AMD firms up roadmap details

Chimpzilla now says it won't have a 2GHz processor on the market until the 64-bit ClawHammer arrives some time in the first half of 2002 - a full year after Intel's P4 hits the same speed. The four and eight-way server variant, SledgeHammer, will sample in Q1 2002 and go into production in Q2.

The company showed an Athlon running at 1.5GHz at Comdex earlier today, but until the end of this year, a 1200/266 Athlon will still be top of the AMD heap. This should increase to 1333MHz in Q1, 1.5GHz in Q2, 1.7 sometime in the second half of the year, finally reaching 2GHz or more in 2002.

Duron will develop from 850MHz in Q1 to 900MHz in Q2, 1GHz in the second half of 2001 and 1.1GHz the next year.

Palomino and Morgan, respectively the performance and value notebook offerings, will ship in the first half of 2001 and will be replaced a year later by the 0.13 micron Thoroughbred and Appaloosa.

So it looks as if Intel will have things pretty much to itself at the high end for all of next year. Where AMD has an opportunity is in the gap between the top Pentium III and the low end of the P4 range. We doubt that the ill-fated PIII 1.13GHz will ever resurface, although it still shows up on Intel roadmaps (see Recalled PIII will never resurface)

With PIII maxing out at 1GHz and the 1.4GHz entry-level P4 being phased out in Q2 next year, that effectively gives AMD the entire market between 1GHz and 1.5GHz.

It's a niche market, sure. But it's a pretty damned big niche market. ®

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