Replies to post #84522 on Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[Elmer Phud]

Dear Pete -

I don't really mean this as rudely as it sounds but, well, nobody cares. What we care about is what vendors offer and what customers buy, not some silly crusade by one man crying in the wilderness. You care but HP, DELL, IBM, SUN etc don't. Their customers don't care either. The Market doesn't care. I think there's a message there. Now it's possible that you are right and they are wrong. It's also possible that they've all been blinded by hyperdimensional mind control beams, but I don't think so. I think any reasonable person would conclude that the significance you've placed on this issue is unwarranted. Perhaps to the point of being delusional. Maybe a soapbox on a busy downtown intersection with a sign proclaiming "the end is near" might be more effective in getting your message across to a more sympathetic audience? What you're doing here isn't working.

[techno_bull]

The trouble with Penryn and its siblings is that they need a new platform. Thats the trouble when each new Intel CPU requires a new chipset to work

Intel maintains a close relationship with it's customers to assure that they are well informed on the cadence for new platforms in the pipeline. And while customers must still do their own validation on new platforms, Intel has already performed extensive hardware validation on all platforms in their own labs as well as driver validation on all platforms as part of the WHQL process. This is why customers like working with Intel platforms, when the chipsets ship to customers they have already been rigoursly validated are virtually ready to go. Now is the process full proof? Is it possible for any bugs to appear during customer validaton? Of course, but no QA activity is perfect but customers appreciate the level of validation that goes on before they receive products and the proof is in the attach rate for Intel chipsets.

[subzero]

"By being plug ins, Barcelona will bypass much of the platform testing and go through about 3-6 months of testing as a new CPU,

Sure.....Sure........

First, Barcelona operates in a very high power mode when "plugged into" old sockets. Barcelona requires a NEW SOCKET with split power planes to run in "acceptable" power levels.

So plugging Barcelona into existing motherboards results in excessive power dissipation. Even for the pitiful low clock speeds, Barcelona is a power hungry hog - great for the oil and utility companies, and air conditioning suppliers, however.


Second...I'm sure Ford and Cargill technicians have nothing better to do than POWER DOWN their existing servers, and take their equipment and system users OFFLINE - their users must love this deal !

And then these techs can open up the chassis, remove the cable harnesses from the motherboards, connectors, etc.

Then they can pull the motherboards out of the chassis.

Then they get to remove the old Heat Sinks/Fan assemblies from the old Opterons and clean off all the gooey thermal grease compounds.

Then they get to remove the old Opterons.

Then they get to put in the new Barcelonas. And add new thermal grease, hoping that they don't miss any spots.

Then they get to put in old, used inadequate heat sinks for the higher power Barcelonas - or maybe they are smart and add new and improved heat sinks.

And I'll bet their server users are just happy as clams to take a day or two off while this "upgrade" is going in !!!

And then the techs get to put the old motherboards with the old chipsets and old sockets and new Barcelonas WITHOUT split power planes back into the old chassis.

And then the techs get to try and install all the cables, connectors, fans, etc. back on to the motherboards.

Then they get to close up the chassis.

Then they get the thrill of powering up these systems and pray and hope and sweat that they didn't make just one teeeny tiny little error that will keep the system from booting up or, god forbid, SMOKE the system entirely.

And I'll bet their server users are just happy as clams to take another day or two off, maybe a few weeks even, while this "upgrade" is undergoing system and software validation.

Assuming the system didn't smoke or refuse to even boot.

And I'm sure all this lost system time, and technician time and lost user time is real cheap - saving the companies just oodles of money - instead of wheeling in brand new lower power, higher performing bug free Intel-based servers.

But, tales from Gerassic Park are always good for a gurgle and a laugh.