Shadow Ops: Red Mercury Scam?

Sep 30 2004 @ 08:14AM by MikeC

PC Perspective takes a look at the first 64-bit game that is available on the market, making it a big plus for the 64-bit market. However, from the looks of it, the 64-bit features aren't all that they're cracked up to be.

?These additional items that were added into the 64-bit game are mostly "fluff" -- they add a bit of realism to the game -- but I see no reason why the same items could not have been added to the 32-bit version as well. There is certainly no technical reason for them to be omited. And while that "fluff" is by no means a bad thing, I would guess that it was added into the 64-bit only version either due to marketing desires from either Atari or AMD or purely for development time considerations.?

Read the article

 

Setting up for the fall

Sep 29 2004 @ 06:05PM by MikeC

The Inquirer has come up with an article as to what may become of AMD if they continue with their lax strategy on releasing their products. In my opinion, AMD has been too easy on Intel and has the opportunity to take the reigns and dominate the processor market.

"AMD HAS DONE so well for itself over the last two years that it could almost be forgiven for thinking that the main battle is over. It has what is generally considered the fastest desktop processor on the market in the Athlon FX. It has what is generally acknowledged as the best X86 multi-processor architecture in the Opteron. It seems to have the upper hand against its arch-rival Intel. But if it keeps going the way it has been over the last year, AMD is due for some very nasty surprises."

Read the article

 

BNP Paribas Global Equities Selects Sun Servers

Sep 29 2004 @ 06:01PM by MikeC

"AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced that BNP Paribas, a global Fortune 500 enterprise and the fifth largest international bank network in the world, has deployed AMD Opteron? processor-based Sun Fire V20z servers to optimize its risk-management applications.

Powered by the AMD Opteron processor Model 250, the two-socket Sun Fire V20z servers are one of the industry?s top-performing x86 servers available today. BNP Paribas intends to use these new servers as part of its compliance efforts with the new Basel II regulations as well as to provide a global network of traders with improved, real-time access to its risk-management analysis applications. The AMD Opteron processor with Direct Connect Architecture is an ideal solution for the risk-management analysis applications commonly used in the financial sector and trading room environment. With Direct Connect Architecture, AMD helped remove the front-side bus bottleneck and directly connected the processors, the memory controller and the I/O, to improve overall system and performance efficiency."

Press release

 

VIA PCI-E for A64

Sep 24 2004 @ 03:50PM by MikeC

VIA announced their new chipset for the Athlon 64 platform today complete with PCI-Express.

"The first PCI Express chipset for the AMD platform, the VIA K8T890 chipset is designed to fully meet the increased system bandwidth demands placed on the PC. Designed to support a complete range of AMD Athlon? 64, Athlon 64 FX, Opteron?, and Sempron? processors, the VIA K8T890 delivers high performance, comprehensive features, and rock solid stability. The K8T890 chipset is optimized to work seamlessly with the latest PCI Express graphics cards, featuring a PCI Express x16 connection for up to 4GB/s of dedicated graphics bandwidth per direction, and provides four PCI Express x1 connections. Each 1x PCI Express connection provides 250MB/s per direction bandwidth to PCI Express peripheral devices such as Gigabit Ethernet and HDTV tuner cards."

Click here for specs.

 

Asus A64 Notebook

Sep 23 2004 @ 03:10PM by MikeC

Asus has announced its production of an Athlon 64 notebook.

Here are the specs: AMD Mobile Athlon 64 (3000+, 3200+ 3400+) (2) SO-Dimm sockets (Upto 1GB DDR 333 [PC-2700])
GeForce FX Go 5650
15" XGA/SXGA+ Display /w ACE View Technology
DVD or Combo DVD/CD-RW or DVD-EW
Integrated 802.11b/g
Intregrated 56k Modem
Intregrated 1.44mb Floppy Disk Drive
4-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, MS, and MS PRO)
IEEE 1394
(1) 10/100/1000 ethernet port
(4) USB 2.0 ports

Should be announced relatively soon.

The Inquirer

 

AMD forms Greater China HQ

Sep 23 2004 @ 03:06PM by MikeC

BEIJING -- September 23, 2004 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced plans for the formation of a Greater China headquarters in Beijing. AMD?s Greater China headquarters will be responsible for all operations in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan and will help ensure AMD?s operations are best aligned with the needs of the China market.

Press Release

 

AMD, IBM extend chip development deal

Sep 21 2004 @ 04:58PM by MikeC

In December 2002, the two companies entered into a pact to develop technology for manufacturing microprocessors. That deal was slated to wind down at the end of 2005, but it will now last through December 2008, according to a document filed by AMD with the Securities and Exchange Commission this week.

