H2 2008
Say hello to Nehalem
Where Penryn was Intel's move to increased power efficiency, Nehalem, which is set to debut in the latter half of 2008, will introduce a brand new CPU architecture. This pattern of shrinking the die one year, then revamping the core architecture the next is how Intel chip development will proceed, at least under its currently stated release plan. For example, 2009 will feature supposedly more power-efficient, 32nm process Nehalem-equivalent chips (code-named Westmere), while 2010 will feature a new chip architecture design, code-named Sandy Bridge (formerly Gesher), and so on.
Intel's 'tick-tock' cadence model
Intel has settled on an alternating schedule of shrinking the size of its chips with one release ('tick') while revamping the chips' architecture with the next release ('tock'). A tick-tock cycle will occur every two years (see table, below).
For Nehalem, the big innovation will involve Intel linking the CPU to other components on the board via a new technology now branded QuickPath (formerly Common System Interface), a next-generation interconnect technology designed to compete with AMD's HyperTransport. Although AMD's 65nm Phenom has not fared as well against Intel's new 45nm Core 2 Duo chips, when the two were on the same die-size during the old Athlon/Pentium D days, AMD's built-in memory controller design was a significant factor in the Athlon's speed advantage. By introducing a similar design with Nehalem, Intel may further distance itself from AMD with its faster 45nm designs.
AMD's projections for the latter half of year include the very important move to the 45nm manufacturing process. We have a feeling we'll see at least a 45nm Opteron before the end of 2008, if not a full-fledged 45nm, HyperTransport 3.0-based Phenom desktop chip. We were also supposed to have AMD's new Socket AM3 motherboard chipsets by the beginning of 2008. This new circuitry will let AMD-based PCs use DDR3 memory, among other features. We've seen projections saying AM3 will be out by the end of this year, and others placing it in 2009. Moving to DDR3 isn't quite urgent enough yet for us to start feeling impatient, but by the end of this year it will likely be a requirement of any serious PC enthusiast. Hopefully AMD will have some concrete info on its next-generation motherboard chipsets, if not a full-fledged product launch, by the end of this year.
Intel's 'tick-tock' development model
Tick Shrink of previous microarchitecture Tock New architecture |
65nm 65nm |
Core Duo Core 2 Duo |
2005 - 2006 |
Tick Shrink of previous microarchitecture Tock New architecture |
45nm 45nm |
Penryn Nehalem |
2007 - 2008 |
Tick Shrink of previous microarchitecture Tock New architecture |
32nm 32nm |
Westmere Sandy Bridge* |
2008 - 2009 |
* formerly Gesher
Talkback
So the article is very informative, though it does not answer one of my most burning questions, which platform to invest in form my next desktop PC, so the computer will still be upgradeable in two years time? Technology moves too quickly sometimes and older computer parts are twofold more expensive than new ones, simply because the manufacturers push out new product to fuel sales results, sometimes forgetting there are real people somewhere along the road there. If you don't believe me try to find an Opteron 185 x2 processor for socket 939... prices are insane because it's an old chipset. Bollocks, if it's old it should be cheaper but logic does no good here...
Good luck!
You would think that older CPUs etc would get cheaper as newer ones are released
An AMD X2 CPU to fit a 939 mobo will cost more than an AM2/AM2+ with twice the perf rating wtf?