorld/Seth: “The battery is said to last 2.5 hours. Real world usage is always close to around half of that. That means you can’t watch a full movie on a battery charge. It also means that it will probably poop out on that commuter flight from Los Angeles to San Francisco.”
· Again, the HP dv7 is a desktop replacement model known for its multimedia prowess, not a model intended for someone whose primary criteria is portability. However, while unclear whether the model Lauren chose contained a 6 cell or 8 cell battery, the HP dv7 has gotten a reported 2 hours and 47 minutes of battery life when subjected to rigorous testing by LAPTOP Magazine (enough to watch an average length movie on a battery charge).
It looks as though Seth already has updated the post based on input #1 in the above list, and we’re grateful for that. But we hope sharing the full contents of our feedback to Computer World is useful, added perspective.
John Taylor is Director, Global Platform & Product Communications at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
As the See-Saw Cycles: Congrats to Intel, with a few questions as well
Posted by John Taylor in 1:11 PM
About five months ago, AMD launched a server processor codenamed “Shanghai,” about which Anandtech said:
“It is clear that the latest AMD Opteron is in the lead. We are really at the pivotal moment in time. No matter how good the current Xeon “Harpertown” and “Dunnington” architectures are, they lose too many battles due to the platform they are running on. The FSB architecture is singing its swan song.
Today, it’s Intel’s turn in this see-saw dynamic as it launches its new architecture for 2P servers and workstations. The follow-on Anandtech review this week shows strong initial benchmark performance for the highest-end “Nehalem” platforms. Let’s congratulate Intel on the performance of its all-new processors and the attending all-new OEM platforms. Competition is good for the industry. With “Istanbul” on deck for 2H09, and AMD’s all new “G34” platforms following thereafter, this competition is far from over. Here’s a little more on Istanbul:
How are the news and social media telling Intel’s big story thus far? Some already remarked on similarities between Xeon 5500 Series processors and AMD Opteron innovations[1], while we expect the most reactionary and binary (declaring AMD or Intel sucks/rules based on mostly academic benchmarks) tech press to write misguided AMD Opteron obits today.
Others will write-up even the boldest Intel hyperbole like a speckled trout takes a shrimp. Speaking of running with what Intel gives you, it’s become a source of amusement in the AMD Communications team: What new way will Intel spin its beloved “The biggest X Intel innovation since Y Intel innovation?”
· For this launch, “Pat Gelsinger…touted the new chips…as the most significant processor launch since the Pentium Pro was released in 1995,” as quoted in eWeek
· However, Core 2 Duo was “One of the biggest new microprocessors we’ve done in many years--at least a decade--and many people say the biggest one since the Pentium,” said David Tuhy, general manager of desktop products division, in an interview with eWEEK.
· With High-K Metal Gate and 45nm, “Company researchers said the advance represented the most significant change in the materials used to manufacture silicon chips since Intel pioneered the modern integrated-circuit transistor more than four decades ago,” according to the New York Times.
To my ears, the Intel “biggest X since Y” tactic is now “the most-worn-out-yet-mysteriously-effective marketing tactic since the infomercial.”
While I may not get my way on news and social media tiring of an overdone marketing tactic, perhaps as the week progresses we’ll see answers to Xeon 5500 questions like these:
1. Current platform pricing shows that Xeon 5500 systems represent a significant price premium of up to 40 to 50% over equivalent AMD Opteron processor-based systems. Will customers see sufficient value at this price premium in this economy?
2. Are all the new features available across the entire Nehalem product stack? For example, do they have to reduce memory DIMM performance, lower their Quickpath speeds in order to achieve lower TDPs? Do all the models feature HyperThreading or Turbo Mode?
3. We’re hearing much emphasis with this launch on idle power. Will “Nehalem” EP platforms consume more power at the wall versus similar AMD Opteron processor-based systems at load, as in virtualization environments?
