Advanced Micro Devices was once again unsure when exactly it is capable of releasing its highly-anticipated code-named Fusion processor during its meeting with financial analysts on Thursday. Based on the current indications made by the world’s second largest x86 chipmaker, the products, which combine general purpose as well as graphics cores, will be delayed to the second half of 2009.
The concept chip that combines general purpose as well as graphics computing capabilities, which is usually named Fusion, is now called Accelerated Processing Unit (APU), according to a presentation of Mario Rivas, executive vice president of computing solutions group at AMD.
“I am happy to announce the birth of a new category, the Accelerated Processing Units. The ‘new AMD’ now has access to excellent IP on CPUs, excellent IP on graphics processing units and second to none chipsets. The integration of all these parts and our uniqueness – customer centric innovation – create the APU,” said Mr. Rivas.
The first APU, that is “on track to market in 2H 2009” is code-named Swift and features two or three general purpose x86 cores based on AMD’s new-generation micro-architecture (the same that is used in Phenom processors), graphics core based on “existing high-end discrete” design (possibly, ATI Radeon HD 3800), DDR3 memory controller as well as PCI Express bus controller. The chip will be made using 45nm process technology.
“The first APU platform is code-named Swift. It gives you the choice of technologies for high-confidence volume production ramp. We want to re-use as much [IP] as possible to accelerate our quality [qualification] and time to market. So, we have an AMD Stars CPU core, the graphics core that is based on the present high-end discrete GPU core and leverages the North Bridge that is presently found in Griffin, the CPU of the Puma platform. It will be our second 45nm generation product, so the maturity of the [production technology] will be proven. It is done on the current SOI design rules, which is the process that we know how to build on very well,” Mr. Rivas explained.
Initially the company indicated that Fusion processors “are expected in late 2008/early 2009”, and the company anticipated to use them within all of the chipmaker’s “priority computing categories”, including laptops, desktops, workstations and servers, as well as in “consumer electronics and solutions tailored for the unique needs of emerging markets”. A little later the company said that the first-generation of Fusion chips will be aimed at laptops and that production will start in early 2009. This time AMD claims that the actual chips will reach the market only in the second half of 2009, which may mean that the product will only be launched commercially in Q4 2009. Still, the company said that it is minimizing all the risks hopes to really deliver the product on time.
“By optimizing the choice of IP blocks we have less risks and faster time to market in the second half of 2009,” claimed , executive vice president of computing solutions group at AMD.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20071216231717_AMD_Claims_First_Swift_Fusion_Processor_Due_in_Second_Half_2009.html
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Advanced Micro Devices Faces Further Delays of Phenom Processors.
Advanced Micro Devices, the troubled maker of x86 central processing units (CPUs), is projected to face further delay of its highly-anticipated AMD Phenom microprocessors and will only be in position to supply them in Q2 2008. This setback is likely to have a negative financial impact on the company’s financial results in the first quarter of 2008.
After a Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB)-related erratum was discovered in AMD Phenom microprocessors and AMD had to impose a fix that reduced performance of the CPUs, Advanced Micro Devices had to announce a new B3 stepping of the chip with bug corrected without performance degradation. Unfortunately for AMD, the new chips will only become available for its customers sometime in Q2 2008, not in Q1 2008, as expected, according to AMD’s production schedule published by HKEPC web-site.
Quad-core AMD Phenom 9900, 9700, 9650, 9550, 9150e and 9100e chips are scheduled to be commercially available in the second quarter, 2008, whereas development samples of the chips are generally projected to be available for AMD’s customers in the first quarter of the year. Triple-core AMD Phenom 8700, 8650 and 8450 chips are also projected to be available in Q2 2008; still, AMD Phenom 8600 and 8400 – which are based on the B2 stepping with TLB errata – will be released commercially in March, 2008.
Despite of stepping change, the new quad-core microprocessors by AMD will only run at clock-speeds 2.60GHz and below, whereas triple-core chips will only operate at 2.40GHz and lower.
