Topic: WTG AMD64 multi-core  (Read 2355 times)

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Offline toasty0

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WTG AMD64 multi-core
« on: March 15, 2005, 08:02:12 pm »
http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2005Mar/bch20050314029588.htm

Where would the world be without sneak peeks? Although you can't purchase one yet, and although no official benchmarks have been released, you can get more than a little information on AMD's upcoming dual-core Athlon 64 setup from an Italian website more than willing to sneak you a peek.

Working in collaboration with an unnamed Taiwanese partner, the folks at HWUpgrade.it managed to get their hands on a Socket 939 CPU sporting two cores, each running at a full 2.4GHz. This is only marginally slower than the flagship 2.6GHz CPUs powering the Athlon 64 FX line, indicating that AMD may not have had as many thermal issues integrating two cores as previously thought.

Benchmarks revealed significant performance gains for multithreaded benchmarks, with Cinebench showing an 87% performance gain going from one core to two. Interestingly enough, the dual-core Athlon 64 outperforms a true dual-CPU Opteron 250 2.4GHz setup, coming in second only to a dual 3.6GHz Xeon setup with Hyper-Threading turned on (four logical CPUs).

Workstations and servers are likely to be the primary beneficiaries of dual-core CPUs, though, as most games are not multithreaded. AnandTech has a nice technical explanation on why games will lag on the multithreaded bandwagon, and why their conversion to multithreading is a foregone conclusion.

The HWUpgrade article can be perused for more info.



ERIC'S OPINION
If these figures are accurate, they dispel some of the assumptions everyone (including me) has been making about how dual cores are going to impact the scene. In this case I'm hoping the figures are good, because it means some great workstation performance is on the way.

The first big surprise to me was the clock speed of the dual cores. I had strongly suspected AMD's first dual-core product would be in the 2.0GHz range for thermal reasons. Given that engineering samples are usually clocked slower than production parts, it would seem AMD's not having to throttle back. Kudos to Hammer's excellent thermal properties for allowing AMD to do that. Of course, by the time dual-core Athlons hit the street AMD might be hawking 2.8GHz Athlon 64 FXs and Opterons, but that's still not a big separation.

The second big surprise was how it outperformed two similarly-clocked separate CPUs--Opteron 250s at that. The Opteron is saddled with registered ECC memory that's usually a good bit slower than the non-registered, non-ECC stuff found in Athlon 64 setups, but the general consensus was that two cores in a single socket would be more starved for bandwidth than two separate CPUs. The Cinebench results don't jive with that, though, so it would seem the dual-core boys might have a significant advantage here.

I can see the Seti folks getting all excited foir this puppy.

Jerry
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Offline Nemesis

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Re: WTG AMD64 multi-core
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2005, 04:52:41 pm »
I can see the Seti folks getting all excited foir this puppy.

Jerry


Dual CPU and Dual core running 4 copies of SETI doing more work per day than my current 4 machines (2 of which are dual CPU).  I'm waiting for it.

Here is a link to some more info on intel's dual core and little on AMDs.

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Officially branded as the Pentium D, CPU codenamed Smithfield is 3.2 GHz CPU times two. You will end up with 3.2 GHz versus an existing 3.8 GHz single core CPU. We learned that existing single core CPUs, such as 570 and 670, both clocked at 3.8 GHz might end up much faster for current games and benchmarks.

The second problem comes for Intel's Extreme Edition, again clocked at 3.2GHz, but a dual core with its FSB down clocked to 800 MHz that has to compete against FSB 1066MHz 3.73GHz CPU.

It's going to be nasty but dual core is the path that Intel and AMD have both chosen. It may be difficult for the chip firms to explain why those CPUs are actually slower in games but for most of the other applications dual core CPUs are the right thing, and will boost multithreading applications big time. AMD, on the other hand, might not face such a big problem as it will start at 2.4GHz with its dual core chips which is the shipping speed of its flagship 4000+ now.


AMD has the advantage right now because Intel is running close to the thermal limits on their P4 and the Athlon64 still has headroom.  I suspect that the onboard memory controller helps keep that frontside bus speed up unlike on the dual core P4 design.  Also the A64 was designed as a multicore chip (yes multi not dual or single), the Hyper transport links work internally between CPUs on the same die as well as to the motherboard.  The Pentium 4 and Pentium M are having the 2nd core added to a design that was never intended for that configuration..  One claim that I have seen repeatedly is that dual core AMD CPUs should work in current motherboards but dual core Intels will need new motherboards due to power and cooling requirements. 

The dual core Athlon FX ought to eat the dual core Pentium 4 EE for lunch on games.

There is one thing that Intel is doing that AMD would be hard put to match.  Link

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CHIP GIANT Intel - which could probably make a decent job of writing an OS if it had the will to do so - has started a major push for dealers, promoting the Linux operating system on the desktop.

Intel's Quick Start Kit for Linux allows its channel partners to design, to build and to sell machines using the OS. The kit will include device drivers, so called value added tools nd marketing stuff.


Intel can do it better because they are the major source of motherboard chipsets for Pentium 4s.   They also don't have to worry about Microsoft dropping support for Intel chips whereas AMD does have to worry about Microsoft dropping support for them if annoyed.
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Offline KOTH-KieranXC, Ret.

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Re: WTG AMD64 multi-core
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2005, 11:06:20 pm »
Well, since advances in processor speed is slowing down, now they have to go and make advances in making the dual core work. Frickin' computer geeks.

I mean, damn. I had hoped my 3.4 Ghz processor computer might actually be fairly cutting edge for a few months before it was rendered obsolete. ;D
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Offline Nemesis

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Re: WTG AMD64 multi-core
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2005, 11:10:17 pm »
I mean, damn. I had hoped my 3.4 Ghz processor computer might actually be fairly cutting edge for a few months before it was rendered obsolete. ;D

If it is still cutting edge by the time you get it home you are doing well indeed. 
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Offline KOTH-KieranXC, Ret.

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Re: WTG AMD64 multi-core
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2005, 11:12:53 pm »
Well, it was a really nice machine when I got it(3.4 Ghz P4 w/hyper threading, 1 GB DDRAM, 250 GB HD, DVD burner w/double sided capability, Radeon graphics card, etc.) so I was fairly certain I'd get at least a day of cutting-edge-ness out of it. ;D
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Offline E_Look

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Re: WTG AMD64 multi-core
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2005, 05:39:04 pm »
What did Cray do in principle that was so different from PC CPU makers?  He coaxed lots of speed out of his systems.

I know he used some way different architectures and methods...