Intel Has Double Vision: First Multi-Core Silicon Production Begins

[cadaveca]

Here's an Intel press release:

Intel Has Double Vision: First Multi-Core Silicon Production Begins

Dual-core System Introduction in Second Quarter 2005


SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 7, 2005 – Intel Corporation today announced it has completed initial production runs of dual-core processors and provided further details about its multi-core plans to its customers, signaling the beginning of an era when PCs will have two or more “brains” inside.

Intel plans to deliver two separate dual-core products and dual-core-enabled chipsets for its Pentium® processor-class families in the second quarter, including the Pentium® processor Extreme Edition. The Intel® Pentium® Processor Extreme Edition will include Hyper-Threading Technology, providing the ability to process four software “threads” simultaneously.

“In addition to our products, we are investing heavily to further prepare the industry for the shift to multi-core computing platforms,” said Robert Crooke, vice president, Desktop Platforms Group and general manager, Desktop Marketing and Strategic Planning, Intel. “We accelerated this effort with the introduction of Hyper-Threading Technology three years ago and we’re extending it by building multi-core processors. Platforms based on Intel multi-core technology will provide the performance and responsiveness consumers and businesses need to get the most enjoyment and productivity from their applications.”

These first dual-core desktop platforms reflect Intel’s continued investment in silicon and platform innovation, manufacturing technology, capacity and industry enabling efforts that span the desktop, server, workstation and mobile market segments.

“As the leader in the extreme gaming, consumer and workstation markets, Dell plans to offer Intel’s powerful dual-core processor technology on high-end systems,” said John Medica, senior vice president, Dell Product Group. “No other companies make innovative technology more affordable to large groups of customers than Dell and Intel.”

Dual- and multi-core products are designed by including two or more full CPU cores within a single processor enabling the simultaneous managing of activities. When combined with HT Technology, which allows a processor to present itself as two logical processors, the Pentium Processor Extreme Edition product can process four software threads simultaneously by more efficiently using resources that otherwise may sit idle.

Platforms based around Intel’s dual-core Pentium Processor Extreme Edition are an ideal solution for PC computing and entertainment enthusiasts who crave computing power for audio, video, digital design and gaming tasks. The Pentium Processor Extreme Edition will be combined with a new chipset named the Intel® 955X Express chipset, formerly codenamed “Glenwood,” that includes features such as Intel® High Definition Audio, PCI-Express and faster dual-channel DDR-2 memory. Intel will also couple its mainstream “Smithfield” processor with two new chipsets named the Intel® 945G Express chipset and Intel® 945P Express chipset, both previously code-named “Lakeport” in the second quarter of the year.

Intel has more than 10 multi-core related projects underway and plans to increase its software and solutions enabling product lines, tools, investment and programs to further spur software design and validation.

Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.

Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

Looks like the dual cores are not far off, now....

[danrok]

Any indications on pricing?

[cadaveca]

there are a few prices out there, but no EU,US pricing as of yet. Only in like taipei, etc.

AMD has also released the whitepapers for thier dualcores. I give it 4 months before each has about 4 models for sale. Expect firm pricing in about 8 weeks.

[Pitch]

AMD, It's your move.

[Daniel ~]

Seems they have real, possibly immediate plans to expand the number of cores beyond two?

[cadaveca]

Once they can ensure that the core-to-core link works efficiently, it only makes sense to add more cores to further increase computing power. The only real thing that is holding them back right now is programming, from what i hear.

Imagine folding one protien over 8 cores, each with hyperthreading!

The current view looks like 4 cpu's, with the hyperthreading added in.

Interesting to see the 945 and 955 introduced as well, seems as though there is alot more functionality to the cores that are already out there...wonder if there is a way to turn them on?


The market is about to get really interesting, but i think it will be another september push again this year, with it reaching heights next april, when, from what i see, they should be ramping up speeds largely on the dual-core front.

[dsio]

One question, how do you feed 2 net burst cores simultaneously? 1 prescott is a bandwidth hungry so and so as it is. and they are talking about releasing dual core chips on an 800Mhz FSB? maybe i just dont understand the inner workings of it, but if they are getting performance gains going from 800-1066mhz fsb, and now they are adding another core to the equation, wouldnt that mean you need more available bandwidth, not less available bandwidth.

and how does dual channel high latencey DDR2 feed 2 of these things?

[keithwalton]

Oh how i chuckled this morning reading an amd fan boy news posting on the inquirer. They call the article "AMD losses dual core race" yet in the article they rally behind amd and reckon that they will have chips out first even though intel is sampling the chips to partners and amd so far have said jack squat. So either they know somthing we dont, or are being hopefull that there precious amd will do well and not laze around on there lorals as they have done for the past year or so.
With regards to b/w thingy the move to 1066fsb gave little to no real actual performance advantage. But for sure they will want to move the dual core fsb upto 1066 if not more.

