Two New AMD Mobile Chips Launched

to_kallon writes "Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has unleashed two new mobile microprocessors today. One processor belongs to the company's 64-bit Mobile Athlon64 line while the other one comes from the 32-bit Athlon XP-M product line. According to CNET News: 'Like other Athlon 64 chips, and Intel's Prescott, the new Athlon 64 3400+ will block many security threats automatically in conjunction with Windows XP Service Pack 2. The delayed SP2 is slated to come out in August. The Athlon 64 3400+ will also run a 64-bit version of Windows, due now at the end of the year.It runs at 2.2GHz and comes with 1MB of cache. Gamer-PC maker Alienware will insert the chip in a notebook later in the month. Meanwhile, the Athlon XP-M 2200+ comes from the company's older line of chips. It runs at 1.6GHz and is built around an older processor core and comes with a 512KB cache. Averatec, a small computer manufacturer, has put the chip into a notebook that can convert into a tablet PC, marking the first time AMD's chips have been used in a tablet'."

Comments

Cooling

[growlydog]

With all these new advances in processor and video-card technology, when are we going to see some advances towards cheaper, and quieter cooling solutions? These devices keep getting hotter and hotter!
In order to keep my gaming computer cool I have something like 7 or 8 fans in there, and the box sounds like a jet-engine taking off... I've looked into water-cooling but virtually every water-cooling setup costs upwards of $200. Is it really *that* expensive for the equipment? What other alternatives are out there?
And with a notebook... isn't heat going to soon be a real serious issue with laptops?

Re:Cooling

[StateOfTheUnion]

Do you find that 7-8 fans are really necessary?

I will admit that I don't run the latest and greatest machine (AMD Barton core 2200 and a midrange graphics card), but I slowly started shutting down all those extra case fans and slowed down my CPU fan. I'm now running the cpu fan, the power supply fan, GPU fan, and a motherboard fan that sits on either the southbridge or the northbridge (don't remember). I run this system in an unairconditioned house near the Mediteranean (read:hot and humid) and I've never experienced overheating issues.

Not to say that there aren't systems/users out there that need better cooling than what I have, but I've found that sticking with the basics seems to work pretty well . . . I know a lot of people that drill big holes in their cases, mount gargantu-fans in the case, buy gazillion dollar heat transfer compund, etc. . . but most of the people that I know that do this stuff do it before doing any system characterization.

The fact that its hard to find a handheld device with a remote temperature probe (thermocouple) at a normal computer shop is indicative to me that most of the folks that go overboard on the cooling have not characterized their system before going out and buying the "superduper cooling kit." Does it really make sense to install XXX number of fans in a case before doing any serious temperature monitoring and characterization to identify whether they really need to go to these sorts of extreme measures. (I know, I know, there's usually a couple of thermocouples on the MB . . . but do the third and fourth case fan really have a significant effect on the MB thermocouples, or would it make more sense to also measure temperatures near other heat sensitive components in nooks and crannies of the case that one would expect to have poor ventilation (e.g. a graphics board installed next to another PCI board) . . .for that a probe would be useful to determine which fans where have the most significant effect)

And for that matter what about characterizing the temperature profile after installing the "supercooling solution" to determine whether it made a significant difference.

And for that matter, how much of a difference is really significant anyway?

I almost think that people like to brag about how much cooling their case has whether the system needs it or not "I have 6 cooling fans" . . . "Oh, yeah well I have 7" . . . "oh yeah, well I have a liquid circulating cooling kit on my overclocked system that cost me more than just buying a faster processor would have." . . . do you see the logic here? I don't.

I don't claim to understand it, but I guess its just cool to be cool . . .

NX capability

[110010001000]

Interesting. The 64 bit version will enforce the NX data segment capabilities that is the cause of so many buffer overflows. This can only enhance the security of our servers, no matter what OS they are running. Although SP2 has added this, Linux and the BSD's also can leverage this feature.

Re:Haha!! I'm one of the first!!!

[protect_the_code]

This sucks! Fine, I'll say something more worthwhile. Notebook makers should really drop both AMD and Intel processors and pick up Via's stuff. They put out miniscule amounts of heat(~20 watts, I think) and while not as fast can still run at 1.8Ghz. This is what notebooks really need.

Re:Work with XP SP2

[Anonymous Coward]

OR IS IT!?!!?!?!

Re:Work with XP SP2

[Anonymous Coward]

no, but it could cripple itself in the name of "trusted computing"

Re:AMD

[Anonymous Coward]

WalMart is the largest retailer and McDonalds is largest restaurant chain.

Volume != Quality.

Re:Haha!! I'm one of the first!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

That's probably a good thing! AMD architecture NEEDS big fans for how hot they run.

Maybe this is why Intel's stuff has become hotter than AMDs as of late. Because they are losing alot of their fanbase? Har har!

Re:AMD

[tier 3 geek]

Perhaps you would care to enlighten the more elite vendors out there then. And by your analogy, Intel is the largest retailer, making it worse than AMD.

Re:Work with XP SP2

[Lord Kano]

I don't want a freaking CPU that knows it's running WindowsXP SP2, or linux, or anything else, I only want a processor that does processing. Let the software do the security stuff

You dumb ass, the processors have features that HELP the software "do the decurity stuff".

A padlock doesn't care if it's keeping out a robber or you when you've forgotten your key. It's the same thing here.

NX will help to prevent buffer overflow exploits. These processors neither know nor care what OS they're running. NX will help provide security for Windows, Linux, *BSD or whatever OS is developed next.

LK

Re:Oops...

[nelsonal]

I think the reason for a 500W PS is that companies rate PS differently. One company's 500W supply might be able to peak at 500W, but only output 250-300 cleanly. I'd guess it's a lot like stereo amps where boom boxes list peak wattage (on a sunny day in ND with no wind) while a company like NAD rates its applifier's wattage based on how much power it can pump without exceeding a certain deviation from the input signal. So a 65W NAD amp might be considerably louder than a 300W Walmart special.