VIA Samuel 2 Processor Preview

nofx_3 writes: "Viahardware has a preview up of VIA Cyrix's Samuel 2 core processor. The Samuel 2 is the first .15Micron x86 processor, and has a die size below 50mm2. 3D performance is still lacking, but 2D performance is every bit the Celeron's equal. Also, it requires no active cooling. Sounds like a great Linux Webpad CPU." Remember when AMD was an also-ran instead of the (arguable) price/performance leader? Nice to hear about the smaller players, especially when they're making inexpensive integrated hardware my mom would like to use.

Comments

Confused Positioning

[Stickerboy]

I think VIA is confused about where it wants to position the new Cyrix chip in the marketplace - heck, I think it's aiming for the wrong marketplace.

Cyrix processors of years past, along with the AMD processors before the K6, have proven that there is no place financially in the desktop market for a CPU line that performs subpar, and whose primary consumer incentive is that it's cheaper. It simply is too easy for the other competitors (Intel, and now AMD) to cut prices on their lower-tier CPUs (the ones that aren't the primary money makers anyway) and just squeeze the newcomer out of the marketplace.

Instead, if VIA is truly aiming at the "computing appliance" market, its competition is the Intel ARM processors, and the Motorola handheld processors as well. They should maybe think about paring down the integrated functions on the processor (as computing appliances probably don't need them anyways) to make the new Cyrix chips even cheaper and less power-hungry to make them both price AND performance competitive with the StrongARMs. They should also stop making comparisons to normal desktop CPUs, because they have a mountain of consumer recognition and recall to climb with the Intel and AMD brands, and they underperform them to boot. Just ask AMD how hard it was to break into the desktop market.

My 2 cents on why VIA's headed in the wrong direction.

Re:Yeah,but where are the real-world benchmarks ?

[dbarclay10]

Or better: how Deus Ex, Unreal Tournament, Ultima Ascension, Red Alert 2, and Diablo 2 run.

If you can't afford any better a processor than a $50-60 Cyrix, then you're probably not going to be able to afford spending much on other system components. Like a reasonably fast hard drive. Or more than 32M of RAM. Or any non-integrated graphics subprocessor.

So, for the audience this is targetted at(low-cost/power computer purchasers), it makes almost no sense to spend any time or transistors on a good FPU. All those games/benchmarks you mentioned are FPU-intensive. Now, the Cyrix will get its ass kicked in them. But if you can't tell the difference between a $60 Cyrix and a $200 PIII in the applications this chip was designed for(and, more importantly, bought for), what the hell does it matter how well it runs Unreal Tournament? :)

Thanks :) Needed a good rant today.

Dave

Barclay family motto:
Aut agere aut mori.
(Either action or death.)

What's the big deal?

[taniwha]

Reading this it seems it's just a shrink to 0.15 plus a 64k L2 and a speedup from 667 to 700MHz. Same core and pipe as far as I can tell. Die size is presumably smaller (and thus yield will hopefully be higher) and cheaper.

But think about low end computer costs (VERY rough numbers - just to give you an idea of relative costs - remember BOM numbers at least double by the time they reach the customer):

• $60 motherboard etc
• $20 case/power supply
• $40 memory
• $40 disk
• $40 CPU
• $10 kbd/mouse
• $70 monitor
• $20 CD drive

The CPU's only about 13% of the total cost - a cheaper CPU doesn't buy you much in the low end CPU marketplace - but a faster one does - it's hard to compete here.

More integration (cpu/north&south bridges/graphics together) is probably the way to go if you want to win the low price point in this market - esp for someone like VIA who already owns all the IP to do it (Cyrix CPU - VIA core logic - S3 graphics)

More likely the web-pad market (if it ever exists) is the plave to go with this