AMD Opterons get number changes

AT CEBIT we came across a few people mentioning the next AMD socket called, wait for it, AM3.

If you can't figure it out, it is the successor to AM2, and it supports DDR3 while AMD does DDR2. If you look at AMD's future chips, you can see that Santa Rosa does DDR2 and Cerebus does FBD, so that would put AM3 on Deerhound.

Sadly, it looks like AMD's tradition of keeping socket changes to a bare minimum is about to take a cue from Intel. Not socket of the week, exacly, but more socket of the year, not ideal, but a decent compromise for functionality.

That brings up the next question, what will AMD do for names? As a reader pointed out, with Opteron x85s out, that leaves two more speed bumps before it breaks its numbering scheme. Instead of going the Intel Optimal Septimal System route, AMD is going to take on a wholly user comprehensible numbering scheme, and insert a two into the Socket F part numbers.

This means 8xx will become 82xx, 2xx goes 22xx and 1xx begats 12xx. I would guess that AM3 parts will become 83xx and Cerebus will go to T4600.... ummm.... 8Fxx, no that stinks also. Maybe it should hire someone who understands consumers, say from a Korean conglomerate. That would do the trick. µ

L'INQ
Zol.com