VIA twin-core processor

[Yousuf Khan]

http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;311116776;fp;2;fpid;1

Yousuf Khan

 

[George Macdonald]

http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;311116776;fp;2;fpid;1

Hmm, this initial effort looks more like a MCM compared with what Intel &
AMD are doing. I wonder how that -- a twin core -- will sit with M$'s dual
core processor policy?

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

[Tony Hill]

Hmm, this initial effort looks more like a MCM compared with what Intel &
AMD are doing. I wonder how that -- a twin core -- will sit with M$'s dual
core processor policy?

My understanding of the MS' licensing policy is 1 socket = 1 CPU
license, so this MCM would still just be single "chip". Of course,
I'm sure that Microsoft's actual policy will end up being ~100 pages
long, impossible to read without an entire team of lawyers and still
subject to change on a whim, so I don't know that it will matter much.

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Hmm, this initial effort looks more like a MCM compared with what
Intel & AMD are doing. I wonder how that -- a twin core -- will sit
with M$'s dual core processor policy?

If they use the Hyperthreading API, then MS will simply think it's a single
processor.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Felger Carbon]

Hmm, this initial effort looks more like a MCM compared with what
Intel & AMD are doing. I wonder how that -- a twin core -- will sit
with M$'s dual core processor policy?

George, I think the reporter misunderstood what the Via guy was
explaining to him. MCMs are damned expensive, just for the package -
and expensive is not Via's thing at all. I believe this thing is one
chip/dual core all the way, esp. at 90 nanometers.

 

[George Macdonald]

George, I think the reporter misunderstood what the Via guy was
explaining to him. MCMs are damned expensive, just for the package -
and expensive is not Via's thing at all. I believe this thing is one
chip/dual core all the way, esp. at 90 nanometers.

Hmm, maybe a mini-MCM??... hard to tell if they intended to do the "twin
core" on a sinlge die or not.

Slightly OT: this will go down very well in their target market of PRC and
other far-east countries. I dunno if you've seen what the Chinese font
sets do to performance of a single CPU; having a 2nd CPU to handle things
will be a big win.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

[keith]

George, I think the reporter misunderstood what the Via guy was
explaining to him. MCMs are damned expensive, just for the package -
and expensive is not Via's thing at all. I believe this thing is one
chip/dual core all the way, esp. at 90 nanometers.

I found this amazing, as well. Not only are MCM packages *extremely*
expensice (particularly for the bottom-feeeeders like Via), but the yeald
loss isn't pretty either. Shirly they're not that hard up!