News
[PSUs]| Tuesday 28th December 2004 |
At least a rough old year for Intel ended on a positive note, the company updating its sales expectations for its fourth financial quarter, citing strengthening worldwide demand. The upbeat announcement finished what has otherwise been a rather rocky (although still profitable) year.
As well as missing targets for a 4GHz Pentium 4 (before abandoning the project), other roadmap derailments have included the much-delayed 90nm Pentium-M (the second-gen core Dothan, which appeared in May), and the delay of the Alviso notebook chipset, which has hit the launch of its next-generation Centrino mobile platform, codenamed Sonoma (put back to the start of 2005), scuppering plans for a pre-Christmas launch. Not forgetting the manufacturing problems, and a minor product recall experienced with the much heralded Grantsdale chipset (Intel's third-generation desktop graphics core).
AMD, meanwhile, has quickly and quietly been gaining ground with its rollout of 64-bit processors. The key point of 64-bit processing is that it gives increased computing power, both in terms of the amount of information that can be crunched in one go as a data set and the range of memory addressing possible. But by developing the traditional x86 architecture - as opposed to vendor specific implantations, such as Intel's EPIC architecture for its 64-bit server Itanium 2 processor - AMD has ensured compatibility with the world of existing 32-bit apps, which can run seamlessly.
This is a very important inducement for businesses to enter the world of 64-bit computing when the 64-bit desktop version of Windows XP has yet to arrive (mid-2005 according to Gates at the recent IT Forum) let alone other major software applications. By presenting benefits for the present, and smoothing the path for future upgrades, AMD has successfully positioned itself at the head of an easily-understood technology: 64-bit computing.
But looking further ahead, a key battle arena for the coming year will be the development of multi-core processors - where rather than one powerful execution engine there are two or more co-operating processors. AMD has already demoed a dual-core Opteron processor. For Intel, the two key codenames are Smithfield, for the dual-core version of next-generation desktop chips, and Montecito, for dual and multi-core Itanium 2 server chips. The company followed AMD's lead with a dual-core demo (later identified as being an Itanium 2) at the Fall IDF in San Francisco.
By 2006, Intel recently estimated, over 70 per cent of all desktop and mobile processors and 85 per cent of servers will be dual-core. The company says that while hyper-threading can deliver three times the performance of the original Pentium designs, multi-core versions will eventually produce results as much as ten times faster...
Another key battle will involve mobile computing, and this is where Intel has the strongest hand. Looking ahead into 2005, we can expect to see the next-generation Centrino platform, codenamed Sonoma, finally appear in 2005, and we can also anticipate a unified brand - a la Centrino - for desktop processing in the digital home. Currently dubbed 'East Fork', this further emphasis Intel's drive to be seen as a 'platform' company rather than a producer of individual processors. And there is also 'Jonah' to look forward to (last rumoured, rather optimistically, for the second-half of 2005) when Intel bids to unify its range of mobile and desktop processors, mainly building on the Sonoma platform...
Meanwhile for AMD, 90nm process technology will supersede current 130nm offerings. The second half of 2005 should also see the increasing arrival of 90nm dual-core offerings: Toledo for the desktop, and Egypt, Italy and Denmark for the 800-, 200- and 100 series Opterons (for multi-, dual, and single-server systems). Not forgetting Roma, its low-voltage, 90nm offering for mobile processing...
But enough of speculation for 2005, what follows is a quick highlight of the major processor news in 2004.
January
Intel lifts lid on High Definition Audio specs
Intel gets involved in the SCO dispute
Record revenues drive Intel profits
Chip sales give AMD muscle to take on Intel
February
Sun signals closer technology ties with AMD
Flamboyant AMD founder Sanders steps down
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Intel signals computation at the speed of light
IDF Spring 2004: Microsoft gives 64-bit backing to Intel
AMD introduces low-power Opterons
March
AMD saddles up Athlon 64 FX-53 at tech show
Intel settles EPIC Intergraph dispute
AMD's 'mainstream' Athlon 64 on general release
April
AMD's flash memory offshoot spawns whole new family
AMD settles patent dispute with Intergraph
AMD maintains profitable progress
Intel heightens High Definition Audio
AMD rolls out 90nm Opterons from its Dresden fab
May
AMD brings first low-voltage 64bit chips to laptops
Intel to launch Pentium 4 with 64 bit extensions 'in August'
AMD tops off $2.5bn Dresden manufacturing plant
June
AMD plots a 64-bit multi-core processor future
European Commission re-opens Intel probe
Intel preps Grantsdale for launch
AMD facing delays on launch of 90nm desktop processors
Intel looses Grantsdale, Alderwood, Pentiums and Celerons in launch bonanza
AMD wins move to access Intel docs for antitrust probe
Intel calls home flagship chipsets
Intel launches 64bit extended Xeon server chips
July
Sun bolsters x86 server line with AMD Opterons
AMD introduces Sempron range of value processors
August
AMD trumpets success of 90nm manufacturing transition
Intel brings tri-mode wireless networking to Centrino
Intel trumpets move towards 65 nanometer process
AMD steals march on Intel with dual-core demo
September
IBM and Intel go public with design specs of the BladeCenter platform
IDF, Fall 2004: Rosedale begins Intel's WiMAX rollout
IDF, Fall 2004: Silvervale to virtualise server processing
IDF, Fall 2004: Intel does dual-core demo at IDF keynote
IDF, Fall 2004: Intel introduces Entertainment PCs to the Digital Home
IDF, Fall 2004: Intel CTO sees New Net on the horizon
Intel intros new budget Celerons and chipset
Intel CEO Barrett to retire next May
October
Intel brings in desktop support for NX security protection
AMD fails to win EC access to Intel documents
Intel abandons clock speed chase and drops 4GHz Pentium
AMD rolls out its flagship chips for the Christmas market
Intel finally cancels Digital TV screen project
November
Intel targets gamers with Extreme Edition P4 offering
Ottelini ascends to Intel top job
Dell 'may sell AMD based servers' - Dell CEO
AMD breathes on its processor roadmap
AMD to migrate all CPU production to 90nm SOI process in 2005
December
AMD takes almost 10 per cent of Q3 chip revenues
AMD and IBM claim 24 per cent chip speed breakthrough
New Centrino models take centre stage in Intel's chip troupe
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