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Current Processors Tested With Linux
Happy-Jollies writes "The team at LinuxHardware.org have kept us up-to-date on the latest in processors for quite some time now and they're at it again. With the latest release of the Pentium 4 'Prescott,' many Linux users will be deciding where to spend their money. LinuxHardware.org's round-up takes a look at the Prescott, Northwood, Extreme Edition, and the AMD Athlon 64."
Don't forget the extra pipe stages... those count for a lot. I can't say how many transistors, but it should make a dent in the numbers.
A 1 MB L2 cache will be at least 50 million transistors, assuming 6T/bit (1024 * 1024 * 8 * 6), not including sense amps, decoders, tags, coherence, predecode bits, etc.
Unfortunatly AMD not being 100% compatable with the standard causes problems.
Good old FUD -- when Windows crashes on an Intel box, it's because of Microsoft. When Windows crashes on a AMD box, it's because the AMD "isn't 100% compatible". Uh huh. I'll buy either AMD or Intel without a hesitation (I'm not a fanboy) where one is the clear winner, but I still see FUD when someone spouts it.
Here's a clue for you -- neither AMD or Intel are x86 processors, but rather both have a converter that converts x86 to their own internal microcode. The x86 standard that they're converting is EXTREMELY well known and standardized (I mean -- other people have to write the software that runs on it). AMD is 100% compatible with core x86.
Intel also has much more R&D into making a chip that won't fry itself if it gets too hot. AMD? Naw, they'd rather make you buy a new chip than bother to make it prevent a problem before it occurs.
Tom, is that you? Firstly, Intel and AMD chips are comparable in heat levels (actually the Prescott sets all new levels for heat generation, making Intel the clear winner in the egg cooker category), but secondly you are correct -- Intel has been more fervent in putting heat protection on their chips, though it is arguably over-engineering. It's like having guidewires "just in case" around all of your high rises. It's generally unnecessary as, apart from Tom's Hardware PR stunts, heatsinks don't fall off processors in regular use. My car doesn't have a special fuel purge if I decide to fill it full of ketchup.