AMD updates 2014 Roadmap, Socket Am3+ is DEAD, Socket FM2+ Now AMD High end

[Ace123]

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20130826PD216.html

"AMD has recently updated its product roadmap and is set to release its Hawaii-based GPUs at the end of September, Kaveri-based APUs for the high-end segment and Kabini-based APUs for the entry-level segment in the first quarter of 2014, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

AMD has declined to comment on unannounced products.

The Kabini-based APUs will adopt the Socket ST3 for notebook applications and the Socket FS1B for desktop applications. The APUs will enter mass production in February 2014 and be announced in March 2014.

The Kabini-based APUs will have power consumption of 25W and AMD will release two quad-core models, A4-5350 and A4-5150, as well as a dual-core model E1-2650.

The Kabini-based APUs for desktop applications were originally scheduled to release in the second half of 2013, but have now been rescheduled for March 2014. Kabini's successor, Beema, will also be rescheduled for launch in the second half of 2014 or the first half of 2015, adopting the FS1B socket and Heterogeneous Systems Architecture (HSA).

AMD's FM1 and AM3 sockets will start phasing out in mid-2013 and the end of 2013, respectively. By the end of 2013, Socket AM3+ processors will account for 30% of AMD's total processor shipments, while Socket FM2-based processors will account for the remaining 70%.

In 2015, for the desktop market, AMD will release Carrizo-based APUs, featuring Excavator architecture with two power consumption specifications: 45W and 65W. The company will also release Nolan to replace Beema."

Edit/Update
According to this techspot article, The initial impression Of dropping AM3+ may be inaccurate
http://www.techspot.com/news/53799-a...-for-q114.html
"By the end of 2013, AMD will have begun phasing out their FM1 and AM3 sockets, with AM3+, FM2 and new sockets being utilized going forward. In 2015, 'Carrizo' APUs will be launched to succeed Kaveri in the desktop market, featuring the Excavator architecture at two TDPs: 45W and 65W. 'Nolan' chips will also be unveiled to replace Beema, if the reports are correct."

Or not....
http://www.maximumpc.com/secret_amd_...sor_lineup2013
We're a little hesitant to fan the flames on this one, but according to a series of documents AMD supposedly handed out to OEMs "behind closed doors," the end of the road for the Sunnyvale chip designer's FX Series might be fast approaching, if not already here. Should AMD ultimately decide to retire its FX Series sooner than later, the FX 9590 could end up being the brand's swan song.

Don't shoot the messenger -- this information comes courtesy of VR-Zone, which claims to have obtained and combed through the secret documents. You can't see them, and neither can we because VR-Zone is opting not to post the images publicly due to heavy watermarking.

It would be a curious move by AMD to retire the FX Series after having broached 5GHz, earning the company a bit of bragging rights. The 5GHz feat did not, however, earn AMD the performance crown, which is held firmly by Intel and its Haswell architecture at this point.

Another alternative is that AMD could skip an FX refresh for all or most of 2014 and launch new chips either at the end of the year or sometime in 2015.

[PedantOne]

yes, no steamroller or excavator in Destop FX in next three years, FX is dead, Desktop CPUs without GPU are dead forever

[Evantaur]

Sad day

[ajaidev]

AM3+ was bound to die since the very start with the rise of HSA it would be a mouse in a lions world. Intel which has the upper hand right now is trying desperately to make a GPU with muscles that can match anything AMD has to offer in the iGPU sense. The Intel GT3/GT3e is a reality because of that with a huma type alternative Intel will be all set to dish out and match whatever the next gen AMD APU will offer.

APU's are her to stay and one with 6 cores with loads of GPU power will bring in the numbers but i dont think AMD will match i7 performance soon.

[LordEC911]

Ummmm... Kabini has been shipping for awhile now...

Hard to take this article seriously when the author clearly has no idea what he is talking about.

[FlanK3r]

But there is nothing info about highend chips and FM2+ socket...And no screenshot from source?

[zanzabar]

But there is nothing info about highend chips and FM2+ socket...And no screenshot from source?

they could also be putting the FX on the C or G sockets. not that amds roadmap shows anything usable.

[informal]

Or they could be putting higher core count parts on FM2+ or FM3(whenever it comes). Expecting AMD to be forever stuck at 4C/4T in APU segment is illogical.

[STaRGaZeR]

Or they could be putting higher core count parts on FM2+ or FM3(whenever it comes). Expecting AMD to be forever stuck at 4C/4T in APU segment is illogical.

They said the same when Intel released Core2Quad 5 years ago and look where we are now.

