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Inside AMD's Phenom Architecture

Posted by samzenpus on from the behind-the-curtain dept.

An anonymous reader writes "InformationWeek has uncovered some documentation which provides some details amid today's hype for AMD's announcement of its upcoming Phenom quad-core (previously code-named Agena). AMD's 10h architecture will be used in both the desktop Phenom and the Barcelona (Opteron) quads. The architecture supports wider floating-point units, can fully retire three long instructions per cycle, and has virtual machine optimizations. While the design is solid, Intel will still be first to market with 45nm quads (the first AMD's will be 65nm). Do you think this architecture will help AMD regain the lead in its multicore battle with Intel?"

10 of 191 comments (clear)

  1. What?! by rumith · · Score: 3, Funny
    From the TFA:

    However, the dual-core duel became, and remains a performance battle. AMD was widely perceived to have taken an initial lead. Intel was seen as recovering the advantage when its introduced its Core 2 Duo family in mid 1996. Looks like it happened in a parallel universe.
    1. Re:What?! by LurkerXXX · · Score: 4, Funny

      You must have brushed your teeth in a quantum mirror this morning.

    2. Re:What?! by rumith · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yes I did, and not only it's quantum, it also runs Linux.

    3. Re:What?! by doubleofive · · Score: 2, Funny

      In a universe where there existed a processor that could actually run Win95.

      --
      Your tongues can't repel flavor of that magnitude!
  2. Re:Why the fuss over 45nm? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    So what you're saying: size doesn't matter?

  3. Core 2 Duo? by ratboy666 · · Score: 3, Funny

    1996? Wow, have *I* been misled. Mid 1996 is the vintage of my Dual Pentium Pro 200Mhz, and I *really* thought that it was state-of-the-art.

    Colour me disappointed...

    --
    Just another "Cubible(sic) Joe" 2 17 3061
  4. Re:Hey Einstein by Nexum · · Score: 2, Funny

    Queen Elizabeth II... is that you?

    --

    This sig has been deprecated.
  5. Re:Begging the question by gormanly · · Score: 4, Funny

    Craptacular indeed (great new word) - the only thing craptacularer was the Celeron D they had out at the same time, which despite the name was not dual-core. Very amusing though, watching the 'tards with enough knowledge to be dangerous and who wanted a cheap PC,

    "That one's a 'D', that's got 2 processors, that makes the internet faster"

  6. Re:Hey Einstein by somersault · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm guessing it's QE I, or she would have said "two is disappointed".

    --
    which is totally what she said
  7. Re:Sorry what? by ArsonSmith · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is true, but as an EMACS user I find quad core to be a huge boost to my ability to edit text files at a respectable speed.

    --
    Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.