Information of Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. is a global semiconductor company with facilities around the world. The Company offer x86 microprocessors, for the commercial and consumer markets, embedded microprocessors for commercial, commercial client and consumer markets and chipsets for desktop and notebook personal computers (PCs), professional workstations and servers. It offers graphics, video and multimedia products for desktop and notebook PCs, including home media PCs, professional workstations and servers and technology for game consoles. The Company operates in two business segments: computing solutions, which includes chipsets, and graphics. In June 2008, the Company launched the Puma platform, which was the code name for the mainstream notebook platform. In January 2009, the Company launched the Yukon platform. In March 2008, the Company introduced the AMD Phenom X3 8000 series triple-core processors. In March 2009, the Company completed the spin off of its manufacturing operations.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Intel Says Chips Will Run Faster, Using Less Power
Intel Says Chips Will Run Faster, Using Less Power
Intel the world’s largest chip maker, has overhauled the basic building block of the information age, paving the way for a new generation of faster and more energy-efficient processors.
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.
The microprocessor chips, which Intel plans to begin making in the second half of this year, are designed for computers but they could also have applications in consumer devices. Their combination of processing power and energy efficiency could make it possible, for example, for cellphones to play video at length — a demanding digital task — with less battery drain.
The work by Intel overcomes a potentially crippling technical obstacle that has arisen as a transistor’s tiny switches are made ever smaller: their tendency to leak current as the insulating material gets thinner. The Intel advance uses new metallic alloys in the insulation itself and in adjacent components.
Word of the announcement, which is planned for Monday, touched off a war of dueling statements as I.B.M. rushed to announce that it was on the verge of a similar advance.
I.B.M. executives said their company was planning to introduce a comparable type of transistor in the first quarter of 2008.
Many industry analysts say that Intel retains a six-month to nine-month lead over the rest of the industry, but I.B.M. executives disputed the claim and said the two companies were focused on different markets in the computing industry.
The I.B.M. technology has been developed in partnership with Advanced Micro Devices, Intel’s main rival. Modern microprocessor and memory chips are created from an interconnected fabric of hundreds of millions and even billions of the tiny switches that process the ones and zeros that are the foundation of digital computing.
Intel the world’s largest chip maker, has overhauled the basic building block of the information age, paving the way for a new generation of faster and more energy-efficient processors.
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.
The microprocessor chips, which Intel plans to begin making in the second half of this year, are designed for computers but they could also have applications in consumer devices. Their combination of processing power and energy efficiency could make it possible, for example, for cellphones to play video at length — a demanding digital task — with less battery drain.
The work by Intel overcomes a potentially crippling technical obstacle that has arisen as a transistor’s tiny switches are made ever smaller: their tendency to leak current as the insulating material gets thinner. The Intel advance uses new metallic alloys in the insulation itself and in adjacent components.
Word of the announcement, which is planned for Monday, touched off a war of dueling statements as I.B.M. rushed to announce that it was on the verge of a similar advance.
I.B.M. executives said their company was planning to introduce a comparable type of transistor in the first quarter of 2008.
Many industry analysts say that Intel retains a six-month to nine-month lead over the rest of the industry, but I.B.M. executives disputed the claim and said the two companies were focused on different markets in the computing industry.
The I.B.M. technology has been developed in partnership with Advanced Micro Devices, Intel’s main rival. Modern microprocessor and memory chips are created from an interconnected fabric of hundreds of millions and even billions of the tiny switches that process the ones and zeros that are the foundation of digital computing.
Intel races ahead to desktops
Intel races ahead to desktops
The first three Core i7 chips will be quad-core and have clock speeds of 2.66 GHz, 2.93 GHz and3.20 GHz, as well as integrated memory controller.
Codenamed Bloomfield and officially named Core i7, Intel’s 45-nm desktop processors are targeted at largely at gaming PCs, but Intel plans to have versions ready for business users in the next few weeks.
The 65-nm vs. 45-nm difference is important because on a macro level it is one of the factors that affects pricing, say analysts.
"When Intel can manufacture in 45-nm earlier than AMD, it can possibly have a cost advantage, which can be passed on to users," saysRau. "A 65-nm die is more expensive to cast than a 45-nm one."
For Intel, that means more than just being a generation ahead ofAMD: It means that Intel will be enjoying fatter margins while AMD is still struggling to catch up. In the end, that could translate into enough market share to cripple AMD for good.
The first three Core i7 chips will be quad-core and have clock speeds of 2.66 GHz, 2.93 GHz and3.20 GHz, as well as integrated memory controller.
Codenamed Bloomfield and officially named Core i7, Intel’s 45-nm desktop processors are targeted at largely at gaming PCs, but Intel plans to have versions ready for business users in the next few weeks.
The 65-nm vs. 45-nm difference is important because on a macro level it is one of the factors that affects pricing, say analysts.
"When Intel can manufacture in 45-nm earlier than AMD, it can possibly have a cost advantage, which can be passed on to users," saysRau. "A 65-nm die is more expensive to cast than a 45-nm one."
For Intel, that means more than just being a generation ahead ofAMD: It means that Intel will be enjoying fatter margins while AMD is still struggling to catch up. In the end, that could translate into enough market share to cripple AMD for good.
AMD Fields New Chip, Battles for Survival Against Intel
AMD Fields New Chip, Battles for Survival Against Intel
AMD is hitting new heights of achievement but that’s not enough to keep it from getting smoked by a much faster rival.
The company is set to launch its much-awaited 45-nanometer quad-core processor for servers on Thursday, though the release comes months after its rival Intel put out a comparable product. Codenamed Shanghai, this is AMD’s first processor to use the smaller, faster 45-nm technology instead of older 65-nm technology.
Meanwhile, Intel is planning to release its latest 45-nm chips for the desktop on Monday, codenamed Nehalem and to be known officially as Core i7. AMD says it won’t have a comparable desktop chip until next year.
In the carefully orchestrated roadmaps used by semiconductor companies, chips intended for servers typically precede desktop and notebook processors by several months.
"I think of Shanghai as the last dance of the company," says Patrick Wang, an analyst with brokerage and research firm Wedbush Morgan. "Shanghai is significant because AMD needs it to get back into the game."
For now, all eyes are on the launch of the Shanghai chips from AMD. The chips mark AMD’s debut in the 45-nanometer process technology. They’re seen as a bid to move forward after the disastrous performance of its previous Barcelona chips (65-nm quad-core processors).
Barcelona was widely faulted for technical glitches that led to multiple delays in its launch and high pricing. The combination, some say, helped Intel gain market share at AMD’s expense.
The latest 45-nm quad core Opteron processor will have increased power efficiency, fit easily into the same socket as Barcelona allowing for "non-disruptive" upgrades and is priced competitively, says Brent Kerby, senior product marketing manager for server and workstations for AMD.
"Shanghai is looking really good and we delivered it three months ahead of our planned schedule," he says.
AMD’s new chip seems impressive, say analysts, and would be groundbreaking except for the fact that Intel has had similar chips in the market for months. Intel’s quad-core 45-nm server processor, called Harpertown (and officially known as Xeon) was available around the same time as AMD launched its 65-nm processor Barcelona.
"Barcelona was completely botched in terms of execution and was failure on many fronts — technology, pricing and market share," says Wang. "The reason that AMD is in such dire financial situation is because of the Barcelona."
Now AMD hopes Shanghai will change all that.
"With Barcelona we had a completely new redesign," says AMD’s Kerby. "We have taken on the learnings and capabilities from Barcelona and improved on it for Shanghai."
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