AMD ready to introduce triple-core processors

[nobody]

If not the scrap heap.

That's the key - most 3 core chips will be quads that didn't pass QC.
If one core out of 4 is faulty, it's more profitable to sell it as
triple than disable another core and sell it as a dual - or dump it on
that proverbial scrap heap. Also a good marketing move - "we can do
triple, competitor can't".

NNN

 

[Ed]

That's the key - most 3 core chips will be quads that didn't pass QC.
If one core out of 4 is faulty, it's more profitable to sell it as
triple than disable another core and sell it as a dual - or dump it on
that proverbial scrap heap. Also a good marketing move - "we can do
triple, competitor can't".

NNN

I wouldn't doubt Intel ends up doing the same thing, and they'll
probably have a 6-core soon after their 8-core launch.

At Intel's annual San Francisco developer forum, Mr Otellini said Intel
would introduce a new design for its chips in 2008 codenamed Nehalem
that would include the launch of a version with eight cores.

However, the modular design would allow different configurations of
cores, meaning Intel could also produce a chip with an odd number –
breaking from the trend of doubling transistors and performance.

http://us.ft.com/ftgateway/superpage.ft?news_id=fto091820071814323999&page=2

Ed

 

[johannes]

Well, these days the dual-cores are becoming the low-end, so if quads
are the high-end, then something has to fill the middle. You could try
to fill the middle with faster duals, or slower quads, or you could just
as well try selling tri-cores. Voila, Marquetting!

Since there inevitably is a diminishing rate of return in performance
from the number of cores (today's software), it could well be that triple
cores performs almost as well as quad cores. Bring it on, I would say.

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Since there inevitably is a diminishing rate of return in performance
from the number of cores (today's software), it could well be that triple
cores performs almost as well as quad cores. Bring it on, I would say.

And another thing is that this is part of AMD's upcoming Phenom launch,
it's not part of its just-bygone Barcelona Opteron launch. Since Phenom
hasn't been launched yet, when it is launched, right away there will be
dual-, triple-, and quad-core versions available on the first day of
launch. Nobody would even think that there didn't used to be a triple
core version originally planned. Right off the bat, Phenoms will have
X2, X3, X4, and FX designations.

Yousuf Khan

 

[chrisv]

Since there inevitably is a diminishing rate of return in performance
from the number of cores (today's software), it could well be that triple
cores performs almost as well as quad cores.

Doubles will usually be right there, as well, for most things.