AMD K8L: Next generation CPU

TRDCorolla1

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Aside from being a quad core architecture, there are three other key features that will separate K8L from K8: cache, memory and HyperTransport.

K8L will be the first AMD processor to have L3 cache since the K6 CPU. Each core has an independent L2 cache, but the entire processor shares an L3 cache pool. There's no word yet on exactly how much cache the K8L can hold, though the K8L will be a 65nm SOI process so AMD engineers have a bit more die room to play around with. K8L will support DDR2 and DDR3 when it becomes available.

HyperTransport 3 will be a key element of K8L. HyperTransport 3, which was approved as a go a few weeks ago, increases the frequency of the current HyperTransport bus from 1.4GHz to 2.6GHz, or from 2.8GT/s to 5.2GT/s!!!!! Current AMD Opteron processors only support HT links operating at 1GHz, though the HT 2 specs allows these links to run as fast as 1.4GHz. Non K8 quad core processors will almost certainly take advantage of this additional headroom as data across these links gets more crowded. However, K8L processors will have the advantage of using the full 5.2GT/s per link defined in HyperTransport 3.

K8L processors are expected to be coprocessor compatible for additional HT acceleration. We may not see embedded coprocessors with the K8L, it does look like the architecture is gearing towards supporting coprocessors in a big way.

AMD will introduce no less than four quad core families over the next two years, with the first being Deerhound. Deerhound, will be a Socket F server processor expected to ship late next year on the K8 not the K8L based architecture. Deerhound did not appear to support FB-DIMM as of yet.

In early 2008, AMD's corporate roadmap claims a quad core desktop CPU will make an appearance, dubbed Greyhound. Greyhound is slated to become the first quad core AMD chip to use the HyperTransport 3 bus, and the memory controller is slated to support DDR2 and DDR3. Unlike Deerhound, Greyhound will use the K8L architecture, and all the goodies that come with it, including the 5.2GT/s HyperTransport support. Unless AMD's plans change drastically between now and 2008, the processors will require a new socket.
 
Well I wouldn't really call it "next-generation architecture". More like updated and revised K8 in Quad-Core. That's all it really is. Core 2 Duo is a completely new architecture, with most things designed completely from scratch.
 
Oh whoops, I read your title wrong. I thought it had Next generation architecture up there...my bad. :p
 
Yeah, it's pretty neat to see all these ideas before they're even out. Keeps things interesting between Intel and AMD. Otherwise, we would be bored out of our minds.
 
alvino said:
Well I wouldn't really call it "next-generation architecture". More like updated and revised K8 in Quad-Core. That's all it really is. Core 2 Duo is a completely new architecture, with most things designed completely from scratch.


Hmm, yeah, it does sound as though they are going to try and milk the cow dry with it's current K8 architecture. To be honest though, whats wrong with there current archiecture? One reason the Core Duo was a newly designed architecture (well, to be fair, a nitty gritty revamp using up-to-date technologies/fabrication techniqes and modern features using the Pentium 3 as a decent starting point) is because the Pentium 4 was a obvious failure for most of it's life. The P4 has no-where else to go due to it's thermal and performance per clock problems. They had to redesign something.

What AMD's philosophy now is, "If it ain't broke, lets make it better" in order to keep up with the compition. Theres no major flaws with the K8, so just updating it and expanding on it is a great and cheap idea. Untill they do hit a brick wall, then it's time for a revamp.

Intel have done the same with the P1, P2 and P3 lines. All the same architecture really, just bolted on more cache and a load of new instruction sets.
 
connchri said:
Theres no major flaws with the K8, so just updating it and expanding on it is a great and cheap idea.

No major flaws? I think not. IMC was flawed beyond belief for enthusiasts. Cold bug especially. Not being able to run 4 DIMMS @ 1T was also a flaw.
Im pretty sure K8 had its major flaws just like P4.
 
ownage said:
No major flaws? I think not. IMC was flawed beyond belief for enthusiasts. Cold bug especially. Not being able to run 4 DIMMS @ 1T was also a flaw.
Im pretty sure K8 had its major flaws just like P4.
is am2 = k8? and if so, does that mean that am2 setup cant handle 4 sticks of ram while maintaining high speeds?
 
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