AMD Preps DDR3-Ready Phenom II Processors

According to a recently-leaked roadmap on AMD's upcoming processors, the Sunnyvale, California-based chip maker is expected to debut its first DDR3 memory-supporting chips sooner rather than later. The new products are supposed to enable AMD-based computer systems to provide a higher level of performance, when compared to DDR2-equipped systems. There's no official date available at this time, but six new Phenom II processors will be making their debut by the end of this month.

 

When AMD initially launched its first 45nm-based Phenom II processors, the chip maker said that it aimed at providing its first DDR3-capable Phenom II chips by the middle of 2009, or even later than that, depending on a series of factors that also included the pricing for the memory. However, AMD now appears to be providing its first DDR3-supporting Phenom II chips earlier than anticipated, as the chip maker plans to add support for PC enthusiasts who will likely go for the latest in computer hardware. “The people who want the latest and greatest will want to use DDR3 memory,” said John Taylor, a spokesman for AMD.

 

The new Phenom II processors with support for DDR3 memory will enable the chip maker to better compete with Santa Clara, California-based Intel, which is currently holding the number one spot in the market for high-end desktop computer processors. The performance boost will come from the higher bandwidth offered by the DDR3 memory modules, but also from the overall specifications of AMD's upcoming Phenom II processors.

 

According to the roadmap, the chip maker will be announcing four quad-core processors, the Phenom II X4 805, 810, 910 and 925, which will provide core frequencies of 2.5GHz to 2.8GHz. The first two will boast a total cache memory of 6MB, while the last two will provide users with 8MB of cache, just like AMD's current Phenom II X4 processors.

 

Additionally, two new X3 Phenom II processors, featuring a triple-core configuration, will be part of the company's February lineup. These two, the X3 710 and X3 720, will be clocked at 2.6GHz and 2.8GHz, respectively. Both provide a total cache memory of 7.5MB, while the latter will have an unlocked multiplier, which means that it will allow users to further boost performance through overclocking.