The delay of the advanced AMD Phenom microprocessors to Q2 2008 will slowdown AMD’s revenue growth in the first quarter, as currently available AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors are not competitive against higher-end Intel Core 2 chips and the world’s second largest x86 processor maker will have to concentrate on selling primarily lower-end CPUs that have low profit margins.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20071226214456_Advanced_Micro_Devices_Faces_Further_Delays_of_Phenom_Processors.html
After a Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB)-related erratum was discovered in AMD Phenom microprocessors and AMD had to impose a fix that reduced performance of the CPUs, Advanced Micro Devices had to announce a new B3 stepping of the chip with bug corrected without performance degradation. Unfortunately for AMD, the new chips will only become available for its customers sometime in Q2 2008, not in Q1 2008, as expected, according to AMD’s production schedule published by HKEPC web-site.
Quad-core AMD Phenom 9900, 9700, 9650, 9550, 9150e and 9100e chips are scheduled to be commercially available in the second quarter, 2008, whereas development samples of the chips are generally projected to be available for AMD’s customers in the first quarter of the year. Triple-core AMD Phenom 8700, 8650 and 8450 chips are also projected to be available in Q2 2008; still, AMD Phenom 8600 and 8400 – which are based on the B2 stepping with TLB errata – will be released commercially in March, 2008.
Despite of stepping change, the new quad-core microprocessors by AMD will only run at clock-speeds 2.60GHz and below, whereas triple-core chips will only operate at 2.40GHz and lower.
The delay of the advanced AMD Phenom microprocessors to Q2 2008 will slowdown AMD’s revenue growth in the first quarter, as currently available AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors are not competitive against higher-end Intel Core 2 chips and the world’s second largest x86 processor maker will have to concentrate on selling primarily lower-end CPUs that have low profit margins.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20071226214456_Advanced_Micro_Devices_Faces_Further_Delays_of_Phenom_Processors.html
The faltering AMD project is no longer a realistic option for New York
First published: Sunday, December 30, 2007
Nobody likes to be a skunk at the garden party, but the Dec. 23 Perspective story, "Waiting for AMD" did the right thing in preparing the Capital Region for the likely cancellation of the AMD chip-fab plant project. Notwithstanding the state's expenditure of more than $150 million on infrastructure and the promise of $1 billion more in aid (an absurdly expensive and ineffective approach to economic development), it is clear now that AMD is stringing New York along.
AMD is a company beset by major problems. In the last three quarters it lost $1.6 billion -- and it's not clear when it will return to profitability. The acquisition of graphics-chip maker ATI for $5.4 billion was a costly mistake that saddled the company with massive debt and restructuring charges. It is about to borrow $2 billion more, at the same time that profit margins are being squeezed by competition with Intel, and its stock is down 44 percent this year to date.
With AMD's reported operating loss of $226 million in the third quarter, and a net loss of $396 million, AMD is even scaling back plans to convert older facilities in Germany to newer chip-making equipment, a much less expensive proposition than building new fabs.
The worst news for New York is that AMD responded to its problems with a new strategy called "asset-light" manufacturing, meaning that it will outsource more of its chip fabrication to third-party manufacturers.
Given how central this "asset-light" strategy is to restoring the company's finances and the confidence of investors on Wall Street, is it realistic to bank on AMD building a very costly new chip-fab plant in New York? The answer is no -- particularly now that CEO Hector Ruiz (who approved the project) has announced that he will be leaving the company.
If New York had a normal business climate, with average costs of doing business and average taxes, a company in financial difficulties might take advantage of the offer of $1 billion in state aid. But in the last 10 years we've done almost nothing to slow what are now the highest costs of doing business in the nation.
Instead we've banked on an approach that requires politicians and bureaucrats to guess which industries have the best growth prospects, and which companies within those industries are the strongest, and cajole them to build here with the promise of huge infusions of state money. This is a fool's game that can't succeed. It is unfair to businesses already here, and does nothing to help New York.
