AMD has come clean and painted in - albeit with rather a broad brush - its dual-core processor strategy.

The company has already admitted such chips are "inevitable", and even given a "late 2005" timeframe for their introduction.

Today, the chip maker split that debut to "mid-2005" for the Opteron line and "the second half of 2005" for Athlon 64 derivatives.

That's also the timeframe in which AMD's new Fab 36 is expected to come on-stream with 65nm production lines. The company has in the meantime been working hard on its 65nm technology with IBM.

Initial dual-core parts will almost certainly be fabbed at 90nm, however. AMD reckons volume 65nm production will take place sometime in 2006.

AMD also said today it had completed the design of its dual-core chips. Not that that's such a major step forward: AMD designed its K8/'Hammer' core to allow room for two cores to be connected to the North Bridge components stamped on each Opteron and Athlon 64 die. ®

Related stories

AMD to ship mobile Athlons, Semprons in Q3
AMD bags Chinese giant
AMD readies low-cost Sempron CPUs
AMD unveils Socket 939 processors
AMD restates dual-core CPU scheme