[informal]

They said the same when Intel released Core2Quad 5 years ago and look where we are now.

So you really believe AMD won't release APUs with more than just 2 modules? 1 SR module on 28nm with full 2MB of shared L2 cache(supporting 2 threads) is less than 30m^2.

[STaRGaZeR]

Other than the very high end, no. There is no point in that, those extra cores would just eat valuable die area that could be used for the GPU. That would get them more real life improvements than increasing the number of cores. Fatter cores with better single thread performance, on the other hand...

[The Stilt]

AM3r2 Socket once housed 5 CUs (G34 did 10) made on 32nm node while the only issue was the immense power draw and amount of heat.
3-4 CUs on 28nm node should not be much of a issue for FM2r2.

A SR CU with the necessary coherrent should add only 33 sqr mm to the die size, directly 29.1 sqr mm.

However I have a strong feeling that the main focus will on the IPC, higher fSW, power consumption and especially in increased GPU processing power.

The parts made on 32nm are like Achilles wounded, they give around 600MHz of slack (Piledriver) for the same power.
Dunno why certain structures are impossible to get right on 32nm node...

[SKYMTL]

Nothing is stopping AMD from brining an FX-series processor to FM2+.

[kromosto]

Nothing is stopping AMD from brining an FX-series processor to FM2+.

i was thinking the same but as i am not following what is going on more then a ignorant fanboy i decide not to speak

[nossy23]

Come on AMD. Start making faster desktop CPU's. We really need the competition!!!!

[Oliverda]

Ummmm... Kabini has been shipping for awhile now...

Hard to take this article seriously when the author clearly has no idea what he is talking about.

Exactly

[Dimitriman]

I don't mind seeing AM3+ die, as long as progress is made on the APUs that make them more competitive with Intel's i5 and i7 Haswell line up.

[MattiasNYC]

By the end of 2013, Socket AM3+ processors will account for 30% of AMD's total processor shipments, while Socket FM2-based processors will account for the remaining 70%.

I don't quite see how 30% of sales = dead.

[zalbard]

Desktop CPUs without GPU are dead forever

IB-E and HW-E say hi.

[Mungri]

IB-E and HW-E say hi.

And who exactly is going to want to use those without a graphics card? Maybe for CPU only workstations, but for everyday desktop use, even a low end graphics card is better.

Im not a fan of weak integrated GPUs wasting die space on a CPU, more often than not they would just make it run hotter and reduce the amount of space available for CPU cores.

They are great for smartphones / tablets / laptops, but for a desktop CPU I dont see the point.

[zalbard]

And who exactly is going to want to use those without a graphics card?

Read again what he posted.

[Stukov]

As others have pointed out, just because AM3+ is going EOL, doesnt mean AMD isn't going to produce high end desktop chips (as best they can manage or compete that is). It simply means AMD is focusing on APU's in terms of design, validation, and production...which does reduce some overhead costs. The concern about "not wanting graphics on CPU" because people will just use discrete, sorta misses the point. AMD wants to use their strength (GPU) to enhance computing capability through compute architecture. As someone else mentioned, it would be wise to have fewer more powerful single threaded cores on die, because you can use the GPU to handle multi-threaded as it has superior parallelism power. Whether or not AMD can execute this (Intel has always seemed better at shifting software to take advantage of its designs) remains to be seen.

[PedantOne]

IB-E and HW-E say hi.

i spoke about amd cpus, not intel cpus

[i found nemo]

so.. am3+ was pointless? i bought a mobo with am3+ so i can upgrade in the future. the future has come, the upgrade has not.. x6 1100t i guess is the way to go.

[AliG]

so.. am3+ was pointless? i bought a mobo with am3+ so i can upgrade in the future. the future has come, the upgrade has not.. x6 1100t i guess is the way to go.

To be fair, AMD did announce (about a year ago I believe) that they were stepping out of the high end desktop business. I personally find their APU line fairly intruiging, as I have an unlocked i5 for my desktop but also use my phone for a lot of things. If they could bring more horsepower with the same amount of power draw that the tegra setups offer then they could kill it in the tablet business.

Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I actually hate using laptops at this point. The battery life is just not good enough for how little additional functionality they offer over a quality smart phone. Add to that the fact that Michigan offers high end computing stations in just about every engineering lab, I just don't see the use in lugging around my HP elitebook. But even if when I graduate I won't have access to a computing station, I would just buy a laptop and SSH into my desktop to do the heavy lifting for me. So long story short, if AMD does offer a killer tablet configuration then they have my money.