4. Intel termed 4P server configurations “for mission critical applications” and “with Virtualization [Intel has] seen four socket and above have more strength because there’s a larger desire to move to a consolidated environment because of the operational benefits that come with it.” When will Intel have 4P and higher solution based on its Nehalem architecture available and shipping in OEM systems?
5. Nehalem EP is only available with DDR3 memory, which draws more power and comes at a price premium. As servers are typically configured with massive amounts of memory, will Intel need to compensate for these two considerations?
Maybe we can get a little help from Jon Stewart in asking the questions that get missed?
John Taylor is Director, Global Platform & Product Communications at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
[1] Excerpt from subscription-only Wall Street Journal story:
One reason for the speed of Nehalem — a family that includes models for high-end PCs introduced in November — is that it connects directly to memory chips rather than going through an external component called a memory controller. AMD has offered that technology on its Opteron line since 2003.
Server-Side Rendering Back in the Spotlight
Posted by John Taylor in 2:12 PM
News and social media look toward the future of the game and entertainment console
As a boy, I remember the impatient process of flicking my 1970s era game console on-off switch up and down up to 20 times to get my “Adventure” game to display properly. Fast forward 30+ years, and this week I’m trying to determine where in my living room to position my 13” tall Xbox 360 to make room for a new home theater component. This week news media, game publishers and developers are abuzz once again about server-side rendering, with its promise to re-imagine the game console in our living rooms: size, simplicity, power efficiency.
There has been a huge round of initial coverage in response to the revelation by OnLive, a company demoing a new server-side rendering gaming solution, and the follow-up news this week of others innovating in similar ways. Media reactions thus far range from straightforward reporting of the promise OnLive outlined and demonstrated to more critical views of the barriers to success.
We were pleased with the response we received as well in January 2009 when AMD showed off similar technology; the conceptual demos OnLive has shown are kindred spirits to the AMD Fusion Render Cloud concept that Dirk Meyer and Jules Urbach of OTOY presented at CES09. That so many new entrants are entering the mix is validation that this concept captivates the imagination and appears poised to enhance the consumer experience in a meaningful way.
Many reporters, bloggers and industry analysts asked us what the OnLive announcement means to AMD, and whether we see players like OnLive as competition to the AMD Fusion Render Cloud concept. Simply put: the more the merrier. We’re not surprised by these developments and the warm reception from the industry. Server-side rendering has been discussed for years and, AMD had been working for a while on technology that can deliver high-quality, immersive and interactive entertainment experiences directly from the cloud.
Ultimately, our goal is to give consumers access to HD games, videos and everything in between regardless of their location or the HD-capable device they chose. We want the consumer to be able to access HD content (be it a game or a Blu-ray movie) as easily from a seat on the bus as from a couch in the living room.
Granted, this is a tall order and AMD continues to work with a number of partners including OTOY, Image Metrics and Electronic Arts,to name a few. For those following the conversations our January announcement sparked, and similar conversations reignited this week, you can see that the hurdles to having a mass market, consumer-ready product are not minor:
- Sufficient compression to overcome latency and network bandwidth issues still remain a key part of the question.
- One of the things AMD continues to grapple with as well is making that experience seamless and unobtrusive. For instance, most consumers already have any number of devices in their living room, whether it’s a video game console like Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii (I have both these AMD-powered consoles in my living room), or a media center PC or personal video recorder (PVR). How can those be employed to deliver that HD entertainment experience from the cloud rather than needing yet another piece of hardware in the room?
As we work through these challenges and others as an industry, it’s clear that the AMD Fusion Render Cloud concept, and the broader idea of entertainment delivered over the cloud, offers a real growth opportunity. Like everyone else, we’re excited about the OnLive announcement. It’s important to remember that at the center of these concepts — the heart of what it takes to make this HD cloud experience possible — is a high-performance computing platform that brings together GPU and CPU technologies. That’s at the core of what makes AMD unique in the world of computing innovation, and what drives great digital entertainment experiences.
