Digitmies: AMD updates CPU schedules

[richardginn]

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091102PD207.html

[Un4given]

I was hoping this was going to be an article on them moving up their release date for dozer.

[anubis44]

I was hoping this was going to be an article on them moving up their release date for dozer.

Which actually becomes possible, now that AMD is essentially a chip design house, and can contract their CPU production to several manufacturers. They are now no longer tied to their own fabs for manufacture, so we just might start seeing quicker and quicker release times for new chips. It will be exciting to see AMD CPUs coming off IBM, Global Foundaries, Taiwan Semiconductor and other producer's lines simultaneously.

[Nater]

I really don't see AMD chips coming from fabs other than those owned and operated by Global Foundries. Once they're really up and running with both the Dresden fabs and the ones being built in New York Global Foundries will likely end up having the most advanced process tech outside of intel. Right now they have 300mm 65nm/45nm silicon on insulator running out of Fab 1, Fab 2 is being rebuilt to do 300mm 55nm/40nm bulk and both will be able to do 32nm in their respective wafer technologies in the future. I think the New York lines are going to start production with the 300mm 28nm bulk process wafers for GPUs.

Seeing AMD CPUs roll out of TSMC is not going to happen. First and foremost, TSMC doesn't have SOI wafers to my knowledge, they only do bulk. Second, both AMD and nVidia aren't that thrilled with TSMC at the moment due to their less than stellar 40nm process. I think it's definitely possible that you're going to see nVidia using Global Foundries, just because they'd no-doubt like a second source and also because of the troubles TSMC has had.

[anubis44]

I really don't see AMD chips coming from fabs other than those owned and operated by Global Foundries. Once they're really up and running with both the Dresden fabs and the ones being built in New York Global Foundries will likely end up having the most advanced process tech outside of intel. Right now they have 300mm 65nm/45nm silicon on insulator running out of Fab 1, Fab 2 is being rebuilt to do 300mm 55nm/40nm bulk and both will be able to do 32nm in their respective wafer technologies in the future. I think the New York lines are going to start production with the 300mm 28nm bulk process wafers for GPUs.

Seeing AMD CPUs roll out of TSMC is not going to happen. First and foremost, TSMC doesn't have SOI wafers to my knowledge, they only do bulk. Second, both AMD and nVidia aren't that thrilled with TSMC at the moment due to their less than stellar 40nm process. I think it's definitely possible that you're going to see nVidia using Global Foundries, just because they'd no-doubt like a second source and also because of the troubles TSMC has had.

Thanks for that information. It's interesting to hear that NVidia might have to rely on AMD's foundaries for production of their products.

[Nater]

Huang recently stated that nVidia would not use Global Foundries as 'it's AMD's fab'. It's already starting to look like TSMC's 32nm node might be just as horrible as their 40nm node already is, if that is the case I would think nVidia would be smart enough to use Global Foundries (assuming their 32nm node is good) for at least some of their production, even if it is 'AMD's fab'.