Return of the Duron! (Applebred)

[Hexadecimal]

Officials from AMD today confirmed the launch of the new breed of AMD Duron processors based on the core correctly written as Applebred also known as Duron Model 8 (see the initial news-story). The new processors are mostly aimed to take care of some emerging markets like China, Latin America and Eastern Europe that still have demand for Duron and where Duron chips have been facing great success.

The AMD Duron “Applebred” Model 8 CPUs will have 128KB of L1 and only 64KB of L2 cache, like their predecessors. A difference between the good-old Duron processors based on Spitfire or Morgan cores is the frequency of the chips’ EV-6 FSB – this time it will function at 266MHz, not 200MHz as earlier models. Obviously, the new Duron processors will inherit SSE technology and Bus Disconnect capability from Barton core, as well as advanced dynamic branch prediction and thermal diode from AMD Athlon XP processors. The chips in OPGA packages will have 1.50V Vcore and up to 57.0W maximum thermal power, according to an AMD document.

New Duron’s less than $50 pricing suggests that the microprocessors are tailored for extremely price-conscious markets where the cost is tangibly more important than performance. Given that such markets also do not use the latest and demanding hardware, performance offered by AMD Duron processors with up to 1.80GHz core-clock should be enough for most end-users. AMD is also going to provide the Duron processors to the US, Europe and Japan customers, if there is demand. In fact, the new Duron processors may even run faster than lower-end AMD Athlon XP chips in some applications due to higher core-clock.

AMD began shipping the new Duron processors at 1.40 and 1.60 on the August 15 of this year. OPNs for the new Duron CPUs are DHD1400DLV1C and DHD1600DLV1C for 1.40 and 1.60 chips respectively. You may expect faster AMD Duron processors later this year as well.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/dis...820111948.html

Interesting...

[TiG]

This is what the "Thorton" has now been named back to Duron. Remeber the picture that Hexus scooped a few months back, this is just re-confirming news we already know

Although its a pity its still going to be know as Duron, i liked the Thorton name so much better..

TiG

[Hexadecimal]

Originally posted by TiG
This is what the "Thorton" has now been named back to Duron. Remeber the picture that Hexus scooped a few months back, this is just re-confirming news we already know

Although its a pity its still going to be know as Duron, i liked the Thorton name so much better..

TiG

Wasn't the Thorton just meant to be a Barton but with half the Cahce disabled... if so then this isn't the Thorton as this only has 64K L2...

As at first I thought this was the Thorton until I read that...

[pdug175]

1.5volts? 1.4 gig?

If they are 0.13µ I bet they will clock like the 2 gig celerons.

[TiG]

I think bit tech may have the l2 cache number wrong maybe?, the way they make these durons is by cancelling all Tbred production, (which was done some time ago to make way for opteron/amd64) and making the defective bartons with half the cache broken into a new duron.

Doesn't make sense why they would limit it to 64kbits. IF they are 64kbits l2 cache, they are still essentially a barton. Just with a lot of cache disabled.

Thats why they've inherited the Barton SSE technology and Bus Disconnect capability because thats what they essentially are.

TiG

[Austin]

I would expect the Thorton to be 256k L2 Barton and these Apple Durons to be 64k L2 (whether true 64k or cut Tbred/Barton). The idea of these new Durons (from what I've read) is to fill the ultra budget sectors, like OEMs but more like the Eastern Asia markets. The new Durons should be 0.13mu (so o/c @ 2.2ghz 400FSB) and the 64k vs 256k battle back in Athlon days showed only a 10%ish perf hit (IIRC) and that was 200FSB vs 266FSB too! Of course these new Durons are rumoured to be 266FSB (good for old mobos?) so that vs 333FSB should end up around 10% slower than Tbreds (15%ish slower than Barton?) which isn't as bad as you may have thought. I hope they're unlocked and 0.13mu ... they may well NOT be.

[Swafe]

looks good

/me loves duron

reckon this is good, 1.8ghz? same as xp1800 or xp2200 (1.8ghz??)

this is where it gets confusing

[Stoo]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/3/32421.html

64k l2 and aimed at "certain markets, such as South America and Eastern Europe"

and

"Baker said the three Applebred chips would not be explicitly offered in more mature PC markets, but if customers want them, they can have them. "

[Austin]

Well with £40 TbredB XP1700+ almost always capable of at least 2.1ghz & 400FSB at a normal voltage I sure hope these Apple-Durons are 0.13mu, 9 layers and unlocked. In terms of perf (educated guessing BTW) ...

1.4ghz 64k 266FSB (FX1600+?) = 8% slower than XP1600+
1.6ghz 64k 266FSB (FX1900+?) = 8% slower than XP1900+
1.8ghz 64k 266FSB (FX2200+?) = 8% slower than XP2200+

I say 8% because they should be 10% slower than a TbredB on 333FSB (using the Duron 64k 200FSB vs Athlon 256k 266FSB as a guide), so drop roughly 2% for the FSB gain. Now will they release the XP rating for these Durons (and indeed the FX Thortons). XP rating would be tricky as taking 8% off the equivilent TbredB AthlonXP makes them roughly XP1450+, XP1750+ and XP2050+. DuronFX and AthlonFX seem likely names to me! So Thorton would be...

1.83ghz 333FSB FX2500+
2.08ghz 333FSB FX2800+
2.13ghz 333FSB FX3000+
2.20ghz 400FSB FX3200+

Ladies and gentlemen introducing the all new AthlonFX (& DuronFX?) line LOL!

[Stoo]

Okay, so how long before the "DuronFX" became "Durex" ?

[Austin]

Just what that laundry powder Duron name deserves! Also the hideously named Radeon could be it's primary competitor ... whites whiter than white!

[Wolf Man]

If they are going to be as cheap as that i'm going to buy one and lob it in my old computer for a laugh, though 64k l2 is poor, and i think they should have bumped it up abit more than that.