What to Expect From AMD at ISSCC 2011

[JF-AMD]

That is where we are hiding the flux capacitor. Don't tell anyone.

[Opteron146]

None of the info on AM3 w/BD is from AMD.

If this turns out to not be true, which I suspect is the case, don't get mad. I doubt we would have said it doesn't work if it actually did. I am guessing that because this is from a third party document that is translated from the original.

Actually, I would get mad, if it would work, because you stated earlier last year that it does not.

That is where we are hiding the flux capacitor. Don't tell anyone.

Ahh come on ... dont hide something useless like a flux capacitor, better hide something useful like a dedicated directory cache ;-)

[JkS]

JF, I was wondering, since the Bulldozer architecture is modular, and previous slides have shown the next gen bulldozer to be upto 10cores.

Why do a 10 core, when it would make more sense to do a 12 core (in my eyes) so then a rectangle die can be cut out instead of an odd shape?

10 core I assume would be:
[x][x][x]
[x][x]

and a 12 core would be
[x][x][x]
[x][x][x]

[Opteron146]

JF, I was wondering, since the Bulldozer architecture is modular, and previous slides have shown the next gen bulldozer to be upto 10cores.

Why do a 10 core, when it would make more sense to do a 12 core (in my eyes) so then a rectangle die can be cut out instead of an odd shape?

10 core I assume would be:
[x][x][x]
[x][x]

and a 12 core would be
[x][x][x]
[x][x][x]

Easy answer, because it will be sth like:
[x][x][x]
[x][x][y]

Where y = unknown.
Partly it will be used up by PCIe, maybe they add a directory cache, too, maybe something else ... but you can bet that they wont do anything unnecessarily ;-)

[EvilOne]

Easy answer, because it will be sth like:
[x][x][x]
[x][x][y]

Where y = unknown.
Partly it will be used up by PCIe, maybe they add a directory cache, too, maybe something else ... but you can bet that they wont do anything unnecessarily ;-)

They will prob add an extra module inside [y] to help getting a higher % of working chips during manufacturing. Easier to get 5 out of 6 working then 5 out of 5.

Maybe some nice unlocks in the future if they do it that way too

[Opteron146]

They will prob add an extra module inside [y] to help getting a higher % of working chips during manufacturing. Easier to get 5 out of 6 working then 5 out of 5.

Unlikely, Harvesting Methods like this are not used for high-priced chips.
They would try to sell the full chip in any case. The defect ones could still be sold in the desktop segment.
Maybe AMD is planning this, Komodo is labeled as 8core CPU in the roadmap pictures, i.e. one module is probably deactivated there.

The integration of PCIe will use up some die space, just have a look of the PCIe area of Intels 1155/56 chips. Now imagine that AMD will pack 32 Lanes in the chip, not only 16 as in Linnfield / Sandy, and we have quite a big area.

[intangir]

Unlikely, Harvesting Methods like this are not used for high-priced chips.

... what? Where do you think AMD gets its 8-core Magny Cours Opterons??

Processor         Cores  Clock speed  L3 cache  ACP    Price
Opteron 6176 SE   12 	 2.3 GHz      12 MB 	105 W  $1,386
Opteron 6174      12 	 2.2 GHz      12 MB 	80 W   $1,165
Opteron 6172   	  12 	 2.1 GHz      12 MB 	80 W   $989
Opteron 6168   	  12 	 1.9 GHz      12 MB 	80 W   $744
Opteron 6136   	  8 	 2.4 GHz      12 MB 	80 W   $744
Opteron 6134   	  8 	 2.3 GHz      12 MB 	80 W   $523
Opteron 6128   	  8 	 2.0 GHz      12 MB 	80 W   $266
Opteron 6164 HE   12 	 1.7 GHz      12 MB 	65 W   $744
Opteron 6128 HE   8 	 2.0 GHz      12 MB 	65 W   $523
Opteron 6124 HE   8 	 1.8 GHz      12 MB 	65 W   $455

Or Intel its 4 and 6-core Nehalem-EXs?

Processor     Cores/threads Speed     L3 cache  TDP    Price
Xeon X7560    8/16          2.26 GHz  24 MB 	130W   $3,692
Xeon X7550    8/16          2.00 GHz  18 MB 	130W   $2,729
Xeon E7540    6/12          2.00 GHz  18 MB 	105W   $1,980
Xeon E7530    6/12          1.86 GHz  12 MB 	105W   $1,391
Xeon E7520    4/8           1.86 GHz  18 MB 	95W    $856
Xeon L7555    8/16          1.86 GHz  24 MB 	95W    $3,157
Xeon L7545    6/12          1.86 GHz  18 MB 	95W    $2,087
Xeon X7542    6/6           2.66 GHz  18 MB 	130W   $1,980
Xeon X6550    8/16          2.00 GHz  18 MB 	130W   $2,461
Xeon E6540    6/12          2.00 GHz  18 MB 	105W   $1,712
Xeon E6510    4/8           1.73 GHz  12 MB 	105W   $744

Harvesting methods are most definitely used for server chips.

[-Boris-]

They will prob add an extra module inside [y] to help getting a higher % of working chips during manufacturing. Easier to get 5 out of 6 working then 5 out of 5.

Maybe some nice unlocks in the future if they do it that way too

No, that wouldn't happen. If so they still would have som rare 12 cores sold for high prices.

10 cores is most likely since it's the most effective design compared to consumed die area.

[-Boris-]

JF, I was wondering, since the Bulldozer architecture is modular, and previous slides have shown the next gen bulldozer to be upto 10cores.

Why do a 10 core, when it would make more sense to do a 12 core (in my eyes) so then a rectangle die can be cut out instead of an odd shape?

10 core I assume would be:
[x][x][x]
[x][x]

and a 12 core would be
[x][x][x]
[x][x][x]

They already have som empty space between two of the modules, if you squeez anither module in between them and add some empty space between the other modules next to the NB it will be around the same amount of dead space.

xx=module
e= Empty space
n= North Bridge

8X:
[xx][e][xx]
[xx][n][xx]

10X:
[xx][xx][xx]
[xx][en][xx]

12X:
[xx][e][xx][xx]
[xx][n][xx][xx]


Or the small empty area could be used for extra cache:



EDIT:
There, fixed it.
Click to open larger pic. 10 core with 10Mb L3 and 10Mb L2 is just 8,8% larger, and I haven't even squeezed it.

EDIT2:
Added an extra row of modules in the same way to make a 12core. It was 40% larger than the 8 core. Hardly worth the 50% increase in cores. Then 9% larger die to get 20% more cores looks much more promissing.

[kuroikenshi]

That is where we are hiding the flux capacitor. Don't tell anyone.

No thanks John, I prefer Family Guy's spin off in "Black to the Future"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIAYLxaAed0