Replies to post #40045 on Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[BUGGI1000]

@Mas/Joe
Crippled down performance from AMD? Yes, thats the way, but
why feel mad? AMD held performance lead (XP/Barton vs. Celi)
by 30-50% for a long time and what was the consequence?
The price was the same and Celeron sold like hot cakes.
So imho this "new performance" is only seen by us enthusiasts
but the normal user doesn't care because he has no clue what
MHz and performance REALLY mean. Would that be different,
(I will repeat myself) AMD would have a MUCH MUCH bigger
marketshare. Its sad, but it is.

BUGGI

[mas]

Well the Sempron brand is ultimately designed to be the value K8 core so I say why not just start it out that way. These socket A Semprons were probably rated against the old Celerons but to me they just now look DOA and as such should be aborted before birth. AMD are already producing 1.6 Ghz 128kb 2600+ K8s for the mobile space so why not for the desktop too ? They are different enough in performance profile to not impact negatively on K7 XP's remaining sales and on the safe side they could be released purely as OEM first until production ramps before taking over from K7 in retail probably at 90nm.

Luckily this situation is reversible as they could still carry on producing XP2400+ to XP2700+ on the tbred core while introducing the 1.4-1.6 128/256kb K8 2400-2800+ Semprons leaving these dodo K7 Semprons in place to die a natural quick death. The 128kb K8s will be something like 60 sq mm at 90nm which will do wonders for margins.