Phenom (processor)

Phenom (pronounced as IPA:IPA|/finɒm/, as in the word "phenomenon") is the AMD desktop processor line based on the K10 (not "K10h") microarchitecture, [cite web | url=http://dailytech.com/AMD+to+Drop+Athlon+Moniker+on+the+High+End/article7136.htm | title=AMD to Drop "Athlon" Moniker on the High End | publisher=DailyTech | date=May 2, 2007] or Family 10h Processors, as AMD calls them. Triple-core versions (codenamed "Toliman") belong to the Phenom 8000 series and quad cores (codenamed "Agena") in the AMD Phenom X4 9000 series. AMD considers the quad core Phenoms to be the first "true" quad core design, as these processors are a monolithic multi-core design (all cores on the same piece of silicon wafer), unlike Intel's Core 2 Quad series which are a multi-chip module (MCM) design. The processors are on the Socket AM2+ platform. [cite web | url=http://dailytech.com/More+Details+on+AMD+Stars+Chipsets/article7147.htm | title=More Details on AMD "Stars" Chipsets | publisher=DailyTech | date=May 3, 2007]

AMD has launched several models of the Phenom processor in 2007/2008. [cite web | url=http://www.dailytech.com/Final+AMD+Stars+Models+Unveiled+/article7157.htm | title=Final AMD "Stars" Models Unveiled | publisher=DailyTech | date=May 4, 2007] cite web | title=AMD Expands Upcoming Processor Branding | publisher=DailyTech | date=June 4, 2007 7:30 AM | url=http://www.dailytech.com/amd+expands+upcoming+processor+branding/article7537.htm | accessdate = 2007-08-08 ] [cite news | url=http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/06/how_to_decipher.html | title=How to decipher AMD's new CPU naming code | publisher=Gadget Lab | date=2007-06-04] [cite web | title =Model Number and Feature Comparisons AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core and AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core Processors | date = 2007 | url =http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_9485_13041%5E13076,00.html | accessdate = 2007-08-08 ]

Change of model nomenclatures

The model numbers of the new line of processors were changed from the PR system used in its predecessors, the AMD Athlon 64 processor family. The new model numbering scheme, for later released Athlon X2 processors, is a four digit model number with a different family indicator as the first number.cite web | url=http://www.vr-zone.com/articles/AMD_Revised_Desktop_Model_Number_Structure/5330.html | title=AMD Revised Desktop Model Number Structure | publisher=VR-Zone | date=October 9, 2007] Energy Efficient products end with the letter “e” after the model number (example Phenom 9350e) and some Sempron processors use the LE prefix (example Sempron LE-1200), as follows:

TLB errata

Before Phenom's releaseFact|date=October 2008, a bug was discovered in the translation lookaside buffer that could cause a system lock-up in rare circumstances. Phenom processors up to and including stepping "B2" and "BA" are affected by this bug. BIOS and software workarounds disable the TLB, and typically incur a performance penalty of at least 10%. [cite web | title=Phenom TLB patch benchmarked: A look at how AMD's BIOS workaround impacts Phenom performance | publisher=techreport.com | date=December 6, 2007 | url=http://techreport.com/articles.x/13741/4 | accessdate=2008-02-16] This penalty was not accounted for in pre-release previews of Phenom, hence the performance of early Phenoms delivered to customers is expected to be less than the preview benchmarks. "B3" stepping Phenom processors were released March 27, 2008 without the TLB bug and with "xx50" model numbers. [cite web | title=High Performance AMD Phenom X4 Processors Lead the Charge to HD Desktop Gaming and Video | publisher=AMD | date=March 27, 2008 | url=http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/VirtualPressRoom/0,,51_104_543_15434~124395,00.html]

An AMD subsidiary has released a patch for the Linux Kernel, [cite web | title=AMD Family 10h revision B2 Erratum 298 and L2 Eviction Bug Workaround | publisher=AMD | date=December 5, 2007 | url=https://www.x86-64.org/pipermail/discuss/2007-December/010260.html | accessdate=2007-12-07] which it said has received "minimal functional testing", to overcome this bug by software emulation of accessed- and dirty-bits causing little performance loss.Fact|date=April 2008

