Phenom (processor)
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Phenom (pronounced as IPA:/finɒm/, as in the word phenomenon) is the AMD desktop processor line based on the K10 (not "K10h") microarchitecture [1], or Family 10h Processors, as AMD calls them. Triple-core versions (codenamed Toliman) belong to the Phenom 8000 series; quad cores (codenamed Agena) in the Phenom 9000 series, and high-end enthusiast versions (codenamed Agena FX) in the Phenom FX series. AMD considers the quad core Phenoms to be the first "true" quad core design, as these processors are a monolithic multi-core design (all cores on the same piece of silicon wafer), unlike Intel's Core 2 Quad series which are a multi-chip module (MCM) design. The processors will be on the Socket AM2+ platform [2], with the exception of the high-end model which will only be available for Socket F+. The dual core K10 processors will still be named Athlon X2.
AMD has launched several models of the Phenom processor in 2007/2008. [3][4][5][6].
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[edit] Change of model nomenclatures
The model numbers of the new line of processors was changed from the PR system used in its predecessors, the Athlon 64 X2 family. The new model numbering scheme, for later released Athlon X2 processors, is a four digit model number with different family indicator as the first number [7], while some Athlon X2 processors used BE or end with an e as prefix (example as Athlon X2 BE-2400) and some Sempron processors uses the LE prefix (example Sempron LE-1200), as follows:
| Processor series | Family Indicator |
|---|---|
| Phenom X4 quad-core (Agena) | X4 9 |
| Phenom X3 triple-core (Toliman) | X3 8 |
| Athlon dual-core (Kuma) | 6 |
| Athlon single-core (Lima) | 1 |
| Sempron single-core (Sparta) | 1 |
[edit] TLB errata
Before Phenom's release, it was discovered that a bug in the translation lookaside buffer (otherwise known as a TLB) in AMD's quad-core processors could cause a system lockup in rare circumstances. Phenom is affected by this bug up to and including stepping "B2" and "BA". There are BIOS and software workarounds to prevent this problem from occurring by disabling the TLB, although the workarounds typically employed incur a performance penalty of at least 10%. [9]
This penalty was not accounted for in early pre-release previews of Phenom, so the performance of early Phenoms delivered to customers is expected to be somewhat below the benchmarks in these previews. Processors with the bug fixed have "50" as the last two digits of the model number, for instance 9650, with stepping "B3" was released March 27, 2008 [10]
An AMD subsidiary has released a patch[11] for the Linux Kernel, which it said has received "minimal functional testing", to overcome this bug by software emulation of accessed- and dirty-bits causing little performance loss.[citation needed]
[edit] Future models
Starting in the second half of 2008, AMD is expected to launch a series of 45 nm processors [12]. As of October 2007, only the codenames are known to the public. They are Deneb FX for Phenom FX, Deneb for quad-core processors, Heka for triple-core Phenom processor and Regor for Athlon X2. These processors are expected to be available in late 2008 to early 2009, with the support of DDR3 memory and are expected to have larger shared L3 cache (6 MBytes) as well as the implementation of Socket AM3 for single-processor systems and Socket G3MX for dual-processor Quad FX platform[13].
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For more details on this topic, see List of future AMD Phenom microprocessors
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- AMD Spider Platform - Phenom, 790FX, RV670 -- HotHardware.com, 19 November 2007
- Phenom CPU: Christmas Gift from AMD -- X-bit labs, 21 December 2007, retrieved 21 December 2007
- Quad-Core Phenom Models & Clocks Revealed -- VR-Zone, 9 October 2007, retrieved 9 October 2007
- AMD Triple-Core Is Phenom 7-Series -- VR-Zone, 8 October 2007, retrieved 9 October 2007
- AMD Revised Desktop Model Number Structure -- VR-Zone, 9 October 2007, retrieved 9 October 2007
- AMD Phenom X4 9850, 9750 and 9550 CPUs -- bit-tech.net, 11 April 2008
[edit] References
- ^ AMD to Drop "Athlon" Moniker on the High End. DailyTech (May 2, 2007).
- ^ More Details on AMD "Stars" Chipsets. DailyTech (May 3, 2007).
- ^ Final AMD "Stars" Models Unveiled. DailyTech (May 4, 2007).
- ^ AMD Expands Upcoming Processor Branding. DailyTech (June 4, 2007 7:30 AM). Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
- ^ "How to decipher AMD's new CPU naming code", Gadget Lab, 2007-06-04.
- ^ Model Number and Feature Comparisons AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core and AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core Processors (2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-08.
- ^ AMD Revised Desktop Model Number Structure. VR-Zone (October 9, 2007).
- ^ VR-Zone report, retrieved October 9, 2007
- ^ Phenom TLB patch benchmarked: A look at how AMD's BIOS workaround impacts Phenom performance. techreport.com (December 6, 2007). Retrieved on 2008-02-16.
- ^ High Performance AMD Phenom X4 Processors Lead the Charge to HD Desktop Gaming and Video. AMD (March 27, 2008).
- ^ AMD Family 10h revision B2 Erratum 298 and L2 Eviction Bug Workaround. AMD (December 5, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
- ^ AMD Confirms Addition of Three-Core Phenom Chips. ExtremeTech (September 17, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-10-09.
- ^ Anh Tuan Huynh (July 2, 2007). AMD Second-Generation 'Stars' Plans Unveiled. DailyTech. Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
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