Read the article

 

AMD Teams Up With Atari

Sep 21 2004 @ 04:55PM by MikeC

Today, AMD (NYSE: AMD) announces the first 64-bit game optimized for AMD Athlon? 64 processor-based systems, ?Shadow Ops: Red Mercury,? is available now on retail shelves. ?Shadow Ops: Red Mercury,? published by Atari and designed on AMD64 technology, includes specific 64-bit enhancements that enable a richer and more immersive gaming experience. The power of the AMD64 platform has opened the door for game developers to truly capture the imagination and creativity of artists and industry visionaries.

Press Release

 

AMD Drives Performance, Security With New Mobile Processor For Thin And Light Notebooks

Sep 20 2004 @ 03:54PM by MikeC

SUNNYVALE, CALIF. -- September 20, 2004 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) today further expanded its family of low-voltage mobile processors designed to offer outstanding performance, security and true mobility for thin and light notebooks. The new Mobile AMD Athlon? 64 processor 3000+ for thin and light notebooks enables a powerful 32-bit computing experience today with a seamless transition to 64-bit computing. Like all the award-winning AMD64 processors, this new low-voltage mobile processor also offers Enhanced Virus Protection (EVP) designed to prevent the spread of certain malicious viruses when enabled by Microsoft® Windows® XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).

Press Release

 

nVidia nForce Unified Drivers 5.10

Sep 17 2004 @ 03:40PM by MikeC

nVidia released the 5.10 version of the Unified drivers for their nForce chipset. Check out the links below to see what's new.

Grab the XP version here.
Discuss them here

 

OCZ with DFI and AMD in AMD Fall Tech Tour

Sep 17 2004 @ 04:40AM by MikeC

AMD is going to launch their Fall 2004 tech tour in 21 North American cities. When is it? That's TBD, since there is still no news up on it on the AMD website.

"OCZ Technology Group has been invited by AMD to participate in their Fall Tech Tour set to take place in 21 North American cities. OCZ memory will be showcased in ten of the cities, including Seattle, Chicago, Dallas, Montreal, and Sunnyvale, California."

OCZ Press Release

 

Atari Develops Shadow OPS: Red Mercury For AMD 64-Bit Processors

Sep 17 2004 @ 04:35AM by MikeC

LOS ANGELES -- September 17, 2004 --Atari is working closely with AMD to develop Shadow Ops: Red Mercury , the ciniatic interactive blockbuster that first appeared on the Xbox? video game systi from Microsoft in June, using AMD's advanced AMD Athlon? 64 series of simultaneous 32- and 64-bit processors. The 64-bit version of the game will be included with the 32-bit version and will allow for improved textures, better image quality, faster game performance and an enhanced gameplay experience.

Press Release

 

VIA for K8 PCI-E

Sep 16 2004 @ 05:54PM by MikeC

VIA seems to want to kick it up a notch against nVidia as they introduce their new chipset, the VIA DualGFX Express.

"You will see an Athlon 64/FX/Opteron chipset that supports two PCI Express graphic lanes. The first one operates at 16X speed while the second runs at 4X speed, identical to Intel's Tumwater chipset. 4X from the second PCI Express slot should be fine to run SLI like functions."

Expect to see it in Q4.

The Inquirer

 

New pricing guide

Sep 16 2004 @ 05:47PM by MikeC

AMD has just released a new pricing guide. Check it out if you're on the market for a new processor. One interesting note, Sempron 3000+ are available.

Take a look

 

A64 PCI-E Motherboard?

Sep 15 2004 @ 08:11AM by MikeC

Seems like there's a new motherboard out on Abit's website that supports PCI-E for AMD. The motherboard itself is a socket 939 and it's called the AX8.

The board sports DDR1 rather than DDR2 memory but only has one PCIE x16 socket, meaning SLI won't be running at its full rate, should you invest in two graphics cards. The AX8 also has two S=ATA RAID controllers, so you can hook up a plethora of drives.

The Inquirer
Scope out the board

 

No IGP for nForce4

Sep 14 2004 @ 06:30PM by MikeC

Well all you guys hoping for an integrated solution on your new nForce 4 motherboards are going to be dissapointed. Apparently there are no plans for nVidia to make an integrated graphics processor for this chipset.

"WE SHOULD STILL NOT call this chipset Nforce 4 as Nvidia still uses the C8K-04 codename for this little baby but we know that it will end up with Nforce 4 name, unless it is to spite yours truly. We were unsure whether Nvidia was planning an integrated graphic version of this chipset or not but we can clearly say now that there won't be such a chipset."

The Inquirer

 

AMD Touts ?Pacifica?, a Virtualization Technique

Sep 13 2004 @ 03:36PM by MikeC

"Advanced Micro Devices, the world?s No.2 maker of microprocessors, is planning to present its own technology similar to Intel?s Vanderpool and Silvervale that can emulate numerous independent execution machines on a single personal computer in future. The move is likely to ensure AMD-based PCs are able to offer the same functionality as ?Intel Inside? computers."

