Replies to post #3243 on Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[wbmw]

Fyo, Re: I'm not sure what you mean by adding "dual channel DDR memory", but since Banias uses the same bus as the P4, using it with a P4 chipset would be "simple".

Perhaps I should have said, "Add socket 478 support," instead. Banias will not fit into motherboards currently designed for the Pentium 4, even though it uses the same bus protocol.

However, assuming you could get a Banias CPU into an i875 board, I think it might give Pentium 4 a run for its money in applications that are not Hyperthreaded optimized. In those apps, I am skeptical. Also, we have not seen Prescott, yet, so at best, Banias would be a good Northwood competitor.

[kpf]

fyodor re: I really see Banias as the better chip... for the immediate future

I definitely agree in that.

However, I doubt Banias could scale much further, just for the reason it is a modified P3-Core (i.e. an architecture from the last century). Originally designed for 180nm, already shrinked once and blown in a third life for Banias. Now gets its fourth life for Dothan. From every experience we have, you just cannot do this endlessly.

Also I doubt Banias' performance would benefit as much as P4 from higher FSB (respectively bandwidth) even if it uses the same bus. Could be wrong, but if it did and it would have been trivial to do Intel sure would have just done it.

So, for these two reasons I also agree in wbmws statement that Banias would not be an ideal candidate for the performance crown. Neither today nor in the future.

K.