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Socket AM2 let down by DDR2

Daniel Fleshbourne   on 18 April 2006 - 18:03 · 28 comments & 9613 views

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DDR 2 MEMORY currently works at faster clocks than DDR1, but it still has some latency hang-ups. 800MHz DDR 2 may work at CL4 ms, but faster implementations of DDR1 can work at CL 2ms latencies, at 400MHz. This is a trade-off that you simply have to accept. This lands AMD a problem. By moving to DDR 2 800 with an Athlon AM2 CPU, you won’t see a pants-busting performance boost. Stuff will run faster, but up to roughly five percent faster not much more than that.

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#1 xxdesmus on 18 Apr 2006 - 18:06
wow...Sounds like Intel is going to give AMD a real whooping this coming year.
#2 jimbo11883 on 18 Apr 2006 - 18:09
Intel will have the market almost to itself... until AMD comes up to something better.
(3 replies) #3 LoR*Evanescence on 18 Apr 2006 - 18:13
AMD chips are still better then Intel's
#3.1 xxdesmus on 18 Apr 2006 - 18:38
lol....whatever you say buddy...
#3.2 Hurmoth on 19 Apr 2006 - 04:07
He's right, if you compare the same generation chips. The problem is, AMD hasn't come out with a chip yet to compare to say the Intel Core Duo. Once the Turion X2 comes out, AMD will once again be ahead. I have no doubt about it.
#3.3 tiwaris on 19 Apr 2006 - 22:36
He is probably not refering to core duo.

AMD does not have an answer Conroe (to the best of my knowledge). Conroe though is the next gen architecture and is close to six months away. AMD have not showcased their next gen tech.
#4 Digix on 18 Apr 2006 - 18:17
yea socket 939 still pwns stuff ddr2 anyway ddr1 still pwns if AMD create a cpu able to a quad core that can change between quad dual and single core on user choice it will pwn intels rubbish easy but i still believe intel still have their issue with the power causing there cpus to roast on standard
#5 Zentox on 18 Apr 2006 - 18:25
Conroe hasn't even been released, there's no way of telling if AMD will throw something better at Intel.
#6 Max™ on 18 Apr 2006 - 18:50
DDR2 latencies will just get lower. Technology evolves. AMD will then just debut more chips.
#7 GuidZilla on 18 Apr 2006 - 19:27
I'm a hardcore AMD buff, been for years(not a loudmouth fanboy mind you), but that conroe is startin to look pretty tasty. I do hope that AMD can retalliate with somethin tho. Gonna be an interesting year in the CPU/GPU department it seems.
#8 Yogurth on 18 Apr 2006 - 20:21
Real problem for market will be the lack of proper AMD performance response in next 12 months starting with july.

1st performance jump is expected in q1 of 2007 with transition to 65nm which will not be sufficient to beat Intel. The real advancement is expcted in Q3 with introducton of dual FPU unit in current AMD lineup...call this K8a

Ocourse by that time Intel will introduce 45nm into mass production....plot thickens ^^
(1 reply) #9 MaceX on 18 Apr 2006 - 20:56
(1 reply) #10 nfin1ty on 18 Apr 2006 - 23:07
i think for once Intel may outperform AMD. but I hope AMD will release something soon after conroe that will put it back in the lead, and put crappy Intel back in it's place as the #2 performer. The conroe may be the first intel chip I buy, and hopefully the only one.
It is sad that the AM2 will not product substantial performance gains over the 939 stuff out now, however.
#10.1 gwai lo on 18 Apr 2006 - 23:47
Check out 1969 - 2000, microprocessor history...

AM2 is mainly a transition to DDR2 (obviously there are other minor design improvements here and there), but what'd you expect?
(2 replies) #11 macrosslover on 19 Apr 2006 - 00:25
of coures Intel will price conroe into the stratosphere when it comes out so outside of the hardcore elite computer upgraders I'm interested in seeing how much penetration for the chip there actually is. I think most of Intel's market is going to be the reduced in price current gen chips. Those chips aren't uber but they'll be good enough for most people, gamers etc when conroe comes out and pushes the prices down.
#11.1 Aeonandromere on 19 Apr 2006 - 00:40
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=1619

The prices are not that bad. And almost half as cheap for the 2.67Ghz Conroe that outperforms the FX-60 @ 2.8Ghz.

(The E6300 - E6700) are the Conroe's in case you get confused.
#11.2 gwai lo on 19 Apr 2006 - 00:44
and Intel expects quite a bit of penetration:

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=1820
#12 Lazih3nri on 19 Apr 2006 - 02:50
It's Intels year... No doubt about it.
(3 replies) #13 Nexus- on 19 Apr 2006 - 03:51
LMAO @ all the people wanting to wait for AM2

"Im not going to build an outdated 939 box, I'll wait for AM2" Idiots. A 5% speedboost is not worth waiting for.
#13.1 Smigit on 19 Apr 2006 - 04:22
if your current machine runs fine it is. Not only that if you do get one it's a better upgrade path in the future. *shrugs*

I wana hear what the next big thing from AMD will be.
#13.2 gwai lo on 19 Apr 2006 - 06:05
AM2, K8L, chips, AM3, Quad Core, etc.
#13.3 Dark Scizor on 19 Apr 2006 - 06:48
Quote - Nexus- said @ #13
LMAO @ all the people wanting to wait for AM2

"Im not going to build an outdated 939 box, I'll wait for AM2" Idiots. A 5% speedboost is not worth waiting for.


5% is istill better than nothing.

And since Core Duo's and Solo's for desktops based on Conroe are not going to be out anytime soon, AMD still has an advantage.
(2 replies) #14 Yogurth on 19 Apr 2006 - 17:03
Actually Conroe will be available 1st of july...2,5 months from now.
#14.1 gwai lo on 19 Apr 2006 - 23:31
Linky?
#14.2 Yogurth on 20 Apr 2006 - 08:27
#15 RangerLG on 20 Apr 2006 - 14:56
Yeeha! Another well done Inq story! At least they didn't reference Intel as Chipzilla.
#16 Beef on 21 Apr 2006 - 07:54
Should be interesting.
I'm hoping we will see some real developments in power management. The amount of power being sucked by the current CPU lines is obscene

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