Beyond Bulldozer: AMD May Release a 10-core CPU in 2012
Beyond Bulldozer: AMD May Release a 10-core CPU in 2012
Posted 07/26/2011 at 9:12am
| by Paul Lilly
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It's been a long time since the CPU speed war was all about faster frequencies, a strategy that died when Intel retired Netburst in favor of its Core architecture. That same war is now fought by and large with cramming more cores into a single slice of silicon, and come 2012, AMD plans to launch a 10-core processor for enthusiast grade desktops. Are we ready for double-digit core counts?
That depends on what software developers are able to accomplish between now and then. As it stands, today's software doesn't make the most out of multi-core processors, though the situation is decidedly better than it was when the landscape was dominated by single- and dual-core processors. Ready or not, 10-core chips are en route, at least according to a leaked roadmap.
Chinese website zol.com.cn posted the confidential roadmap (click our thumbnail image to enlarge) outlining AMD's 2011 (what's left of it) and 2012 platform plans. Based on the roadmap, AMD plans to follow up the launch of its Scorpius platform in 2011 (which will culminate with the release of Bulldozer) with Corona in 2012. Corona will include "Komodo" CPUs with up to 10 Piledriver cores, Turbo Core 3.0, and a new socket dubbed FM2.
Corona also includes AMD's Hudson D4 FCH chipset with an upgraded southbridge that supports eight SATA 6Gb/s ports, RAID 0/1/5/10, ten USB 2.0 ports, and four native USB 3.0 ports. AMD's next generation discrete graphics -- Radeon 7000? -- will also be part of the platform.
In the mainstream market, the roadmap shows AMD's Fusion-powered Lynx platform being replaced by Virgo. This will consist of Trinity APUs with up to 4 Piledriver CPU cores, Turbo Core 3.0, DirectX 11 GPU core, and DDR3 support. Trinity chips will also utilize AMD's upcoming FM2 socket.
Sitting at the bottom is Deccan, the platform AMD will replace Brazos with. Deccan will feature Wichita APUs with up to 4 Bobcat CPU cores and an FT2 infrastructure.
Image Credit: zol.com.cn
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tallguy56
August 04, 2011 at 9:41pm
Why would they dub a cpu socket fm2 when the fm1 socket is used for an apu? Shouldn't they call the socket am4 to follow the pattern?
CarryingColoradan
July 27, 2011 at 11:06am
today's software doesn't make the most out of multi-core processors
Umm, if you limit your definition of software to monolithic Windows applications that you run only one of at a time, maybe that's true. Linux distributes processes over cores very effectively, and running a compile across all available CPUs is *very* fast, I assure you.
TerribleToaster
July 27, 2011 at 1:16pm
If only the majority of consumer software was built to run on Linux. At last, most of it is not. But one can dream.
Belboz99
July 26, 2011 at 10:27pm
Woot! Now I can relive 2001 with an AMD Radeon 7200!
*This* ^^ is most likely a large part of the reason AMD stopped selling it's GPU's under the ATI brand.
Kinetic
July 26, 2011 at 4:59pm
2012 huh? Well at the rate of the current AMD delays it should launch right along side bulldozer.
green0ne
July 26, 2011 at 3:28pm
So should I go ahead and get that AM3+ board or will it be obsolete by 2012? Will FM2 work in the current AM3+ boards specifically this one: http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_AM3Plus/SABERTOOTH_990FX/
thx
DoctorX
July 26, 2011 at 10:19am
why is it every one keeps saying "As it stands, today's software doesn't make the most out of multi-core processors".... err... I run a 1090T hexacore and i can do serious multitasking. Who gives a shit if one program is single threaded... let it monopolize the core... i have 5 more for 5 others. Windows 7 x64 smooth as silk on it.
Caboose
July 26, 2011 at 10:59am
A multi-threaded app runs even faster and better on a multi-core CPU than a single treaded app on the same CPU.
rawrnomnom
July 26, 2011 at 12:16pm
Any my V8 has more power than my 2 Stroke vespa? Whats your point...
Peanut Fox
July 26, 2011 at 1:00pm
The point is that more cores are worthless if they are going to be underutilized. At least with the V8 there's fun to be had on the road.
TerribleToaster
July 26, 2011 at 12:55pm
The point is that a single or dual core CPU can be (more easily) overclocked to higher speeds than a quad or hexa. So even if he can run an app like he said, he could still do it faster with the same gen single/dual core architecture.
If I have a Intel xxx hexa core clocked at 3.3 GHz and an Intel xxx single core clocked at 4.4 GHz and I am only running a single thread app then the single core will run the app faster than the hexa core.
Keith E. Whisman
July 26, 2011 at 7:56pm
That single core also has to deal with OS back ground processes and the such. You like letting your AV program run in the background? Your going to take a huge hit in performance. A 2ghz dual core will run a single threaded app faster than a 4ghz single core processor will. You have to figure in all the back ground shit that clogs the pipes before your game even starts running.
I remember back in the day I used to have to shut down processes except for the bare minimum just so I could dedicate the most performance to my games. Those days are happily in the past and I'll never again by or build a PC with anything less than a dual core processor.
DoctorX
July 26, 2011 at 1:14pm
err... what?
I have my hexacore 1090T @4Ghz... all the cores all the time... and it flies! What's your point?
TerribleToaster
July 27, 2011 at 8:19am
As high as you can clock a hexa core, a quad, dual, or single can all be (respectfully) clocked higher all other conditions the same, Doc.
And Keith, that's only an excuse to use a dual core CPU in single threaded apps.
I love hexa-core+ CPU's, but we really need more parrallel processing software.
NayusDante
July 26, 2011 at 9:38am
So... AM3+ is old news before we even get the chips. FM1 and AM3+ get replaced by FM2? Two sockets released and dethroned within a year's time?
goku_dsv
July 26, 2011 at 9:50pm
You beat me to it. next thing we know, AMD is going to raise prices and skimp on the IGPs.
Holly Golightly
July 26, 2011 at 9:28am
Hurray! I am looking forward to seeing AMD have the most core for the buck solution. 10 cores is definitely great news. I just hope they do not keep delaying it like they did with Bull Dozer. It took them long enough. Anyhow, I do hope it is released sometime in the first half of 2012, and not the second half. We have waited too long. With that said, I hope they perform phenomenally.
illusionslayer
July 26, 2011 at 11:39am
AMD already has the best core/price ratio. Core/price ratio doesn't matter when a performance/price ratio exists.
shommy2002
July 26, 2011 at 10:22am
and what would you use 10 cores on? It says right in the article the multi-core processors that we have now arn't even being properly utilized...
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