AMD Bumps Up Socket AM2 Launch Date

Thrill-Ki1l writes "According to DailyTech AMD has moved up the launch date for their new socket AM2 processors. The manufacturers of the new AM2 chipsets and motherboards have their hardware ready to ship early so AMD decided to launch the chips 2 weeks early. The new launch date is May 23rd."

Comments

summary

[The_GURU_Stud]

what should also be on the summary is that it was bumped up to coincide with Intel's paper launch.

Re:condolences

[ePhil_One]

You would hope anyone building a system would have done their research and would have known that new chips were coming.

Really, the jokes on the people who by this new socket. I hear that eventually it well be replaced with something even newer! I'm waiting until 2019, when there will be no more computer upgrades (society will collapse July 17th, 2019, ending all new product development short of the flint arrowhead)

Is it really worth it?

[Bin Naden]

Is it really worth it to be an AMD processor with a DDR2 memory controller? Sure this meant a lot for the intel architecture but from what I understood the AMD architecture will not gain a lot from this memory speed increase. Also, the latency on the memory will likely also increase which might cancel all gains made from the increased speed. Therefore, I'm waiting and seeing before I get me one of those.

Re:Is it really worth it?

[MBCook]

There was an article somewhere recently (Anandtech? Tom's Hardware?) checking performance of DDR2 versus DDR on the Opteron. They determined that DDR speeds below 533 (IIRC) would hurt the performance. At 533, it was about even. As the processor and or memory speeds up then you will see the benefit. This isn't strictly necessary right now. I think it was actually due to the latency issue that you mentioned that this was the case.

I'd rather see FB-DIMMs, personally. But the move to DDR2 was going to happen at some point. Better now (when it's not necessary and people can still choose a great processor and DDR combo) then later (when DDR is more expensive and they were hurting for the change).

I seem to remember that was going to be something else with this socket upgrade (in the form of processor features) that was more interesting or offered better performance increases than the memory change. I don't remember if it was SSE4 (is that out yet?), a better branch predictor, AMD's Vanderpool (can't remember the name), or what.

Re:Is it really worth it?

[PsychicX]

This article examines the question in depth. Hope that helps.

Re:condolences

[Bob_Robertson]

Actually, the release of new hardware should drop the price of dual and quad 939 motherboards to buyable levels, as well as the dual core 939 CPUs.

It's not like the 939 performance has dropped, only that the bleeding edge has cut another swath. Let them go, and enjoy the savings!

Bob-

fake?

[muszek]

The story is fake. Nothing in our industry is released early.

Re:Too many sockets!!!

[Z0mb1eman]

Y'know... I used to reason along the same lines. After 10 years of building/upgrading my own computer, however, I realized one thing:

Not once has it made sense to upgrade the processor. Every time it would've provided only a small gain compared to the expense and hassle. I've upgraded the RAM, hard drives, and video card several times - but by the time I felt I needed a better processor, it made more sense to replace the entire motherboard and go with a new generation (or build a new box entirely).

To each his own, of course. But in the future I'm going to worry about the upgrade paths a motherboard offers for the RAM, drives, or video - and not the CPU, because I know I'll never bother.

Then again, so far I've mostly had AMD boxes, so maybe there is some truth to what you say. :)

Re:Too many sockets!!!

[forkazoo]

Personally, I feel AMD has been a bit more reasonable with sockets. Pentium 4's have at least 423, 478, 775, and Pentium M has 478 and 480. Socket A lasted a long time, overlapping with Socket 370, IIRC. Since then, we've had 754, 939, and now AM2. (I'm ignoring 940, but also ignoring the Xeon sockets...) Since AM2 isn't actually out yet, that's two sockets that have been released in the same time frame that Intel released five.

Re:Too many sockets!!!

[Spokehedz]

Err... the P4 Comes in two socket styles. The old mPGA and the new 755-socket-whatcha-ma-callit. So right away, your argument is null and void.

The 'old' 468-pin is just that--the OLD socket. Meaning, it's a completely different chip altogether.

AMD has had some issues with sockets lately, I will grant you that. But Intel has been behind the 8-ball for a while now. AMD is now the innovator, and they are just playing catchup.

AMD's AM2 processor seems to be DRM-free

[UseFree.org]

Hastening the launch date by a couple of weeks isn't too significant, but AMD certainly deserves to be congratulated for (apparently) leaving DRM out of their AM2 microprocessors. In contrast, Intel has succumbed to RIAA/MPAA pressure and betrayed their customers by stuffing Treacherous Computing down their throats.

I'm also happy to see that AMD has not put DRM into its AMD Live! technology, which competes with Intel's DRM-ridden Viiv. I'm sure AMD is taking a lot of heat from the entertainment cartel for not handcuffing users, and I hope they'll continue to keep their products DRM-free.

And let's not forget that AMD has been supportive of LinuxBIOS by actively ensuring that their motherboards can run it.

Re:AMD's AM2 processor seems to be DRM-free

[heinousjay]

So tantalizingly close to on-topic. Excellent zealotry, A+.

Re:condolences

[TubeSteak]

I'm waiting until 2019, when there will be no more computer upgrades (society will collapse July 17th, 2019, ending all new product development short of the flint arrowhead)

You know that very few people use the Mayan calendar anymore?

It was the flint arrowheads that gave you away.