Via X-bit Labs: "Apparently, AMD will have six product families for desktop processors, each of which will be aiming different market segment, as well as three different brand-names: AMD Athlon, AMD Phenom and AMD Sempron. Besides, AMD will implement model number scheme across the whole lineup to reflect relative performance and feature-set of the new chips. The latest documents from AMD indicate that the following product families will be available:

• AMD Phenom FX – quad-core microprocessors for enthusiasts with or without capability to work in pairs.
• AMD Phenom 9000 – quad-core processors for single-socket machines.
• AMD Phenom 7000 – triple-core microprocessors.
• AMD Athlon 6000 – dual-core microprocessors.
• AMD Athlon LE-1000 – single-core microprocessors.
• AMD Sempron LE-1000 – single-core microprocessors.

Even though to simplify desktop model numbering scheme to a brand-named a model number may simplify it in the long-term, it will be harder to determine certain product features in the first half of 2008. For example, the difference between AMD’s dual-core processors based on the K10 and K8 micro-architectures will not be apparent. On the other hand, Intel Corp. also has three brands and seven product families for desktops with different micro-architectures within one family."


If for any reason you were uncertain of AMD's intentions for next month, you can rest assured that they know this is pretty much their last good chance to usurp Intel and NVIDIA in their respective markets. Probably the most important aspect of the upcoming spider launch, the AMD Phenom FX ad 9000 series processors will need to be excellent performers if the company wants to save face and avoid being totally thrashed by Intel for the holiday season and well into next year. While early scores seem promising, recent news that Phenom will top out at 2.4GHz for the time being would appear troublesome.

Overall specs for the Phenom series are pretty impressive, as both the upcoming 9600 (2.4GHz) and 9500 (2.2GHz) chips operate on a 3.6GHz HyperTransport 3.0 bus and have a thermal design power of just 89Watts. That last spec is rather impressive, considering their similarly clocked quad core counterparts from Intel operate on a 120W TDP. While Phenom SKU updates in the coming months suggest the chip is slated for final clock speeds of 3.0GHz, even the 9700 (December release, 2.6GHz) has an increased TDP of 125W. All Phenom chips will sport no more than 2MB of L2 cache (512KB per core) and will share 2MB of L3 cache. It will be interesting to see how different cache philosophies pay off for Intel and AMD, especially since early tests have shown that the latest game engines (Source, UE3) are particularly sensitive to processor cache and memory bandwidth.

AMD's upcoming November Spider Launch Extravaganza of the Phenom series processors will include the release of their latest graphics product, codenamed RV670, and their supposedly ground-breaking motherboard chipset, the RD790. Whether or not these products will all be successful is not something we can tell you at this point, but the fact remains that this will be the biggest computer hardware launch in the past decade.

Phenom Phenomenal?

Going to be amazing

Going to fail

Going to have to wait and see

Source @ X-bit Labs