Jim Keller, K7/K8 inventor, rejoins Amd. Plans for strong Excavator 2015.

[Ace123]

"
Now, though, Jim Keller, the one who spearheaded the invention of the K7 and K8 architectures that were better than anything else in their time (though we're sure some disagree with that) is back at Advanced Micro Devices.

He will work on the K12 ARMv8-based products, but will take a look at Bulldozer as well and, maybe, finally allow it to get over the main problems"
http://m.softpedia.com/k7-k8-invento...15-441617.html

[FlanK3r]

yeah, this is old info...We can hope for some new strong CPU for mainstream-enthusiast segment (against Intels Z chipsets). But not earlier than in 2016 I think...

[stuffme]

Well, this is definitely good news, but what he can really do to excavator so late in the development route?

[lutjens]

He's been back at AMD for a couple of years now IIRC....this is really old news.

[El Mano]

I was under the idea that AMD's problems were fabs and losing the miniaturization race against Intel.

[FlanK3r]

yes and no. If good chip with similar performance has +20-30 W in load, its nothing for enthusiast. Look exmaple at 32nm SB - great OC for Air/watter, good performance...And now for average Haswells 22nm - good IPC, but lower OC around minus 400 MHz against SB. So similar performance 4.4 GHz Haswell vs 4.8 GHz SB (Ok, Haswell will be a bit better in average).

[vario]

"
Now, though, Jim Keller, the one who spearheaded the invention of the K7 and K8 architectures that were better than anything else in their time (though we're sure some disagree with that) is back at Advanced Micro Devices.

He will work on the K12 ARMv8-based products, but will take a look at Bulldozer as well and, maybe, finally allow it to get over the main problems"
http://m.softpedia.com/k7-k8-invento...15-441617.html

That article has so much BS.
Keller is back at AMD for some time, having said that
A) Architecture development is a long process, only confirmed projects that keller works at are new ARM and completely new x86 cores coming no faster than 2016 (and x86 probably even 2017, and keller isnt even main architect for x86 core)
B) Excavator in concept was ready before keller arrived
In essence its very doubtable keller personally is doing some hard work on this core.

16 core units ?! No one have said anything about any chips with more than 4 cores for some time already, thats another pure speculation, yea, they COULD do it, but in any roadmap there is any indication that they will make anything than a 4 core apu.
The NEW ERA comes with first REAL products that have been made with jim keller as main architect and thast 2016/2017, however even then, we dont know if we will be getting anything past low end chips like now.
Dont get me wrong, i would LOVE to see some REAL info about high performance cpus.But its just not there and not anywhere.

[[XC] Lead Head]

"
Now, though, Jim Keller, the one who spearheaded the invention of the K7 and K8 architectures that were better than anything else in their time (though we're sure some disagree with that) is back at Advanced Micro Devices.

Not sure who could disagree with that at all honestly. K7 stomped the P2, and generally outclassed the P3. It also remained highly competitive with the P4. The K8 throughout its entire life outclassed the P4 (always in IPC, quite often in out-right performance as well). It wasn't really until the C2D dropped that K8 stopped being competitive. That's when AMD got caught with their pants down, as they had no response at all.

I was under the idea that AMD's problems were fabs and losing the miniaturization race against Intel.

AMD has historically been a process size or two behind Intel, but they made up for it with extremely efficient architectures. They're starting to turn back to this with their latest Puma based parts, which are very competitive.

[Lanek]

Not sure who could disagree with that at all honestly. K7 stomped the P2, and generally outclassed the P3. It also remained highly competitive with the P4. The K8 throughout its entire life outclassed the P4 (always in IPC, quite often in out-right performance as well). It wasn't really until the C2D dropped that K8 stopped being competitive. That's when AMD got caught with their pants down, as they had no response at all.


AMD has historically been a process size or two behind Intel, but they made up for it with extremely efficient architectures. They're starting to turn back to this with their latest Puma based parts, which are very competitive.

In addition, a big big advantage who have really serve well the K8 ( or A64 ), was the AMD 64bits instructions ( even on 32bit system strangely ).. at the point that Intel have need drop their own 64bits sets of instruction ( mostly derivated from the itanium and use the one developped by AMD. ( they was more efficient but they was specially too more adapted to the OS / software context ).

Well Intel at this period have do a lot of bad choices anyway,,

Allways interessant to read the genese of the 64bits and so on the K8 . ( for thoses who have forget ). I have need to resort this due to the last ARM 64bit moves ( who is not so recent ), and when you have the new "mobiles" geek who was seems to get totally wrong assumptions about it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64

[informal]

That article has so much BS.
Keller is back at AMD for some time, having said that
A) Architecture development is a long process, only confirmed projects that keller works at are new ARM and completely new x86 cores coming no faster than 2016 (and x86 probably even 2017, and keller isnt even main architect for x86 core)
B) Excavator in concept was ready before keller arrived
In essence its very doubtable keller personally is doing some hard work on this core.

16 core units ?! No one have said anything about any chips with more than 4 cores for some time already, thats another pure speculation, yea, they COULD do it, but in any roadmap there is any indication that they will make anything than a 4 core apu.
The NEW ERA comes with first REAL products that have been made with jim keller as main architect and thast 2016/2017, however even then, we dont know if we will be getting anything past low end chips like now.
Dont get me wrong, i would LOVE to see some REAL info about high performance cpus.But its just not there and not anywhere.

Vario is very much correct in his post above. Article is full of flaws and incorrect information that it's best to disregard it completely.

[Russian]

This is all old news about him coming to AMD to build a new x86 CPU...

[Ace123]

My apologies. Im up all night with my newborn. I try to post stuff that looks interesting lol

[i found nemo]

this is the guy who was with us for k7/k8 then he went to apple then came back ... before bobcat? can't remember exactly.

edit

My apologies. Im up all night with my newborn. I try to post stuff that looks interesting lol

lol no worries :p

[Fottemberg]

I think you forgot that Keller worked WITH Dirk Meyer at K7 and K8 Project. Also, Dirk Meyer was the Lead Engineer of K7 (the greatest success of AMD, in my opinion).
Keller is a great engineer, but one person has a limited vision. Keller (FPU and Cache zealot) and Meyer (High parallelism and Integer zealot) together complete themself. Without Keller, Meyer didn't have a counterbalance, so Bulldozer was created. So, Keller could make a mistake with K12 and the next-86 architecture, like Meyer did.

[qcmadness]

I think you forgot that Keller worked WITH Dirk Meyer at K7 and K8 Project. Also, Dirk Meyer was the Lead Engineer of K7 (the greatest success of AMD, in my opinion).
Keller is a great engineer, but one person has a limited vision. Keller (FPU and Cache zealot) and Meyer (High parallelism and Integer zealot) together complete themself. Without Keller, Meyer didn't have a counterbalance, so Bulldozer was created. So, Keller could make a mistake with K12 and the next-86 architecture, like Meyer did.

Maybe Meyer will go back to AMD too.

[Fottemberg]

Maybe Meyer will go back to AMD too.

I think that it's impossible. Unfortunately.

[tbone8ty]

Amd just needs to come out with a 6-8 core Apu with a smaller igpu and we wont have to worry about am3+ anymore

[AliG]

Maybe Meyer will go back to AMD too.

Highly doubtful given the way he was sacked. The guy had just put together a string of (relatively) successful quarters, and then was given the boot for lack of tablet domination. Not surprisingly, the company has somewhat floundered since then...