Re: Sure it does. It is a decent exercise of the instruction set.
Booting Windows is the first step in the validation process, and easily the easiest thing to get working on first silicon. You can even simulate or emulate it from beginning to end as part of the pre-silicon validation process, and weed out any bugs in the process. For example, Penryn booted Windows within 90 minutes of first silicon, yet it took AMD between 3 and 6 months to demonstrate the same level of functionality with Barcelona (depending on when you think they actually taped out).
You can believe what you'd like about the secret health of Barcelona that AMD is hiding from the rest of the world (to their own detriment, if this were the case). But those of us who know how this works also know that it's only a matter of time before AMD stops mentioning the dream of a Q2 launch, and Barcelona silently slips into an "on time" H2.
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