AMD Socket AM2

ElementalDragon

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apparently.... AMD's upcoming Socket AM2 (due to be launched on June 6th).... isn't entirely a new socket. yes.... AMD is really farking with our heads on this one. apparently it will be a 940-pin CPU, but will have a slightly altered pin configuration than today's 940-pin CPU's have. so.... in other words..... even if your motherboard has support for 940-pin CPU's.... you'll STILL need a new mobo to support AM2. isn't that a kick in the groin?

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20060215195420.html
 
Just read an update at tomhardware:

"AMD did not want us to get confused and put the wrong processor in our MB sockets".

The AM2 socket offers no new features and no inherent speed improvements.

To add insult to injury the AM2 MB's will use the same chipsets (NF4, VIA, ULI) that have been around for over a year and are on the boards we already own.

The DDR2-800 is the only change and has nothing to do with the socket compatibility.

The final screw job? The heatsink mount changes with socket AM2 so your expensive cooling solution will not fit on an AM2 MB.

We have been so screwed over by AMD on this one it makes them look worse than Intel.

They must have gotten one hell of a kick back from their MB partners. This is just market churning to drive up MB and heatsink sales.

Oh yeah, and the benchmarks show no performance improvement for an AM2 socket MB even with DDR2-667 RAM. You need the -800 RAM to see a difference in performacne over a socket 939 chip with the same clock speed rating.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/02/21/a_look_at_amds_socket_am2_platform/
 
LeeJend said:

Interesting, because that same link concluded the article with this:

The Socket AM2 is a generation change that is becoming increasingly necessary for the sake of supporting memory that will be mainstream in mid-2006 and into 2007. It won't change the performance landscape by much, unless AMD decides to make some fundamental changes to the architecture such as upgrading the FX to 4 MB cache. However, it will also be the basis for the upcoming 65 nm processors that are due at the end of this year. That is when things are going to heat up; the shootout between Intel's Conroe desktop processor and AMD's shrunk Athlons will be as hot as the Gigahertz battle in 2000.

So I'm guessing this is the real reason for the AM2?

Melon
 
apparently. not really for a CPU performance benefit as of yet..... just bringing DDR2 into the picture for them.
 
Yeah that sucks and all...but I could still go with a dual core FX-60 and be happy for the next few years. Since right now Im fine with my 3000+, I think a 4800+ X2 or an FX-60 will be just dandy. :D

AM2 is for ballers...early adopters are used to buying new, frivolous components. :)
 
As long as you don't go out upgrading every time a new generation of products come out you will be fine. :p
 
Whats the problem?? more anti-progress again?

Either buy it or dont... prices will drop this time next year.
 
well .. this would change entirelly my system ( hate the 939 one )
Cosmin
 
ElementalDragon said:
apparently.... AMD's upcoming Socket AM2 (due to be launched on June 6th).... isn't entirely a new socket. yes.... AMD is really farking with our heads on this one. apparently it will be a 940-pin CPU, but will have a slightly altered pin configuration than today's 940-pin CPU's have. so.... in other words..... even if your motherboard has support for 940-pin CPU's.... you'll STILL need a new mobo to support AM2. isn't that a kick in the groin?

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20060215195420.html

It IS a new :)

The pin placement is different and it is designed for ddr2. It is based on the 940 platform which was probably my fav of the lot for the a64's. Unfortunately ECC is not quite a feasible proposition for "performance" and "power" users.

DDR2, for better or worse, is the future. I think the latency issues currently present with Intel based systems will be greatly alleviated (although latencies are still higher than DDR). But as clocks ramp, this will be less and less of an issue :D
 
sorry, Sazar.... but i don't find AM2 to be a NEW socket. all it sounds like they did is move a single pin from point A to point B. just like how the only difference between socket 939 and 940 is they added one pin to the one little square at the corner of the CPU to turn it into another triangle to help guide the CPU into place. a new socket would be like from Intel's socket 478 to LGA775. THAT is a new socket. THIS is just a ridiculous new way for AMD to make more money.
 
