Advanced Micro Devices may be preparing a new microprocessor in PGA939 packaging to broaden the lineup of offerings for the emerging infrastructure. The new chip will have 1MB of cache and 1000MHz HyperTransport bus, representing a lower-speed bin of the AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 microprocessor.
Mainboard maker ECS has updated the list of supporting chips for latest mainboard based on VIA K8T800 Pro chipset for Socket 939 processors with AMD Athlon 64 3600+ product name. The SKU with 1MB of cache and 1000MHz HT bus has not been announced yet, but a mentioning by a mainboard maker may indicate a short release of the processor.
Additional details about the AMD Athlon 64 3600+ are not clear, but X-bit labs’ analyst Ilya Gavrichenkov suggested that the product may be a cut-down version of the AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 with core-clock reduced to 2.20GHz. Specifications of the AMD Athlon 64 3600+ look similar compared to those of the AMD Athlon 64 FX-51 product, with exception of 1000MHz HT bus, that is currently not been supplied by AMD.
AMD Athlon 64 processors with 939 pins that were released officially on the 1st of June, 2004, integrate 512KB of L2, only a half of the size incorporated into the previous 754-pin chips, but take advantage of the very efficient dual-channel memory controller that is likely to decrease the impact of cut-down cache and even improve performance of 939-pin chips over 754-pin processors with 1MB on-die secondary-level cache, which is why CPUs in different types of packaging does not have similar model numbers at equal clock-speeds. The AMD Athlon 64 FX parts continue to have 1MB of L2 after the transition to Socket 939.
One of the other advantages AMD64 processors in PGA939 packaging provide is faster 1000MHz HyperTransport bus that connects central processing units to other parts of the system. Previous AMD Athlon 64 chips used 800MHz HT bus.
AMD currently has three PGA939 products: AMD Athlon 64 3500+, AMD Athlon 64 3800+, AMD Athlon 64 FX-53,
Representatives for AMD did not comment on the news-story.
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Discussion started: 07/29/04 09:41:05 AM
Latest comment: 08/27/05 02:23:41 PM
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1.
"AMD currently has three PGA939 products: AMD Athlon 64 3500+, AMD Athlon 64 3800+, AMD Athlon 64 FX-51" little typo there at th end
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Posted by: secretjesus

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Date: 07/29/04 09:41:05 AM]
+ expand thread (1 answer)
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AMD currently has three PGA939 products: AMD Athlon 64 3500+, AMD Athlon 64 3800+, AMD Athlon 64 FX-51,
Yeah and it should be a period at the end, not a comma.
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Posted by: MonkRX

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Date: 07/29/04 10:21:51 AM]
2.
Looks like interesting news...Two things have got me thinking.
(1) AMD wants to be efficient as possible by selling those CPUs that don't meet FX-53 spec. So they clock'em down slightly and sell them as regular Athlon64. This method of selling CPUs is nothing new as Intel does it as well with Celerons.
(2) AMD is buying time. They could be having slight issues with 90nm CPUs and need more time to resolve them. From a PR point of view, its better than saying we're pushing back the schedule for this next generation of AMD64 CPUs.
In any case, it feels like there's no real need for the FX series once the regular Athlon64s exceed them at a lower price. (Same for the Extreme Edition of P4s)
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Posted by: 22

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Date: 07/30/04 12:25:10 AM]
3.
It's very clear they are having issues getting chips up to speed. And if 90nm were the answer for that, they'd have released a 90nm FX just to keep that line moving. Instead they released a lower speed 90nm chip, making it VERY clear they are having trouble getting the chips to run at high speed, in either line size.
Have to wait and see if this clears up but it spells some trouble for them.
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Posted by: Anemone

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Date: 08/22/04 07:22:39 AM]
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the AMD Athlon 64 3600+ isnt clear yet, the product may be a cut-down version of the AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 with core-clock reduced to 2.20GHz. Specifications are that the AMD Athlon 64 3600+ look similar compared to those of the AMD Athlon 64 FX-51 product, with exception of 1000MHz HT bus
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Posted by: AMD Athlon 64 3300+ 2.4 Ghz 256 L2 Cache 1600 Mhz 12X Muiti

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Date: 08/27/05 02:23:41 PM]
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