Fusion
The AMD acquisition of ATI Technologies was completed on October 26, 2006 and was accompanied by an official statement:
AMD plans to create a new class of x86 processor that integrates the central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) at the silicon level with a broad set of design initiatives collectively codenamed “Fusion.”
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Fusion processors are expected in late 2008/early 2009, and the company expects to use them within all of the company’s priority computing categories, including laptops, desktops, workstations and servers, as well as in consumer electronics and solutions tailored for the unique needs of emerging markets.
AMD calls the marriage of a CPU and a video card in a single processor an Accelerated Processing Unit, or APU. More than four years after the concept’s announcement, and over two years late, AMD will finally launch APUs in 2011. But the delay has been costly. Intel has gone from 0-60 on the model and will have two APUs—Clarkdale for desktops and Arrandale for notebooks—by the outset of 2010.
Given that the nascent APU market is about to become a highly competitive space, let’s take a look at AMD’s first salvo to see how it might stack up.
Llano
The Llano CPU is the first processor scheduled to adopt the Fusion APU model. Based on the die shots provided at last week’s financial analyst day, the chip strongly resembles a shrunk Propus (Athlon II X4) die.
This would make sense given that Llano and Propus are both oriented for the mainstream, and Llano is 32nm, while Propus is 45nm. Shrinking an existing architecture down into a new process will be much easier for AMD to undertake than starting fresh with a new architecture and a new process.
Let’s put them side by side for comparison:
Propus (Left) and Llano (Right)
The resemblance is fairly uncanny, don’t you think?
Of particular note about the Llano die is that the xray is not complete. The bottom section of the chip has been cut off in press materials, meaning there’s even more silicon at play than we can see at this time.
However, judging from what we can see, the Llano APU will feature 512k L2 cache per core, no L3 cache, and six Evergreen SIMD engines for a total of 480 stream processors.
In effect, Llano is shaping up to be an Athlon II X4 with 66% of a Radeon HD 5750 on board. If that bears out, then it will handily topple Intel’s first-generation APUs which will feature two 32nm Lynnfield cores and a dismal Intel GMA GPU core.
Recap
Before we head into our final thoughts, let’s take a moment to quickly summarize all the architectures that have been tossed around in this article.
Zambezi
Family: Bulldozer
Cores: 4 to 8
Process: 32nm
Socket: AM3
Onboard GPU?: No
Platform: Scorpius
Role: Performance Desktop
Launch date: 2011
Interlagos
Family: Bulldozer
Cores: 12 or 16
Process: 32nm
Socket: G34
Onboard GPU?: No
Platform: Maranello
Role: 2P and 4P servers
Launch date: 4Q10-1Q11
Valencia
Family: Bulldozer
Cores: 6 or 8
Process: 32nm
Socket: C32
Onboard GPU?: No
Platform: San Marino
Role: 1P and 2P servers or workstations
Launch date: 4Q10-1Q11
Ontario
Family: Bobcat
Cores: 2-4
Process: 32nm
Socket: N/A
Onboard GPU?: Yes
Platform: Brazos
Role: Ultra Thins, Netbooks
Launch date: 2011
Llano
Family: Stars
Cores: 4
Process: 32nm
Socket: C32
Onboard GPU?: Yes
Platform: Brazos
Role: Mainstream notebook, mainstream desktop
Launch date: 2011
Final thoughts
AMD has been saying that “the future is Fusion” for quite some time, and the company is finally in a place with its capital and processes to realize that future. By 2011, AMD will entirely revamp their server, desktop, laptop and ultra portable lineups with two new purpose-built architectures that can be married to on-die Radeons if the market demands it.
You read that right: Bulldozer and Bobcat are modular and scalable designs capable of being paired to an on-die GPU if AMD wishes it so.
While AMD’s first generation Fusion initiative won’t—can’t—cannibalize the high-end, the groundwork is being laid. It will start with mainstream and CULV parts like Llano and Ontario that serve general consumer and ultra portable applications, but there are hints of something greater at work.
To that end, Bulldozer may not be an APU now, but its relatively small floating point unit speaks to a future architecture which cedes floating point ops to the GPU, a part which crushes the CPU in floating point performance.
And indeed, in conversations with AMD, this is the paradigm they have been endeavoring to cultivate: A heterogeneous engine which sends incoming instructions to specialized silicon best suited to handle it—GPU for floating point, and CPU for integer.
We are just beginning on that road, the one which blurs the line between the CPU and the video card, but AMD appears poised to make a confident first step. They have the resources, they have the engineers, and they have the drive. AMD is extremely passionate about where they’re going with their market strategy; talking to engineers and representatives at all levels of the company reveals an infectious enthusiasm that can’t be manufactured or faked.
Do not believe for a moment that competition between AMD and Intel has waned: 2011 will be more exciting than ever.
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