Will Barton bring an updated 760MPX chipset?

WITH AMD'S BARTON set to turn up sometime this quarter (on paper at least), it's rumored that an update to the 760MPX chipset is also in the works. Hopefully so, for while the existing 760MPX is still a fine MP solution, it's also getting dated. While the board's support for a "mere" 266 MHz bus is still serviceable, its single-channel of DDR266 is now eclipsed by even the nForce2, which carries double that bandwidth. Even single-channel DDR333 would be an improvement for 760MPX, though a dual-channel DDR266 or DDR333 would be ideal. Other features, such as AGP 8X or serial ATA are scarcely needed at this juncture, but would at least outfit the board well for marketing purposes against the upcoming Placer chipset from Intel.

Barton's 512K of L2 cache would seem even more suited for the server environment than AthlonMP, and ideally would move to the higher bus as well, though potentially at a lag—Intel has been much slower to move the Xeon to a higher 533 MHz bus than the P4, probably because of the extremely high stability a server requires.

Still, as nice as a 760MPX update would be, it's a rumor that could fall either way. With Opteron and Athlon 64 (Hammer) launching within the next few months, AMD will be careful not to introduce a new product that could compete against its 64-bit solutions. If, for example, dual Barton on a new MPX chipset proved to out-run single-CPU Hammer, its doubtful that we'd see the dual Barton put in much of an appearance. Sunnyvale's margins have taken a real beating in the last eleven months, and its no secret that the company is depending on its forthcoming 64-bit CPU's to get its margins back into line.

We'll keep watching this one to see how it plays out. It's critical that AMD keep up a regular line of dual processor improvements in order to prove to businesses that the company's product line is both stable and regular, but whether that need is best filled by AthlonMP Barton or the forthcoming MP Hammer (whenever that particular gem ships) is yet to be seen. Chipzilla, of course, gets more leeway (both with delivery and pricing), but hey, that's what you get when you're the 800 lb Gorilla on the block. µ