There is a little more to it than that.

But this is different memory support.

DDR2 being used is NOT ECC. The pin placement HAS to be changed so retards don't stick the AM2 procs into a 940 board and blow it up

No one has to upgrade straight-away. 939 is not going to be rendered useless straightaway.
 
This week Silicon Integrated Systems announced that its SiS761GX chipset, which supports the upcoming AMD "AM2" pinout, will be used in motherboards from PC Chips and others. The PC Chips A33G motherboard is expected to be in mass production by the end of March, 2006, the company said.

Advanced Micro Devices has not formally announced the new AM2 pinout, which is expected to use a different array of 940 pins, making the new socket incompatible with previous versions. The new socket will support new AMD Athlon64 X2s, among others.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1931048,00.asp?kc=ETRSS02129TX1K0000532
 
Sazar said:
No one has to upgrade straight-away. 939 is not going to be rendered useless straightaway.

Actually, if you look at the AMD road map and press reelases they appear to be dead ending the 939 pretty fast. The 939 growth options will be limited.

One sore point is that they never actually built the socket 939 sempron's they showed on their road map. They have been intentionally market churning the last few years chasing after the "early adopters" premium dollars. It is getting really old.

754, 939, 940, Opteron, AM2. Have all had a fraction of the life the Socket A had. This could backfire and push people back to the Intel camp where there has been a more "upward migration" friendly socket plan or make people put off the next upgrade for an extra year or two.
 
LeeJend said:
Actually, if you look at the AMD road map and press reelases they appear to be dead ending the 939 pretty fast. The 939 growth options will be limited.

This has nothing to do with the lifespan of sckt 939. It is technically obsolete right now because the FX-60 is the last sckt 939 processor. But you are going to continue to see a lot of products offered on the market to support the platform.

It's not going anywhere anytime soon.

One sore point is that they never actually built the socket 939 sempron's they showed on their road map. They have been intentionally market churning the last few years chasing after the "early adopters" premium dollars. It is getting really old.

754, 939, 940, Opteron, AM2. Have all had a fraction of the life the Socket A had. This could backfire and push people back to the Intel camp where there has been a more "upward migration" friendly socket plan or make people put off the next upgrade for an extra year or two.

A sempron which is dual-channel is an expensive proposition if you look at margins and returns at the price-points expected for a 939 setup.

Intel is far less friendly when it comes to upgrading, I don't understand what you are trying to imply when you say they have a more friendly socket plan.

The way the motherboards work and the slew of "new" features that are continually introduced require more upgrading than that with an AMD platform. There are far more socket designations on the intel side of the road-map vis-a-vis AMD since the first sock A's were introduced.
 
Cosmin said:
short life .. as you can see :(
Cosmin
To be honest with you, I thought socket 939 got a pretty long life considering AMD's bleeding edge technology run they're on..

I'll upgrade once more before I go AM2 and that'll be either 4800+ or the FX60.. I cant yet decide. :)

That'll keep me safe for a ways into 2007! Of course the video card and RAM are next.... I'm comfortable being less than cutting edge. I'm not an early adopter because of the costs.. Ill let some poor <lucky> schmuck take the hit and Ill reap the benefits of the market driving the costs down as time progresses. The 939 isnt nearly dead, especially when AMD hasnt even officially announced the pinout.. and its not on shelves just yet. :)
 
Quick question from someone who has been completely out of touch with what's happening since, uh, the release of Geforce 4600.

- If I read right, the FX-60 is the last CPU being made for the 939 socket? Will everything after be, uh, made for the AM2 socket?

Thanks!
 
All the faster processors, bigger cache, etc will be AM2.

You will still be able to buy the older 939 chips for a while. Maybe 12-18 months based on past experience. After that all that will be left is surplus inventory in the supply channels.
 

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