I still have a bit of issues attemping to put together all the "new" AMD codenames (Because they aren't that new at all), when, where, and how.


Processors based on just Bulldozer Modules MUST BE a drop in replacement to a K10 based Processor because AMD Server platforms seems to settle for a further one or two generations worth of upgrades (Around 3 years), and Socket C34 debuted just a month ago or so. However, this is possibily true only for an incarnation of Bulldozer that is composed by what we already are used to see with current Processors (Integrated Memory Controller + X amount of Cores), this means that those Bulldozer based Processors that can be pin compatible should not be based on Fusion integration (With a GPU on the Processor, Core, or whetever it is). I don't know if a Bulldozer could be Socket AM3 compatible or not, but chances are that possibily yes (But ONLY with Socket AM3, if anything, because we don't know if the IMC works with DDR-II too).


Processors based on Fusion (CPU + GPU on the same piece) seems to requiere new Sockets because you are supposed to need more Pins for the GPU, and this is where the majority of the deal is at. This is different than Intel that at least had a Socket prepared for that purpose but not the entire platform, as Clarkdale (An MCM with a Nehalem based CPU and GPU in the same package) Core i3 and i5 were Socket compatible, even though they requiered a new series of Chipsets to actually use the GPU. I don't know if they are compatible with previous Chipsets that don't support the GPU, or they work as a normal Processor while requiering the Chipset IGP or a PCIe Video Card, or simply don't work at all with non compatible Chipsets. I don't know if Socket AM3 could work in a similar fashion, meaning that if there is a successor socket for Fusion based parts, it remain in some way pin compatible so you can plug a new Processor in Socket AM3 and it should work but with no GPU. If anything, it seems to be all new Sockets that we don't know if they are actually going to have any sort of compatibility, or even be physically different.
Llano is supposed to be a Dual Core K10 with a GPU, all in the same piece, and obviously seems that a new Socket is requiered, as previously stated. If there is going to be a new Socket for these Fusion based Processors, expect Bulldozer to succeed it in that Socket with none for Socket AM3. Llano GPU should be faster than current AMD Chipsets IGPs, but we don't know by how much. If they effort too much, they would eat the low end Video Cards market, that as a consumer isn't a bad idea because these parts rarely brings price performance, as in the Video Card market the best parts for that are usually in the mainstream segment. Besides, the fact that a platform guarantees you a minimum of GPU performance, is good as a baseline for game design (Meaning that at low settings and all, a game should work at more than decent FPS, if not entirely fluid at the sacrifice of graphic quality). Besides, the fact that we don't know if they would support any sort of Hybrid Crossfire (Like some Chipsets and low end Video Cards) should also be slighty important, because if the Llano GPU is respectable enough, it would be a shame to leave it doing nothing if you use a not so vastly superior Video Card. The best case could be that Llano GPU is compatible with the different ways that you can scale with multiple Video Cards (Either Crossfire, or physics calculation, or whatever). However, if AMD doesn't effort with Llano GPU, they risk to lose platform superiority against the Sandy Bridge GPU.
Then we have Orochi, that I don't recall having hear about it a lot. According to your Roadmap it does NOT have a GPU, what means that if it is a standalone Bulldozer like the server ones are going to be, then possibily would be Socket AM3 compatible if AMD wants to. However, if it arrives LATER than Llano, then it makes sense that it is platform compatible with it more than Socket AM3.


I don't know anything about Bobcat to speculate into, but I hope than it can scale down to be an Atom competitor.