[McG]

At CeBit show that is currently on in Hanover, Germany, AMD for the first time demonstrated their quad-core processors with K10 micro-architecture manufactured with 45nm process. The processors were produced in Dresden, Germany, in AMD’s Fab 36 300mm manufacturing facility, using an advanced 45nm process co-developed with IBM. The first 45nm chips demonstrated by AMD include the “Shanghai” product for server and “Deneb” for desktop platforms. This fact proves that AMD is on track to meet key production milestones, which support OEM and channel product delivery plans. AMD is ramping production of its first 45nm products in the first half of 2008 and expects 45nm products to be available in the second half of 2008.

Key innovations within AMD’s 45nm process are scheduled to include Immersion Lithography, Fourth-generation Strained Silicon, Ultra-low-k Dielectrics, and High-k/metal Gates. However, the initial 45 nm CPU generation will not use high-k dielectric metal gate technology. AMD believes that it can be “competitive” without high-k at this time, but high-k is an option to be introduced at a later stage of 45 nm production.

45nm Deneb and Shanghai processors are expected to have their shared L3 cache increased to 6MB. As a result of transition from 65nm to 45nm production technology, they should be able to drop processor TDP one step down. The top CPUs should have their maximum TDP reduced from 140W to 125W. More mainstream quad-core processor models should have their TDP dropped from 125W to 95W with the transition to 45nm process. They also expect the clock speed of the top CPU models to increase at least to 2.8-3.0GHz. All 45nm desktop AMD processors scheduled to be released this year will be designed for Socket AM2+ and will support DDR2-1066 SDRAM. Only in Q1 2009 we should see Socket AM3 processors that will also support DDR3-1333 in addition to their compatibility with DDR2 memory.

Izvor: X-Bit Labs