Rumour Points to Extreme Performance of AMD's Bulldozer Microprocessors

From X-bit Labs: Advanced Micro Devices, the world's second largest supplier of x86 microprocessors, reportedly wants to return the FX moniker to its microprocessors aimed at performance-minded consumers. If the rumour is true, it may indicate that AMD expects its next-generation desktop central processing units (CPUs) to offer very high performance in desktop applications.

Personal computers based on the high-end eight-core microprocessors featuring Bulldozer micro-architecture will carry "Vision Black FX" label, systems with quad-core or six-core chips will sport "Vision Ultimate FX" label, according to a news-story published by Donanimhaber web-site. In case the information is correct, the new chips will be AMD's first FX-class processors with top performance since 2006, when the company lost its performance lead on the CPU market after the launch of Core 2 Extreme.

AMD introduced its FX family of chips back in 2003 with the launch of the Athlon 64 FX-50 microprocessor. The chip outperformed Intel Corp.'s Pentium 4 Extreme Edition CPU, but required a special platform as it featured dual-channel memory controller, a technology not available on the rest of Athlon 64 family. Eventually AMD's microprocessors transited to one types of mainboards, but the FX chips still offered extreme performance and a number of other features. Unfortunately for AMD, Intel launched its Core 2-series chips, which outperformed both normal Athlon 64 and the FX families of microprocessors. As a consequence, the FX-moniker was canned since it no longer marked significant performance advantages.

It is still unclear whether AMD plans to use "Phenom" or other brands for its chips powered by Bulldozer micro-architecture. It is known that desktop-class Bulldozer-based CPUs are code-named Zambezi.

Engineering samples of code-named Zambezi chips became available for AMD's partners for testing in December, 2010. Production candidates should be ready by February '11 and the initial production of the company's first desktop microprocessors powered by the long-awaited Bulldozer micro-architecture is scheduled to start in April next year. Probably, the launch of the chip will occur around the same timeframe.

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