Intel’s 32nm move coming faster than anticipated?

Comments

1. 
   11 Feb 2009 ~ 8:14pm Leonardo According one account I read, the 32nm CPUs may perform up to 20% better clock for clock than the 45nm i7 series. That's just amazing, if true.
   
   AMD? Just when AMD appeared to be on a comeback with their 45nm Phenoms, Intel pulls this rabbit out of their hat. What the hey is AMD going to do for profits. This will only put even MORE negative price pressure on their CPU line.
2. 
   11 Feb 2009 ~ 8:23pm MiracleManS I think AMD is going to press with their midrange solution for subnotebooks (not netbooks). I think they'll be able to make some headway there while the economy is down and make a turnaround.
3. 
   11 Feb 2009 ~ 9:35pm BuddyJ Yeah, the die-shrink could get that much performance if going by the last one is any indicator. It sounds like their design is already optimized to the hilt, so my guess is it'll be 10-15 percent.
   
   AMD will compete in the mid-range and enthusiast market and push hard for 32nm too. They realize the need to come on strong in the 32nm game and have been pushing hard to get there, making sure their fabs are ready to roll and investing tons of cash into preparing for the new process. These 45nm chips we're now getting are just a pit stop on the trip to 32nm. It sounds like Intel will hit the market first (no big surprise) but I don't think AMD will be too far behind this time. It's all gonna come down to how good their post-Phenom II architecture is.
4. 
   11 Feb 2009 ~ 9:51pm Thrax AMD will be 6-12 months behind Intel in the transition to 32nm. Should AMD err towards the long end of that estimate (which is historically the case), that will put their 32nm release in the same timeframe as the appearance of Intel's new Sandy Bridge architecture.
   
   This means that, once again, AMD will be an entire generation behind Intel.
5. 
   11 Feb 2009 ~ 10:33pm Leonardo

   AMD will compete in the mid-range and enthusiast market and push hard for 32nm too.

   No, I don't think AMD will compete in the enthusiast (high-end) market. When AMD arrives at what is now the high-end standard (i7), the competition will already have established a new, higher standard. Right now, AMD's highest performance CPU is a mid-range part. I don't see them competing with Intel for the high-end unless Intel stumbles, stumbles hard. AMD is just too far behind. Right now, Intel is preparing to invest more money in new facilities and in facilities overhaul than the entire valuation of AMD's market captialization, including hard assets. That is sobering.

   It sounds like Intel will hit the market first

   Intel has already demonstrated a working 32nm powered system.
   

   I think AMD is going to press with their midrange solution for subnotebooks (not netbooks).

   Yes, but see, that's the problem. Intel is making fat profits on high end, and moderate profits on the other market segments. AMD is not making large profits in any segment. The small notebook and netbook models sell for very cheap - they only sell if they are dirt cheap. The whole OEM supply chain involved has a very low margin. Figuratively speaking (maybe actually), the margin on the sales of two or three high-end parts is equivalent to a couple hundred low margin parts in terms. AMD is paddling upstream like crazy, but they are barely keeping even with the current financially. Intel has a power boat. If the power boat's driver doesn't fall asleep or crash the boat (the last year of the miserable P4 adventures), AMD can't catch up short of a miracle.
6. 
   11 Feb 2009 ~ 11:29pm mas0n This is my next build.
7. 
   12 Feb 2009 ~ 2:14am Leonardo

   This is my next build.

   If I were building a new system from motherboard on up now, I just might go with AMD. The mid-range class of processors has become so powerful, that who cares if it is not high end? 18 months ago, or even a year ago, I would have stuck with Intel, because I wanted a quad core breast. Intel at that time was the only serious choice. Now there's an excellent choice of processors in the mid-range class from both manufacturers.