14 DAY TRIAL // Advanced Micro Devices has long been getting ready for its transition to a more advanced manufacturing process, and it seems that whatever plans it had in terms of roadmaps have been changed.
As consumers know, Advanced Micro Devices released its first Fusion APUs (accelerated processing units) weeks ago, even before CES, 2011.
For those in need of a reminder, APUs are processors with built-in DirectX 11 graphics powered by the Fusion architecture.
Since then, various systems based on them have been delivered, but market watchers are also eagerly anticipating the Bulldozer and Llano.
These two are set to be based on the 32nm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) gate-first high-K metal gate (HKMG) process technology.
Back in early November, unofficial sources said that the Llano would enter the commercial manufacturing stage in July, meaning the third quarter of 2011.
That said, Bulldozer chips were supposed to actually come out sooner, around April.
Now, however, the Sunnyvale, California-based CPU, APU and GPU maker has reportedly spoken on the more up to date roadmap.
As reports have it, the Bulldozer will actually come after Llano, during summer, while the latter will be delivered in the second quarter.
"We have entered a new phase with our 32nm ramp and are now sampling thousands of Llano products to a wide variety of OEMs and ODMs as they prepare for production in Q2," said interim Chief Executive Officer of AMD Thomas Seifert, during a conference call with financial analysts.
"We have begun sampling our 32nm Bulldozer-based Orochi parts in volume with customers worldwide. We expect Orochi for desktops to ship in production in early summer and the Orochi for servers in late summer," Thomas Seifert went on to saying.
That samples of Bulldozer processors have already started shipping is something that has supposedly been confirmed by the company's CEO, but mass availability, as it is, will come later than originally expected.