AMD ponders new desktop sockets

CHIP FIRM AMD appears to be re-thinking its attitude to sockets when it introduces desktop dual core chips - which might not come until the very end of next year or perhaps even 2006, according to reliable sources.

According to those motherboard partners of AMD, it wants to avoid manufacturers having to re-tool too much when it launches dual core chips for desktops, but it is considering a pin out of 942 or 941, the sources said.

AMD has had a lot of stick from its partners during 2004 over the shift to 939 pins and the simultaneous existence of 754 pins and 940 pin Athlon 64s. This didn't make life easy for them - and that's somewhat understating it.

Meanwhile, it could well be that AMD doesn't implement DDR2 for its processors until 2006 either, by which time DIMMs at 667MHz will be widely available and also affordable.

And AMD is, at the highest level, determined not to beat Intel over the head with processors that outperform the chip giant's offerings. It will gauge the release of future processors to maximise profits rather than to rub Intel's nose in it.

This might be good news for AMD shareholders, but won't necessarily please anyone else in the food chain.

Meanwhile, a page on the AMD web site gives a clearer idea of how far the firm has migrated its products away from .13µ (micron) technology to the newer 90 nanometres process. Here. µ

See Also
Next gen AMD Opterons to have 1207 pins