MARK ALESSE Delmar The writer was a lobbyist for small busi ars, and worked in the Assembly and Senate on economic development.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=650977&category=OPINION&newsdate=12/30/2007
Nobody likes to be a skunk at the garden party, but the Dec. 23 Perspective story, "Waiting for AMD" did the right thing in preparing the Capital Region for the likely cancellation of the AMD chip-fab plant project. Notwithstanding the state's expenditure of more than $150 million on infrastructure and the promise of $1 billion more in aid (an absurdly expensive and ineffective approach to economic development), it is clear now that AMD is stringing New York along.
AMD is a company beset by major problems. In the last three quarters it lost $1.6 billion -- and it's not clear when it will return to profitability. The acquisition of graphics-chip maker ATI for $5.4 billion was a costly mistake that saddled the company with massive debt and restructuring charges. It is about to borrow $2 billion more, at the same time that profit margins are being squeezed by competition with Intel, and its stock is down 44 percent this year to date.
With AMD's reported operating loss of $226 million in the third quarter, and a net loss of $396 million, AMD is even scaling back plans to convert older facilities in Germany to newer chip-making equipment, a much less expensive proposition than building new fabs.
The worst news for New York is that AMD responded to its problems with a new strategy called "asset-light" manufacturing, meaning that it will outsource more of its chip fabrication to third-party manufacturers.
Given how central this "asset-light" strategy is to restoring the company's finances and the confidence of investors on Wall Street, is it realistic to bank on AMD building a very costly new chip-fab plant in New York? The answer is no -- particularly now that CEO Hector Ruiz (who approved the project) has announced that he will be leaving the company.
If New York had a normal business climate, with average costs of doing business and average taxes, a company in financial difficulties might take advantage of the offer of $1 billion in state aid. But in the last 10 years we've done almost nothing to slow what are now the highest costs of doing business in the nation.
Instead we've banked on an approach that requires politicians and bureaucrats to guess which industries have the best growth prospects, and which companies within those industries are the strongest, and cajole them to build here with the promise of huge infusions of state money. This is a fool's game that can't succeed. It is unfair to businesses already here, and does nothing to help New York.
MARK ALESSE Delmar The writer was a lobbyist for small busi ars, and worked in the Assembly and Senate on economic development.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=650977&category=OPINION&newsdate=12/30/2007
Intel venture with STM delayed
The credit crunch has forced Intel and STMicroelectronics to delay the merger of their unprofitable memory chip businesses as new financing arrangements are worked out, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.Under the deal, announced last May, lenders were to provide $1.55 billion in debt financing for the new company, Numonyx.But in separate statements issued last Wednesday, Intel and STM said they had been renegotiating terms with lenders.Revised financing will provide less than half the original total, with a senior loan of $650 million and $100 million in a revolving credit facility.“The financing terms will result in certain changes in certain changes in the terms of the master agreement, which are being negotiated by the parties,” Intel said.In the meantime, the FT reported there had been an agreement to extend the termination date for the merger from 31 December to 28 March 2008.“We are in the process of renegotiating credit agreements, and clearly (the amount) will be less,” Intel said. “The markets have changed significantly since we first announced the deal.”Intel had been looking to sell or spin off its unprofitable NOR Flash memory business for some time, FT said.The deal between the number one chipmaker and Europe's largest combines Intel's NOR Flash with STM's Flash businesses.The technologies provide storage chips for digital cameras, mobile phones and other devices.The merger would create a company with $3.6 billion in annual sales, putting it ahead of Spansion.Intel has been focusing on its core microprocessor business and disposing of other assets. Its own NAND flash manufacturing capacity has been merged into a joint venture with the chipmaker Micron, while research and development for its memory chips remains in-house.STM will hold a 48.6 per cent stake in Numonyx and Intel's stake will be 45.1 per cent.Francisco Partners, a Silicon Valley buy-out fund, is investing $150 million for a 6.4 per cent stake.
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=62616
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=62616
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)