AMD Bulldozer FX-8150 Processor Review Comment Thread

[PerryC]

Saw this on xbit AMD Aims to Improve Bulldozer Performance-per-Watt by Up to 50% by 2014 - X-bit labs

[geokilla]

Originally Posted by PerryC

Saw this on xbit AMD Aims to Improve Bulldozer Performance-per-Watt by Up to 50% by 2014 - X-bit labs

I hope that's a typo and they actually mean 2012 and not 2014. We should have a new architecture by 2014, not Bulldozer v2.

[PerryC]

Looking at the charts doesn't look like a typo.

[Supergrover]

in 2014 its arch-rival Intel will have 14nm process technology in its hands and therefore the Excavator@20nm may not be enough to fight the major competitor

This was my first thought when I read your post Perry^

[terrybear]

Well. NCIX has up some pricing & (edit found the 8150):

FD4100WMGUSBX
AMD Bulldozer FX-4100 Quad Core Processor 3.6GHZ Socket AM3+ 95W Retail Box(FD4100WMGUSBX)(64407)
$132.98

FD6100WMGUSBX
AMD Bulldozer FX-6100 Six Core Processor 3.3GHZ Socket AM3+ 95W Retail Box(FD6100WMGUSBX) (64406)
$202.98

FD8120FRGUBOX
AMD Bulldozer FX-8120 8 Core Processor 3.1GHZ Socket AM3+ 125W Retail Box(FD8120FRGUBOX) (64405)
$238.98

FD8150FRGUBOX
AMD Bulldozer FX-8150 8 Core Processor 3.6GHZ Socket AM3+ 125W Retail Box(FD8150FRGUBOX) (64404)
$288.98

Even I gotta admit, these starting points are not impressive to me .. And after how negatively the Asus crosshair V reviews have looked, definately makes me avoid buyin that bundle @ $54x price point.

[chrisk]

From the xbit article:

For AMD, it is crucial to execute its plans precisely and consistently. The Bulldozer fiasco does not have a lot to do with the micro-architecture itself, but has to do with the fact that the Zambezi/Interlagos chips are late by years. A good thing, however, is that Bulldozer micro-architecture is very scalable in terms of clock-speeds and core-count. AMD needs to quickly execute its plan and to release follow-ups to Bulldozer rather sooner than later.

The success of AMD’s execution is also conditioned by the success of Globalfoundries. The Steamroller-generation (2013) chips will be made using 28nm process technology, whereas Excavator chips will need to be made using 20nm or thinner technology in 2014. Unfortunately for AMD, in 2014 its arch-rival Intel will have 14nm process technology in its hands and therefore the Excavator@20nm may not be enough to fight the major competitor…

Everything needs to go right in order to meet the 2014 timeline.

Hopefully the hardest work was done with Bulldozer.....

[PerryC]

In some respects AMD releasing those charts and using words like "improve performance by 50%" is like them basically admitting they botched this one. In my opinion, AMD dropped the ball huge on this one. Reviews are showing that the bulldozer chips, so far, are not lliving up to the expectations people had for them. To me in some ways it took a step back (power consumption being one). Bulldozer needed to be the proverbial giant leap, and all it turned out to be was a bit of a hop. Looking at the current reviews I find it hard to tell someone to purchase one of these chips over a Thuban at this time...maybe down the road with some of these improvements AMD is forcasting.

However, 2014 is a long time for them to fall a bit farther back with what Intel has roadmapped between now and then...they might want to push those improvements a bit faster if they can.

[chrisk]

Can't really see that Perry as AMD is relying on GF to get their manuf processes straightened out.

[EmptyMellon]

Originally Posted by terrybear

Well. NCIX has up some pricing & (edit found the 8150):
...
Even I gotta admit, these starting points are not impressive to me .. And after how negatively the Asus crosshair V reviews have looked, definately makes me avoid buyin that bundle @ $54x price point.

I don't blame NCIX or any other business for having the prices high; like any good business, they are trying to cash-in on the hype and lack of supply. Come the-season-of-buying-and-nothing-to-do-with-the-Christ and the prices will be lot more competative, I hope.

[techman95]

Yea its not what we expected and yea im dissapointed, but to me its still better than phenom1, at least these offer some sort of comparison to sandy.......somewhat, at least its some thing. and i really hope this is just stuff that can be fixed rather easily and quickly to see some kind of leap with the Q1 revamp and the 8170. but hell im an optimist


and hell maybe its time for a brand new socket,........oh who am i kidding they really require a new socket. i like the backwards compatibility and all but we cant keep living in the past. to me the FM2 socket will probably be to little to late by the time its implemented. i think they should abandon the pin on chip and go to an lga socket, maybe scale down a G34 socket hint hint nudge nudge