X-bit labs

AMD Sempron Described in Details.

Category: CPU

by Anton Shilov

[ 06/10/2004 | 02:42 AM ]

Sources familiar with Advanced Micro Devices’ plans revealed some additional details about the forthcoming AMD Sempron processors for affordable personal computers.

According to the information X-bit labs has learnt, AMD Sempron is a product family that will live on for quite a while and will be compatible with various infrastructures. All chips will feature different specifications, performance and price and will not be compatible with each other in terms of packaging. Mobile AMD Sempron processors are likely to feature similar packaging with desktop products.

AMD Sempron for Socket A – Soon!

The initial AMD Sempron processors will be designed for Socket A infrastructure and will contain cores used in the current AMD Athlon XP microprocessors. The Sunnyvale, California-based chipmaker plans to replace AMD Athlon XP processors with AMD Sempron chips in the third quarter of the year, sources said. The first Sempron processors will extend life of Socket A mainboards with new SKUs and are likely to be available on the market for quite some time.

AMD Sempron for Socket 754 – Later in Q3 2004

Later in the third quarter AMD is expected to launch Socket 754 flavour of AMD Sempron processors. Unofficial sources said that AMD Sempron processors for the Socket 754 infrastructure are likely to feature AMD Athlon 64 core, but with disabled 64-bit capability. Formerly such chips were code-named Paris and Victoria. “Paris” will be made using 130nm process and is expected to have 256KB of L2 cache, whereas the size of L2 of the code-named “Victoria” processor produced using 90nm technology is not known.

AMD Sempron for Socket 939 – in Q1 2005

In early 2005 AMD is likely to release another version of Sempron chips for Socket 939 mainboards. Currently there are no details about such chips except some obvious suggestions. It is not clear whether PGA939 value central processing units from AMD feature dual-channel memory controller.

Among advantages of the AMD Sempron microprocessors in PGA754 and PGA939 packaging integrated single-channel PC3200 memory controller, SSE2 technology, better pre-fetch mechanism and generally revamped architecture over AMD Athlon XP chips should be mentioned.

Faster than Celeron, But What About 64-bits?

AMD aims its Sempron microprocessors as serious competitors for Intel Celeron D products. Typically Advanced Micro Devices prices its affordable chips in line with competing Celeron offerings, but usually tries to offer better performance compared to Intel’s entry-level lineup.

At this point it is not clear whether AMD enables 64-bit capability in its PGA754 and PGA939 Sempron microprocessors or will stick to 32-bit computing with its value central processing units.

Since the whole industry is beginning transition to 64-bit processors, it is possible to expect AMD and Intel to enable 64-bit registers in Sempron and Celeron microprocessors eventually.

Officials from Advanced Micron Devices declined to comment on the story.