AMD "Bulldozer" and "Bobcat" detailed

[Sharktooth]

[H]ard|OCP has a preview on both Bobcat and Bulldozer nextgen AMD CPU architectures.
The former has a sub-watt power consumption and it's intended to compete with future Intel Atom CPUs, the latter is going to shake the ground with record performance and massive multithreading.
Read the article here: http://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/08/23/amds_bulldozer_bobcat_processors_preview

[mariush]

A detailed analysis is also available at Anandtech : http://www.anandtech.com/show/3863/amd-discloses-bobcat-bulldozer-architectures-at-hot-chips-2010

[Sharktooth]

Anandtech is wrong on the manufacturing process. bobcat wont be a TSMC 40nm process but GlobaFoundries 32nm process.

[A.Fenderson]

Ah, you scared me--I misread your thread title as 'AMD "Bulldozer" and "Bobcat" derailed'! :)
I'd love to see AMD resume kicking Intel's ass in design again--at least until Intel is again forced to actually innovate--so here's hoping Bulldozer can scare Intel into kick-starting a self-perpetuating cycle of one-upsmanship between the two companies. :D

[Przemek_Sperling]

Bulldozer looks exciting. There is only one thing which should be mentioned, the processors will be NOT compatible with the AM3 socket. On the other hand, AM3+ mobos will be compatible with all current AM3 CPUs.

[mandarinka]

Bobcat isn't to be manufactured on GloFo 32nm. It won't be a SOI design, and it is meant to be easily manufacturable on various processes. More importantly, 32nm isn't ready yet and they want to begin production in Q4 2010. The initial chips will be manfucatured on 40nm TSMC process.

Also, power consumption lower than 1W is only a "capability" of the design (for models with low voltage and clock etc), normal versions for netbooks will use about 8-10W according to AMD.

See the publicly available slides for information, seems a lot of misconceptions are floating around.

[Sharktooth]

yep, just initial chips. 32nm is the logical advancement as soon as GloFo is ready, coz it ensures even lower power consumptions.
also sub-watt models are aimed at smartphones and ultra-thin CULV parts.

[Limit]

As mentioned above Bobcat will not use SOI and according to the GloFo roadmap 32nm will be only avaiable as SOI. The first generation will be manufactered in 40nm by TSMC. The next step would be 28nm, probably by GloFo.

[Sharktooth]

so are they skipping 32nm process on bobcat?
i cant get it... 28nm is on high-k MG that ensures a low leakage. SOI does "the same"... less leakage.
so we have low power CPUs that will be manufactured on 40nm without SOI or HKMG presumably for months.
unless leakage is limited by low clock speed...

EDIT: However, 28nm process is alive and kicking... http://www.globalfoundries.com/technology/28nm.aspx

[swaaye]

Global Foundries is something like 18 months behind Intel though so remember that.... Hopefully AMD can get 32nm going soon, but you know Intel will be at the verge of the next lower node by then.

Bulldozer is really a fascinating new design, but I'm not going to be convinced of how viable it is from a performance standpoint until we see it go up against Sandy Bridge. I really hope that AMD can at least match Core i7 across the board with it.

[Sharktooth]

News on the 32nm front: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1442196#post1442196.
So, apparently 40nm wont last for long...