AMD's Piledriver Expected to Offer 10% Performance Advantage

From X-bit Labs: Even though Advanced Micro Devices is only due to release its FX-series code-named Zambezi microprocessor powered by Bulldozer micro-architecture later this month, the company is already showing off peculiarities of its next-generation platform for high-end desktops. Apparently, it will barely bring substantial improvement to performance.

The AMD "FX Next" platform due sometimes in 2012 based on the code-named Vishera microprocessors will have Piledriver x86 cores that will be just approximately 10% faster compared to Bulldozer micro-architecture-cores, according to a slide, which resembles those from AMD's presentations, published by Donanim Haber web-site. The 10% improvement represents AMD's projections "using digital media workload" and actual performance advantage over yet-to-be-made-available FX will vary depending on the applications and usage models. It is unclear whether AMD used an early silicon for its projections or makers its predictions based on theoretical data.

It is also unknown whether the projected performance increase will be conditioned by AMD Turbo Core 3.0 dynamic acceleration technology, new instructions support, higher clock-speeds or actual improvements of execution efficiency.

Not a lot is known about AMD's code-named Vishera chips, which are projected to succeed AMD FX "Zambezi" processors next year. People with knowledge of the matter indicated that the CPUs sport up to eight Piledriver (next-generation Bulldozer) x86 cores, dual-channel DDR3 memory controller, 8MB L2 cache and are compatible with AM3+ infrastructure as well as Scorpius platform featuring AMD 990FX core-logic sets. Although the new platform has its own code-name "Volan", some sources refer to it as "Scorpius Refresh".

AMD's FX-microprocessors code-named Vishera are projected to hit the market in the third quarter of 2012, but it is unclear whether it will be early July or late September.

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