Read the article.

 

AMD Enhances Low-Power Geode? Embedded Processors Line

Sep 13 2004 @ 03:35PM by MikeC

"Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) (NYSE: AMD) today announced the most recent addition to its AMD Geode? NX family of high-performance, low-power processors, the AMD Geode NX 1250@6W* processor. Based on the x86 architecture, the new processor is designed for solutions that require long-term market commitment such as thin clients, printers, point of sale, information and transaction kiosks and telecommunications networking equipment. The AMD Geode NX 1250@6W processor is compatible with the AMD Geode NX 1500@6W* processor and AMD Geode NX 1750@14W* processor."

Press release.

 

AMD Sempron 3100+: The best value processor yet.

Sep 12 2004 @ 10:59AM by MikeC

"SOMETIMES AMD pulls a lion out of the bag instead of the proverbial cat. The Sempron family could have been seen by most reviewers as a bunch of rebadged Thoroughbred CPUs destined at helping the channel getting rid of the last batch of Athlon XP processors. That's what in a nutshell, most of them are, from the Sempron 2300+ to the last Sempron 2800+. Basically, 333MHz Socket A Athlons with 256KB cache, in some cases. Actually, some online retailers are even rebadging on the fly, Barton Athlon XP processors to Sempron 3200+."

Read the article.

 

A64 & FX-55 NOT 90nm

Sep 10 2004 @ 05:33AM by MikeC

"While Advanced Micro Devices is shipping its 90nm processors to customers at present, the company?s higher-end chips targeted for introduction later this year may still be made using mature 130nm Silicon-on-Insulator technology.

Pictures of AMD Athlon 64 4000+ and AMD Athlon 64 FX-55 processors located at a Chinese web-server have been posted in a forum thread of AMDZone web-site. Availability of such pictures may mean that AMD is sampling its processors that are expected to be formally introduced in Q4 2004 with some makers of computer mainboards or computers, if the microprocessors? photos are not fake ones."

Read the article.

 

Opteron VS Xeon Battle Heats Up In 2006

Sep 09 2004 @ 09:45AM by MikeC

Seems like the fight for the best server platform is going to heat up in 2006 with Intel announcing the new Blackford chipsets for their Xeon line in 2006.

"The high-speed FSB will be just one of several adjustments Intel plans to make with its 2006ish Xeon products. The company is trying to adjust to a new threat from AMD's Opteron processor, which many analysts and customers believe is superior to Xeon with regard to memory performance and multiprocessor server designs."

Read the article.

 

AMD grabs Intel market share in desktop arena

Sep 09 2004 @ 09:42AM by MikeC

"AMD is increasingly out-selling Intel in the US desktop PC retail arena, and the pattern of sales throughout 2004 suggests it's going to be doing so rather more frequently than it has in the past.
That's the clear conclusion of the latest research numbers from market watcher Current Analysis (CA), which this week released the results of its study from January through August."

Read the article.

 

AMD PCI Express to arrive in Q1 2005

Sep 09 2004 @ 09:38AM by MikeC

"CHIP FIRM AMD said that PCI Express for its Athlon64 family will arrive in the first quarter of next year.
That requires support from other manufacturers. The firm wouldn?t say which chipset partners were designing for it, but it?s easy to guess Nvidia won?t be backwards in coming forward."

Read the article.

 

Software Vendors Endorse AMD64 Multi-Core Technology

Sep 07 2004 @ 07:10PM by MikeC

"AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced software support from Novell, Red Hat and Sun for AMD64 multi-core technology and recommended ISVs license software applications by socket. This follows a recent demonstration of the industry?s first x86 dual-core processor last week at AMD?s Austin facilities where four x86-based dual-core AMD Opteron? processors powered an HP ProLiant DL585 server. The upcoming dual-core AMD64 processors are designed to run with current versions of Linux, Solaris and Windows® as well as existing x86- and AMD64-based applications without requiring any software modifications. This follows the AMD customer-centric approach of safeguarding software investments while delivering industry-leading processor innovation."

Press Release.

 

AMD Dual Core Info

Sep 02 2004 @ 05:40AM by MikeC

Interested in the dual core AMD processor? AMDZone has an interesting article as well as some pics for you on this new processor.

"Each CPU has a path to the system request interface, and through the crossbar switch shares the same memory controller, and 3 HyperTransport links. AMD feels that the single memory controller is able to handle both CPU cores. They also feel that the HyperTransport bandwidth provided by three full speed links is more than adequate. AMD documents reveal that perhaps a 10% drop in performance due to the shared components."

Read the article.