It does to me look like intel is going to make it 3 years in a row with major product releases around easter time (P4 C and canterwood two years ago, prescott and 900 series last year etc)

[cadaveca]

Originally Posted by keithwalton

It does to me look like intel is going to make it 3 years in a row with major product releases around easter time (P4 C and canterwood two years ago, prescott and 900 series last year etc)

April is the time of year CPU's should come out, because of trade shows, while september is the time for GPU's...because of tradeshows. At least it seems to work that way most times.

AMD had dualcore samples @ CES, actually about 4 times as many as Intel, so i think the Inquirer guys are just going on that to base thier opinion. And you can tell the ones who are AMD fans are gamers...have Intel move the memory controller on the CPU die, and thier opinions will change, methinks.

Future revisions of the Dothan look most promising...and lower power than the Smithfeild, too!

AMD apparantly has the Geode running in dual...making for an even better core than a dual, possibly, as power consumption is super-low, even @ 2ghz....check out the pic pulled from AKIBA...NX1750@14W x2



EDIT: Also found some pricing on anandtech for P4 dualcores, and they seem to be pretty close when it comes to MSRP's:

Intel Dual Core PerformanceDesktop Lineup LGA775
Processor/Speed/L2 Cache/FSB/Launch
Pentium 4 840/3.20GHz/2x1MB/800MHz/Q2'05 $530
Pentium 4 830/3.00GHz/2x1MB/800MHz/Q2'05 $316
Pentium 4 820/2.80GHz/2x1MB/800MHz/Q2'05 $241

[Áedán]

In the world of dual cores, both AMD and Intel lost out to IBM, who's been producing dual core processors (POWER4) since 2000/2001...

[Gizmo]

Originally Posted by cadaveca

AMD apparantly has the Geode running in dual...making for an even better core than a dual, possibly, as power consumption is super-low, even @ 2ghz....check out the pic pulled from AKIBA...NX1750@14W x2

You think there might eventually be a shift to the Geode architecture, Cad?

[cadaveca]

Geode is the future for socket A...for POS mahcines, and home entertainment servers, etc...where huge computing power is not needed. It's just a thoroughbred core at it's best, IMHO.

[danrok]

Do you mean Geordie?

[keithwalton]

Originally Posted by cadaveca

Intel Dual Core PerformanceDesktop Lineup LGA775
Processor/Speed/L2 Cache/FSB/Launch
Pentium 4 840/3.20GHz/2x1MB/800MHz/Q2'05 $241
Pentium 4 830/3.00GHz/2x1MB/800MHz/Q2'05 $316
Pentium 4 820/2.80GHz/2x1MB/800MHz/Q2'05 $530

Slight typo there by any chance slower chips getting more expensive, hehe.

What have they ramped the geode upto so far ? it was around 1Ghz i think the last time i paid any attention to it. or was it they were hoping for it to hit 1G.

And yes the replacement for the dothan/sonoma the 'yonah' is looking rather good. it's going the be the x50 etc line of chips. they're hoping for 2.5Ghz a piece and around 33w i think.

[cadaveca]

geode scales to 1750mhz(is recognized as an althon MP, so only a bios update, maybe, to get in in a socket A board taht offers 1.2v), currently, with 2ghz out there, but not in full production. yeah my numbers were off..i'll fix 'em!

[keithwalton]

I had a lookie at the amd website for the geode and this is what i found.

The AMD Geode™ NX processor family consists of three versatile and powerful products - the AMD Geode™ NX 1250@6W* processor, the AMD Geode™ NX 1500@6W processor** and the AMD Geode™ NX 1750@14W processor.***

*This processor operates at 667MHz. Model number reflect performance as described here.
** This processor operates at 1GHz. Model number reflects performance as described here.
*** This processor operates at 1.4GHz. Model number reflects performance as described here.

They compare the chip to the via Nemehiah 1Ghz, not exactly a stellar chip by many standards

Edit - Just reading into the specs a tad deeper the geode looks like an old tbird 'c' built on a .13u process with plenty of mobility tweaks in order to get the power down.
Interesting numbers to compare really is what the dothan does at low power, (ulv versions) and generally when they are in battery mode they are very lean (around 6w)

Edit again
Looking up the TDP for the dothan, at 2.1 ghz the top chip uses 21w.
at 1.5Ghz the low voltage chip needs 10w.
at 1.2ghz the ultra low voltage chip needs 5w!

[cadaveca]

lol you took the time to translate.

1.4ghz @14w is not too shabby for the old thoroughbred!

It's a well known fact that the dothan is almost the best chip out there, in terms of power consumption, and with the arrival of desktop boards for this chip, the future looks good on the intel front, if they can maximize on it!

[Gizmo]

No doubt about it, the Dothan is a darned fine chip, and they've still got a lot of tweaking they can do in terms of bringing some of the performance enhancing stuff they learned with the P4 over to it. Any Dothan derived desktop chips ought to flat kick butt!