Tuesday, December 3rd 2013
"Vishera" End Of The Line for AMD FX CPUs: Roadmap
We'd feared something like this would happen for some time now, but leaked AMD product roadmaps confirmed it that AMD FX "Vishera" is the last line of CPUs from AMD. The company will only focus on APUs from here onward, and at the very most, one could expect CPU core counts to go up from their current quad-core stale-meat since A-series "Llano," which will continue into the 2014 A-Series "Kaveri," too.
The alleged AMD roadmap slide leaked to the web by ProHardver.hu points out that socket AM3+ "Vishera" will exist on AMD's product stack for as far as AMD's eye can see - looking deep into even 2015. Unless AMD is planning on hanging its towel with AM3+, it wouldn't mark its roadmap slide out in this way. 2015 will see the introduction of "Carrizo," an APU that succeeds "Kaveri," which will be based on future-generation "Excavator" CPU micro-architecture, and a future-generation GPU architecture, along with full HSA programming model implementation. "Kabini" will have its spell running into mid-2014, at which point "Beema" will succeed it.
Unless AMD is planning on 6-core, and 8-core APUs with "Carrizo," (we know that "Kaveri" is neither,) the roadmap reveals that AMD has given up on making processors that are pricier than $150. The company could focus its client products division onto APUs and GPUs, while multi-core processors could be kept alive by the enterprise products division under the Opteron banner, although we've not seen roadmaps to back that theory.
Sources:
ProHardver.hu, SweClockers
The alleged AMD roadmap slide leaked to the web by ProHardver.hu points out that socket AM3+ "Vishera" will exist on AMD's product stack for as far as AMD's eye can see - looking deep into even 2015. Unless AMD is planning on hanging its towel with AM3+, it wouldn't mark its roadmap slide out in this way. 2015 will see the introduction of "Carrizo," an APU that succeeds "Kaveri," which will be based on future-generation "Excavator" CPU micro-architecture, and a future-generation GPU architecture, along with full HSA programming model implementation. "Kabini" will have its spell running into mid-2014, at which point "Beema" will succeed it.
133 Comments on "Vishera" End Of The Line for AMD FX CPUs: Roadmap
We all need to keep in mind that APUs are the way forward. Even Intel's high end CPUs are still APUs really. So AMD and Intel are mutually heading the same direction.
Good to see there will be a SteamRoller and Excavator, but yeah only in this cpu+gpu hybrid mode. I hope its gonna be 8+ cores though.
But if we look at huma then it can change everything. Imo it would have been useless to use old FX design now if there is such a good potential in huma.. Wish intel would start doing this also, use igpu for general cpu processing more and mix both :D
They tried to roll with the punches but they never recovered from it. Theres really nothing more to say on this matter. At least now they will have some level of success even though they're no longer competing in the enthusiast market.
I may have to except the demise of Am3+ but Amd will be back when they have the right things in place and fully tested, the roadmap has slipped as has most bar intel's AND ARM'S, but most of these things are node based issues and process obstacles im expecting the next Fx Arch to rival a medium Gameing pc 8x8 core gpu+cpu Hsa combined with ddr4 support ,a true step up from am3+ and all intels mobos.
Many decry the lack of new features on AM3+ but ive 4 useable pciex since day 1 and nothing gimped,, all features present, all intel did was unravel their chipset piecemeal over years and many sockets,, and at great cost to the yearly updaters ,,so what Am I missing out on ,,,PCIEX3 and thunderbolt oh my, how are us Amd AM3 users getting by.
Also excavator the core made for Hsa isnt out yet and hence fairly untested (and the core worth most in investment(Ip and future) terms),whilst they maybe could have done a steamy FX, it would not have made good business sense since the channels loaded with FX still and intel have a lead in nodes and power efficiency,ie they wouldnt have sold, Amd have been very busy on Hsa/ software and Soc designs and the effort required for a steamy FX was not worth it in reality, however once TSV(3d/2.5d)production really kicks in on a decent node size below 28 and ddr4 finally hits the consumer market,,, well ,then well see.
Maybe now Biostar will make another batch of AM3+ motherboards. I want a new Biostar 990FX board, to make me want to upgrade from my Biostar TA790XE that I have been using since Feb. of 2010.
I suppose that AMD is going to take a page from Intel's book and direct us power users to their server platforms in the future.
I dreaming for 22nm 4.5/5GHz x 12 excavator cores CPU 12MB L3 Cache without Graphic part, support PCI-E 3.0, support dual-channel DDR4 3.2 GHz up to 64 Gigabyte capacity, and latest storage interface for faster SSD. Also, used on the same socket with cheap APU. But after read this news, I better hope with 2015 Intel.
AM3+ was truly bulky with north bridge and south bridge but ofcourse having hexa or octa cores is great benefit, espeically for cheap, and the fx 6300 was truly amazing.
Here is my problem :
1) AMD will ditch big cores, and favor GPU computing, and push towards that note that there slides shows the future CPU`s will all have an 65W TDP, which is hard to create in hexa or octa form, but who knows maybe manufacturing will advance by then.
2) AMD will create a APU version with hexa or octa cores but it will take very long time, and AMD plans will keep getting delayed.
I truly hope AMD works ASAP, and Unify there socket as many have stated, into a single one, and push forward with there plans, and make the 8 core athlon, Amd states now that upto 47 Percent of the die space is used for GPU and thats with quad core, so with another shrink or optomization i reckon AMD can pull an 8 core Athlon, but the question is how much longer will it take.
Its a novel idea. But execution is always an issue. However this isn't GPU company vs GPU company. This is GPU company vs CPU company. GPU computing is an area AMD could beat Intel in. There is no question there. But AMD really, really, has to nail it. I suspect it would come down to drivers and Windows implementation. AMD could do it but if nothing can utilize it then Intel just sits there while it gets it's own R&D caught up.
given that processor designs take years, could that have been an early hint that high end high power desktop cpus didnt have a future (in the classic sense at least, nothing wrong with a good mainstream apu in the veign of q6600 / q9550 / one of those $300 i7s / 2600k / 3770k / 4770k, i can totally see an apu conflict with him since he led the team that created the athlon)
EDIT: the ps4/xb1/wiiu stuff is hardly a big deal, it only gets the brand into consumers minds, why would amd get lots of profits from it? it's nothing like their own retail product like a cpu or gfx card
PS; My PC has Intel Core i5-2500K.