Yesterday was AMD’s 2009 financial analyst day and the company has released a storm of information related to the company’s goals throughout the upcoming year.
AMD outlined several key objectives for 2010, but we’ve trimmed that list to the five which we think are most exciting for enthusiasts
- Deliver four new hardware platforms (across mobile and desktop);
- Transition notebook products to DirectX 11;
- Launch the 12-core Magny-Cours Opteron processor and accompanying platforms;
- Expand the reach of OpenCL and DirectCompute 11 tools and implementations;
- and sample next-gen 32nm Bulldozer, Bobcat and Fusion parts to partners.
In this first installment of our four-part series which digests the day, we’ll be taking a look at AMD’s upcoming hardware platforms, and the company’s move to DirectX 11 in the mobile space. Part two will explore the company’s new Bulldozer, Bobcat and Fusion architectures; part three will look at AMD’s efforts to grow stream computing; and part four will round out the show with a look at what’s shakin’ in Opteron land.
Desktop platforms
AMD is committed to introducing two desktop hardware platforms in 2010: One enthusiast desktop, and one mainstream desktop. These platforms are known as Leo and Dorado, respectively. The big pushes here are a revamp of AMD’s aging chipset situation, proliferation of Evergreen hardware, and the introduction of a consumer-level hexa-core chip.
AMD's 2010 desktop platform roadmap.
A leaked roadmap from AMD Japan. (Image credit: ASCII.jp)
Leo
Purpose: Enthusiast desktop
Date: 1H10
Chipset: RD890 northbridge, SB800 series southbridge
CPU: Phenom II X4, X3, X2, Thuban
GPU: Radeon HD 5000 series
In addition to heralding the arrival of the Thuban CPU, the Leo platform is significant in that the RD800/SB800 chipset combo is the first major update to AMD’s chipsets since November 2007. The company launched the 790FX chipset that year, and it’s still the most feature-rich chipset in the company’s stable. The company has released several subsequent derivatives of the 790FX, but it’s still the cream of the crop.
The RD/SB800 combo rights the ship by kicking the HyperTransport frequency up to 4000MHz, adding optional support for SATA 6Gbps, and enhancing power savings. We can only imagine that USB 3.0 support won’t be far behind as an add-in ASIC at the discretion of motherboard vendors.
Rounding out the picture, AMD has pegged the upper echelon of Evergreen parts for service, including the Radeon HD 5850, Radeon HD 5870, and the Radeon HD 5970 arriving at the turn of the year.
Practically speaking, the Leo platform is AMD’s answer to Intel’s Lynnfields and the upcoming Westmere. Given that both companies are going to rest their laurels on minor respins of current architecture until the end of 2010, we expect the current performance deltas and price/performance ratios to play out: Intel will take the speed crown, while AMD will gut them with competitive performance and extremely compelling pricing.
Dorado
Purpose: Mainstream desktop
Date: 1H10
Chipset: RD890 northbridge, SB800 series southbridge
CPU: Athlon II
GPU: Radeon HD 5000 series
Dorado follows Leo on the desktop and reduces costs by sticking with AMD’s current crop of value-minded Athlon II parts. AMD intends to back Dorado with the RD800/SB800 chipset combination and Evergreen parts like the Radeon HD 5770. Dorado platforms might even be offered with the as yet unreleased Redwood and Cedar Radeon parts which would be analogous to the present day Radeon HD 4600 and Radeon HD 4300 series.
All told, the performance of modern systems including parts like the AM3 Athlon II X4 620 and a mid-range Radeon HD 5000 will be broadly indicative of what AMD intends for Dorado throughout 2010.
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