Replies to post #3986 on AMD strictly moderated (AMD)

[CombJelly]

"1. The initial WPW at FAB36?"

Very low. Usually on the order of a couple of hundred.

"2. When FAB36 production will start hitting the street?"

Within weeks. They claim to have started shipping for revenue in March. No reason to expect they were lying.

"3. The projected FAB36 ramp rate."

They are shooting for 20k wafer starts per month by the end of the year. i.e. a steep ramp.

[wbmw]

They did not give many details in the CC about initial starts or product launch dates, but they did say they expected to reach full production by the end of next year, and that the ramp would be mostly linear. See my post to CJ.

[jhalada]

rlweitz,

1. The initial WPW at FAB36?
2. When FAB36 production will start hitting the street?
3. The projected FAB36 ramp rate.

I have been posting on this subject (mostly on SI). My big question was if AMD was going to produce any Rev E chips in Fab 36, or if it will be strictly Rev F.

The answer I am leaning to now is that Fab 36 is producing only Rev F chips, and they appear to be slightly delayed. There were some reports maybe 6 to 9 months ago about DDR2 parts being available in 2nd half of Q1, which was later changed to Q2. There was also a plan to start production shipments from Fab 36, and start depreciation in Q1. It didn't happen.

Add 2 + 2 together.

As of now, there is nothing to lose on the ramp rate. AMD says yields are good, so if they have production worthy Rev F, Fab 36 is only Rev F capable, and the wafer starts don't take from Fab 30 wafer starts, and there is no reason not to build some inventories, since they are relatively low now (and of course sell what they can).

Joe