X-bit labs

AMD Ready to Launch Refreshed Barcelona?

Category: CPU

by Ilya Gavrichenkov

[ 03/03/2008 | 04:27 PM ]

AMD representatives already announced in mid January that Barcelona processors with B3 core stepping should start sampling this quarter. According to CNET.com referring to recent AMD officials’ statements, the company started sampling Barcelona processors based on B3 core stepping to its server partners last week.

Server Barcelona processors with new K10 micro-architecture didn’t really get widely spread yet because of the notorious “TLB bug” that resulted in stability loss in case all four processor cores were loaded heavily. This problem occurred mostly in the server segment that is why server solutions manufacturers looked forward to new B3 core stepping that was free from this unpleasant bug.

Dell and HP representatives confirmed that they were going to start shipping solutions on Barcelona processors with B3 core stepping in the first half of Q2 2008. So far they are receiving the samples, but by the beginning of Q2 they should already have enough of mass units available. "We expect to start shipping systems in early Q2," HP spokesman Eric Krueger said Thursday. "We are anxious to get these systems moving soon," he added. HP has had documentation on its site for almost a month describing the HP ProLiant DL585, which Krueger confirms will carry the Barcelona processor.

Desktop Phenom processors with B3 core stepping should appear only in Q2 2008. As for the triple-core Phenom 8xxx processors prepared for March launch, the first shipments using B2 stepping will go to the OEM segment, while retail customers will be getting CPUs with B3 core stepping next quarter.