Cores

Phenom X4

="Agena" (65 nm SOI)=

* Four AMD K10 core
* L1 cache: 64 + 64 KBIn this article, the conventional prefixes for computer memory denote base-2 values whereby “kilobyte” (KB) = 2¹⁰ bytes.] (data + instructions) per core
* L2 cache: 512 KB per core, fullspeed
* L3 cache: 2 MB shared between all cores
* Memory controller: dual channel DDR2-1066 MHz with unganging option
* MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4a, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX bit, AMD-V
* Socket AM2+, HyperTransport (variable according to product segmentation)
* Power consumption (TDP): 65, 95, 125, 140 watt max
* First release
** November 19, 2007 (B2 Stepping)
** March 27, 2008 (B3 Stepping)
* Clock rate: 1800, 2200, 2300 MHz (B2 Stepping); 2200, 2300, 2400, 2500, 2600 MHz (B3 Stepping)
** 9100e: 1800 MHz (B2)
** 9150e: 1800 MHz (B3)
** 9500: 2200 MHz (B2)
** 9550: 2200 MHz (B3)
** 9600/9600 BE¹: 2300 MHz (B2)
** 9650/9600B²: 2300 MHz (B3)
** 9750: 2400 MHz (B3)
** 9850 BE¹: 2500 MHz (B3)
** 9950/9950 BE¹: 2600 MHz (B3)

Phenom X3

="Toliman" (65 nm SOI)=

* Three AMD K10 core
* L1 cache: 64 + 64 KB (data + instructions) per core
* L2 cache: 512 KB per core, fullspeed
* L3 cache: 2 MB shared between all cores
* Memory controller: dual channel DDR2-1066 MHz with unganging option
* MMX, Extended 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4a, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, NX bit, AMD-V
* Socket AM2+, HyperTransport (variable according to product segmentation)
* Power consumption (TDP): 95 watt max
* First release
** March 27, 2008 (B2 Stepping)
** April 23, 2008 (B3 Stepping)
* Clock rate: 2100, 2300, 2400 MHz
** 8400: 2100 MHz (B2)
** 8450: 2100 MHz (B3)
** 8600: 2300 MHz (B2)
** 8600B²: 2300 MHz (B3)
** 8650: 2300 MHz (B3)
** 8750/8750 BE¹: 2400 MHz (B3)

Notes:
*¹: BE stands for "Black Edition", processors being the Black Edition do not have their multipliers locked.
*²: B suffix indicated the processor is sold under AMD Business Class, which 18-24 months of availability is guaranteed after launch.

Future models

Starting in the second half of 2008, AMD is expected to launch a series of 45 nm processors [cite web | title=AMD Confirms Addition of Three-Core Phenom Chips | publisher=ExtremeTech | date=September 17, 2007 | url=http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2184275,00.asp | accessdate=2007-10-09 ] . As of October 2007, only the codenames are known to the public. They are "Deneb FX" for Phenom FX, "Deneb" for quad-core processors, "Heka" for triple-core Phenom processor and "Regor" for Athlon X2. These processors are expected to be available in late 2008 to early 2009, with the support of DDR3 memory and are expected to have larger shared L3 cache (6 MBytes) as well as the implementation of Socket AM3 for single-processor systems and Socket F+ for dual-processor Quad FX platformcite web | url=http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=7913 | title=AMD Second-Generation 'Stars' Plans Unveiled | author=Anh Tuan Huynh | date=July 2, 2007 | accessdate=2007-11-26 | publisher=DailyTech] .

ee also

* List of AMD Phenom microprocessors
* List of future AMD Phenom microprocessors
* List of AMD Athlon X2 microprocessors
* AMD K10

External links

* [http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/13633 AMD's Phenom Processors] -- The Tech Report, 19 November 2007
* [http://www.hothardware.com/Articles/AMD_Spider_Platform__Phenom_790FX_RV670/ AMD Spider Platform - Phenom, 790FX, RV670] -- HotHardware.com, 19 November 2007
* [http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/amd-phenom.html Phenom CPU: Christmas Gift from AMD] -- X-bit labs, 21 December 2007, retrieved 21 December 2007
* [http://www.vr-zone.com/articles/Quad-Core_Phenom_Models_%26_Clocks_Revealed/5331.html Quad-Core Phenom Models & Clocks Revealed] -- VR-Zone, 9 October 2007, retrieved 9 October 2007
* [http://www.vr-zone.com/articles/AMD_Triple-Core_Is_Phenom_7-Series/5327.html#Scene_1 AMD Triple-Core Is Phenom 7-Series] -- VR-Zone, 8 October 2007, retrieved 9 October 2007
* [http://www.vr-zone.com/articles/AMD_Revised_Desktop_Model_Number_Structure/5330.html AMD Revised Desktop Model Number Structure] -- VR-Zone, 9 October 2007, retrieved 9 October 2007
* [http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2008/04/11/amd_phenom_x4_9850_9750_and_9550_b3_cpus/1 AMD Phenom X4 9850, 9750 and 9550 CPUs] -- bit-tech.net, 11 April 2008

References