John Taylor is Director, Global Platform & Product Communications at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Your choice, social marketers: 500K bull’s-eyes or 3 million viral video views?
Posted by John Taylor in 11:18 AM
Welcome to the first post of the AMD Unprocessed blog. This is where members of the Global Communications team will discuss with you news, social media, research and opinion relevant to AMD and the global PC industry. I’m John Taylor, director of global platform & product communications for AMD. From me you can expect discussions of the latest innovations, and how news media, social media and industry analysts mold conventional wisdom and shape perception of those innovations and the companies behind them.
Let’s begin with YouTube and the restless pursuit of viral video hits.
When Nigel Dessau joined AMD about a year ago, he drove a shift in our marketing toward activities designed to strike the bull’s eye of an intended target. For the launch of the AMD desktop technology PC platform codenamed “Dragon” and AMD Phenom™ II processors, the bull’s eye was people who like to build their own PCs for video editing and gaming. I refer to this crowd as “Those Who Know” (TWK, pronounced “tweak”) in that they understand how to build a world-class system for their specific pursuits without spending world-class amounts, and many of them like to overclock a processor to get even more performance than its official rating. I’m a level 1 TWK: I build my own systems, but you might not want me to build yours.
For our marketing and communications efforts, we really wanted to strike the target by showing that “Dragon” represented unparalleled value for TWKs. So we brought a few Level 10 TWKs at AMD to the forefront in our marketing: gifted engineers and technologists who love tuning the latest silicon to unlock maximum performance and value.
Two discrete arrows released at our target were videos handsomely edited to show world-record overclocking performances with PCs based on our Dragon platform technology in the hands of AMD’s best and champion overclockers from Finland.*
The older of the two videos dates only to CES09, and has clocked more the 400,000 views even with a runtime of 7 min. 36 sec. 662 comments to-date.
The newer video has only been up for a few weeks, and already has more than 100,000 views. This one is my favorite in how it conveys a sense of place while shooting on-location in Finland. 219 comments thus far.
I argue the vast majority of these views represent the bull’s-eye. The video subject is primarily of interest to TWK types; it’s decidedly not as mainstream as watching YouTube highlights of, say, Premier League goals.
That’s ½ million views combined and counting. Incredible stuff for a semiconductor design company, however some of the biggest viral marketing video hits have clocked 2X, 4X or more that number of views.
Let’s examine the other end of the spectrum of marketing video hits. How about the Cadbury Dairy Milk “A glass and a half full of joy” videos and ads. This is the U.K.’s best-selling candy bar. This is a multi-million Euro (http://www.confectionerynews.com/The-Big-Picture/New-Cadbury-TV-ad-to-drive-dairy-milk-sales) ad campaign that plays well on YouTube. The two AMD videos, in contrast, cost a tiny fraction of that to produce and were not created for a media buy.
The eyebrows video employs whimsical, fresh images set to old-school hip hop (“Don’t Stop the Rock” by Freestyle) to make a tie to the word “joy” in the candy bar tagline. More than 2.5 million views on YouTube and counting.
This video doesn’t tell us about the milk chocolate candy bar, how it tastes, or how it is Fairtrade certified (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7923385.stm). It purely entertains, in the name of “joy.” Same as a chocolate bar. But the connection is abstract.
So, web marketers, which would you prefer? Several million whimsical views that abstractly connect to your product brand? Or 500,000 views that hit your bull’s eye audience with a concrete message?
Well, Cadbury Dairy Milk sales speak for themselves, and “AMD Phenom II” is among the top searched-for products on sites like newegg.com that cater to TWKs like me. As Forrest Gump said, “Perhaps it’s both.”
* Note: AMD’s product warranty does not cover damages caused by overclocking, even when overclocking is enabled via AMD software.
John Taylor is Director, Global Platform & Product Communications at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.