Posted on Sunday, August 31 2008 @ 23:31 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
AMD will start transitioning its desktop processors to the new AM3 socket formfactor in Q1 2009. The new socket will enable faster memory and lower costs:
AMD’s socket AM3 platforms will be compatible with both dual-channel PC2-8500 (DDR2 1066MHz) and PC3-10666 (DDR3 1333MHz) memory and will add support for thermal sense interface (TSI) in addition to serial VID interface voltage regulator (SVI). Thermal sense interface is a very accurate, presumably digital, thermal diode that would allow to more precisely monitor temperatures, which ultimately means better control for stability and reliability, even in case of overclocking. Serial VID interface will allow to more precisely set CPU core voltages.
The first processors compatible with socket AM3 will be AMD Phenom X4 chips code-named Deneb and Propus that are scheduled to arrive in March, 2009, X-bit labs has learnt. Starting from Q3 2009, the Sunnyvale, California-based chipmaker will start to offer code-named Heka (triple-core), Rana (triple-core) and Regor (dual-core) microprocessors made using 45nm fabrication process for AM3 platforms.
More info
at X-bit Labs.
