AMD's quad-core Phenom CPU details leaked
updated 03:50 pm EDT, Fri May 4, 2007
AMD Phenom Leaked
AMD's plans to leap back into the performance race later this year have been almost completely revealed, courtesy of a freshly leaked roadmap. The chipmaker's first four-core CPU, dubbed the Phenom X4, will ship at speeds between 2.2GHz and 2.6GHz depending on the particular model and what factories can achieve; while lower-clocked than the 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme, AMD says the design should be more efficient by offering a true quad-core with the company's signature HyperTransport clocked at between 3.2 and 3.6GHz depending on the model. Special high-end versions known as the Phenom FX will also fit two at a time for eight-core performance without requiring a workstation-class mainboard.
There should also be less expensive dual-core versions known as the Phenom X2, the roadmap says. The reduced multi-processing power will be partially offset by higher clock speeds of up to 2.8GHz and a faster 4.2GHz bus. Low-power versions for small PCs will follow with speeds up to 2.3GHz without consuming more than 45W of power versus the 65W and 89W of the primary models.
The Athlon 64 X2 and single-core Sempron will survive with a handful of models finishing at 2.2GHz for the Athlon and 2.4GHz for the Sempron, the notes say.
Launching in reverse order, the Phenom's highest-end X4 and FX models will ship first this summer with pricing to be set closer to the actual launch. The normal-power Phenom X2s will be available during the fall and will be complemented at last by the energy-efficient versions and the budget Athlon as well as Sempron models, all of which are due in early 2008. [via DailyTech]
