AMD Phenom

• AMD
• GlobalFoundries

• Socket AM2
• Socket AM2

• Agena
• Toliman

The AMD Phenom AMD is a multi-core processor for desktop computers and a representative of the K10 generation. The first models are available since 19 November 2007. With the introduction of new brand name AMD Phenom responded to the popularity of the Intel Core 2 compete with the Phenom processors. The name Phenom occurs in the footsteps of the brand name Athlon, and replaces it in the upper market segments.

• 4.1 quad-core processors Agena 4.1.1

• 4.2.1 Toliman

History

Since the introduction of the AMD Athlon 64 in September 2003, the NetBurst processors competitor Intel (Pentium 4/Pentium D) especially due to relatively high power dissipation had a bad reputation. New processors on other architectures called Intel Pentium therefore then no longer, but since late 2005 Core. In particular, the processors based on the Core microarchitecture (Intel Core 2 ), which were introduced in the summer of 2006 were very successful. The end of 2006, Intel released before the first quad-core processor Core 2 Extreme QX6700.

AMD could at this time imagine a competing product, because the processors were still based on the K10 architecture in development. Since the older Athlon 64 with the performance of the fastest Core 2 models, however, could not keep up, AMD also decided to use a new name for the new processors. On 14 May 2007, AMD announced the new brand name " Phenom ". Phenom comes from the English word phenomenal, which is to emphasize the improved processing power.

The arrival of the new generation, however, was not without problems. The server offshoot Barcelona for the Opteron was delayed, according to AMD's CEO Hector Ruiz by six months, which also resulted in delay in entering the market for desktop processors. Also the expectations that were placed on the first Phenom processors, all quad-core processors, could not be met - in particular, providing the performance is still no threat to Intel's high-end processors represent what was in part due to the unexpectedly low clock frequencies. The correction of an error in revision B2 cost more computing power.

The revision B3 corrected this error, they also allowed AMD on March 27, 2008 to present processors that ran partly with slightly higher clock frequencies. The model number of these new processors ends with a 50th on the same day, AMD introduced the first three- core processors in the market. To distinguish between the four-and triple-core AMD calls the processors since that day, Phenom X4 and Phenom X3.

Technology

The 9000 series models are quad-core processors ( Phenom X4 Quad-Core) and the models of the 8000 series are three- core processors ( Phenom X3 triple-core ) for Socket AM2 , each with an L1 and L2 cache per processor core and a additional L3 cache shared by all cores. These CPUs are restricted compatible with the previous Socket AM2. The restrictions concern for example the clock speed of individual cores and more power-saving mechanisms. Three core processors are implemented by disabling a processor core.

Errata

Processors of the revision B2 have the Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB ) of the L2 cache an error. This is called a race condition between the upgrade outdated data in the TLB of the L2 cache and the storage of this data in the L3 cache. There is thus a short time window, the possibility that the old, no longer valid data is stored in the L3 cache, and thus the data in the L2 and L3 cache are inconsistent, ( for security reasons) generally leads to a standstill of the system.

The workaround ( workaround) the issue under the L2 cache has been disabled by a BIOS update. Furthermore, it was integrated error correction in the Service Pack 1 of Microsoft Windows Vista. These measures cost but on average 10% of computing power. For Linux, a kernel patch is available which avoids this error by software emulation, without that there is to be performance degradation.

This erratum has been corrected in the revision B3, so that processors based on the new revision can also use the Translation Lookaside Buffer without restrictions.

Future

The processor family is set with the conversion to the 45 nm technology, the new models in 45 nm process running under the model designation AMD Phenom II

Model data

→ Main article: List of AMD K10 processors (desktop)

Quad core processors

Agena

• Product name: Phenom X4
• Quad-core processor ( quad-core )
• Revisions: B2, B3
• L1 - Cache: 64 64 KiB per core (data instructions ), 2- way set-associative
• L2 cache: 512 KiB per core processor with clock, 16 - way set associative
• L3 - cache: 2048 KiB with 1.6 to 1.8 GHz, shared, 32 - way set associative
• MMX, Extended 3DNow, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4a, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet 2.0, NX bit, AMD-V
• Socket AM2 , HyperTransport 3.0 at 1600 MHz ( HT3200 ) to 2000 MHz ( HT4000 )
• DDR2 Memory Controller: Dual channel, support up to DDR2 -1066
• Manufacturing Technology: 65 nm ( SOI)
• The size: 285 mm ² at 463 million transistors
• Clock frequencies: 1.8-2.6 GHz
• Models: Phenom X4 9100e and 9950

Three core processors

Toliman

• Product name: Phenom X3
• Three core processor ( triple core ), an Agena Quad-Core with a disabled core
• Revisions: B2, B3
• L1 - Cache: 64 64 KiB per core (data instructions )
• L2 cache: 512 KiB per core processor with clock
• L3 - cache: 2048 KiB 1.8GHz
• MMX, Extended 3DNow, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4a, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet 2.0, NX bit, AMD-V
• Socket AM2 , HyperTransport 3.0 at 1800 MHz ( HT3600 )
• DDR2 Memory Controller: Dual channel, support up to DDR2 -1066
• Manufacturing Technology: 65 nm ( SOI)
• The size: 285 mm ² at 463 million transistors
• Clock frequencies: 1.9 to 2.5 GHz
• Models: Phenom X3 8250e to 8850