Based on this conversation I have a feeling nobody here is in the semiconductor business, so let me try to explain it to you.

Engineering samples are designed to validate the design and for partners to validate their systems. They are not meant for benchmarking.

There are multiple steppings of samples, comparing one stepping to another tells you nothing unless you know WHY the stepping changed.

When we make engineering samples, we target the best yield, not the highest performance. Then we have more chips to work with. Typically you get a couple of the highest clock speed anyway, those typically stay in our labs, so it is unlikley that you see those out in the wild.

We don't even do any real performance analysis until we get the final silicon. Prior to that, we are totally focused on design validation.

Performance is determined based on the following:

1. The processor
2. The processor microcode
3. The BIOS
4. The Operating system
5. The drivers
6. The compiler code

So, unless you are looking at final silicon and you have all of the other pieces in place, making a statement about the performance of ES chips is completely pointless.

Which is why we just don't comment on those numbers. They probably aren't real. And if they are, they are not representative of what people will see when they get the real products in their hands.

Imagine making a cake. You start with a pile ingredients. You put it all in a mixing bowl. You stir it up. You put it in the oven. You let it cook. You take it out. You put frosting on it.

You are all looking at bowlful of batter and arguing about whether or not it is appetizing.