AMD Announces Triple-Core Phenom Processors

MojoKid writes "AMD has officially announced their triple-core Phenom multi-core processor offering, suggesting a triple-threat of processors, from dual-cores to triple-cores and native quad-cores coming to market this year. While the term symmetric multi-processing (or SMP) suggests a balanced approach of multiple cores in an even number of engines working together on a single workload, AMD offers that an odd number of processors can slice at that workload just as efficiently. Time will tell how this architecture will scale amongst various multi-threaded applications and real-world usage models. AMD is definitely moving to make use of these quad-cores that don't quite make the cut by testing them fully as triple-cores and realizing some revenue, rather than throwing them away."

For the cleanest, most comfortable shave ever!

[StefanJ]

Damnit, I haven't even used up all the cartridges that came with my Intel Core Duo!

Don't buy yet

[Anne_Nonymous]

I'm holding out for a processor that goes to 11.

Re:Don't buy yet

[(H)elix1]

I'm holding out for a processor that goes to 11.

Well, technically this triple core CPU does - in binary.

Re:Business as usual

[Clover_Kicker]

I wonder if you could build a whole computer from factory rejects.

that's easy!!!!! [dell.com]

Re:2^n = 3, where n belongs to Z is not possible

[level_headed_midwest]

Volvo also makes a 2.0 L five-cylinder engine, as does GM (saws the last cylinder off the 4.2 L straight-six to make a 3.5 L five.) I doubt your OS will care whether you have 2, 3, or 4 cores as long as it supports SMP in the first place.

mmmm.

[Anonymous Coward]

thats triple treat. not triple threat. mmmmm.

Three dollar bill

[mollog]

This reminds me of the joke about the 3 dollar bill. Counterfeiters mistakenly make a 12 dollar bill, so they go to a rural state, like Idaho, to try to pass it off. Going into a store they ask for change. The clerk asks "would you like four three's, or two six's?"

With apologies to the Onion

[Anonymous Coward]

Would someone tell me how this happened? Intel was the fucking vanguard of computing in this country. The Core Duo was the processor to own. Then the other guy came out with a three-core processor. Were we scared? Hell, no. Because we hit back with a little thing called the Core Trio. That's three cores and an fan. For cooling.

But you know what happened next? Shut up, I'm telling you what happened -- the bastards went to four cores. Now we're standing around with our cocks in our hands, selling three cores and a fan. Cooling or no, suddenly we're the chumps.

Well, fuck it. We're going to five cores.

The day is coming...

[devangm]

..when more than 4GB's of ram will become the norm and software makers will be forced to make and support decent x86-64 ports. Give them 5-10 more years to make and support decent multi-threaded software.

Re:Someone has been brainswashed

[JackMeyhoff]

Argh my eyes, dazzled by facts! Im blind!

Re:For the cleanest, most comfortable shave ever!

[SL Baur]

Is it wrong that I'm thinking of building a water cooled laptop with 8 cores, a RAID5 with ~2TB of usable space, and a 24" monitor?

Probably. Can you imagine the amount of global warming a beowulf cluster of those things would cause? It might melt the polar icecaps instantly, but hey, that would solve the problem of the water cooling.

Magic number 3....simple when you know how!

[Joce640k]

Here's what's going on:

AMD has a process which can put X number of transistors on a chip.

One of their cores needs Y transistors.

A qualified engineer with years of training in advanced mathematic divided X by Y and got the number "3".

So... the chip got three cores.

Mystery solved!

Re:For the cleanest, most comfortable shave ever!

[arivanov]

Go to the USA or Kingston-on-HULL in the UK and look around. You will see plenty of laps ready to comfortably accommodate it.

Re:Someone has been brainswashed

[Eunuchswear]

No, they're using rotational symmetry, not reflection.

Your data gets turned through 120 degrees as it moves from core to core, irritating, but better than having it come out sdrawkcab as sometimes happens with dual core processors.

Re:With apologies to the Onion

[Anonymous Coward]

Stop. I just had a stroke of genius. Are you ready? Open your mouth, baby birds, cause Mama's about to drop you one sweet, fat nightcrawler. Here she comes: Put another cache on that fucker, too. That's right. Five cores, three caches, and make the third one glow in the dark. You heard me--the third cache glows. It's a whole new way to think about processors. Don't question it. Don't say a word. Just key the music, and call the chorus girls, because we're over the line--the pipeline--and I feel like dancing.

Re:With apologies to the Onion

[jollyreaper]

No, you missed a meme. Fixin' it for ya.

Would someone tell me how this happened? Intel was the fucking vanguard of computing in this country. The Core Duo was the processor to own. Then the other guy came out with a three-core processor. Were we scared? Hell, no. Because we hit back with a little thing called the Core Trio. That's three cores and an fan. For cooling.

But you know what happened next? Shut up, I'm telling you what happened -- the bastards went to four cores. Now we're standing around with our cocks in our hands, selling three cores and a fan. Cooling or no, suddenly we're the chumps.

Well, fuck it. We're going to a beowulf cluster.

Re:Three dollar bill - there was a point...

[LordKronos]

That was very insightful. It was almost as if you read the summary.