X-bit labs

AMD Transits Sempron to 90nm Process Technology [UPDATED].

Category: CPU

by Anton Shilov

[ 09/23/2004 | 05:17 AM ]

UPDATE: Added information on revisions and code-names of AMD's future products.

Sources familiar with plans of Advanced Micro Devices told X-bit labs on Thursday that AMD was planning to start supplying of value Socket 754 processors as early as this November. The claim confirms AMD’s rapid transition of numerous product lines to more economically reasonable manufacturing technology.

According to the document AMD is reported to ship to its clients, the company was announcing a revision change for the desktop AMD Sempron processor 3100+ from revision CG to D0. The change in revision primarily reflects the change of manufacturing process technology: from 130nm to 90nm. The new processors will have 00010FC0h CPU ID and will be marked as SDA3100AIO3BA and SDA3100BABOX.

AMD Sempron is AMD’s value microprocessor designed for affordable computers. It competes with Intel Celeron D product line and at this point does not feature 64-bit capability, unlike Athlon 64. Still, the Sempron processors in PGA754 packaging sport AMD Enhanced Virus Protection technology that protects system memory from executing potentially harmful code.

Code-name of AMD's future Sempron processors is unclear. But according to documents AMD sends to customers, the first Sempron 3100+ processor at 90nm will have the same revision as AMD's 90nm Athlon 64 processors code-named Winchester, D0. The difference between Sempron and Athlon 64 is smaller L2 cache, 256KB versus 512KB on Athlon 64, and the lack of 64-bit capability.

AMD presumably states that processors revision D0 is pin-to-pin compatible with products revision CG and will function in existing Athlon 64 754 platforms, even though a new BIOS will be required to recognize the new CPU ID.

Full product qualification, which includes electrical/performance characterization, functional validation and reliability qualification of product, will be completed in future. The first shipments of AMD Sempron 3100+ produced using 90nm SOI fabrication process are expected to commence on the 1^st of November, 2004.

Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Advanced Micro Devices manufactures the absolute majority of its central processing units in its Fab 30 located in Dresden, Germany. 90nm fabrication process with Silicon-on-Insulator technology allows the company to shrink costs of manufacturing and continue to improve performance of its chips in future.

According to AMD’s roadmap, it would release mobile, desktop and server chips at 90nm this year. Though, there are no any kind of launch dates noted.

AMD did not comment on the story.