I came across an article on ComputerWorld by Agam Shah that is so schizophrenic and self-conflicting that I can’t tell how much of it is Agam’s opinion and how much of it is internal strife at AMD. It starts off:
Advanced Micro Devices will put more focus on tightly integrating graphics processor cores into mainstream servers starting 2012 as it tries to increase system performance, a company executive said.
Great, GPU acceleration is really picking up steam in a wide variety of markets so it only makes sense for AMD, parent of ATI, to integrate it into their servers. But then they say:
Over the next two years, computing using a GPU will remain a relatively niche area, so AMD’s focus will be on CPUs and adding cores to it, Longoria said.
Ok, so are they going to focus on it or not? They don’t seem to really know.
“As GPU becomes more relevant, that’s a better way of getting performance than [CPU] cores,” Longoria said.
AMD currently has a 16-core server CPU code-named Interlagos planned for release in 2011, and it will be based on a new chip architecture.
I think I like the view of Dan Olds, principal analyst at Gabriel Computing Group, the best:
“I’m glad they are addressing the market, but perhaps they should push ahead and develop the market more,” Olds said. AMD is more of a spectator and not a major player like Nvidia, which is aggressively pushing its software and hardware for heterogenous computing, he said.
And then to top it off, they talk about their upcoming CPU+GPU Fusion processor called “Llano” at ISSCC in San Francisco.
The “Llano” processor that AMD described today in an ISSCC session is not a CPU, and it’s not a GPU—instead, it’s a hybrid design that the chipmaker is calling an “application processor unit,” or APU. Whatever you call it, it could well give Intel a run for its money in the laptop market, by combining a full DX11-compatible GPU with four out-of-order CPU cores on a single, 32nm processor die.
Definitely a case of the Left Hand not knowing what the Right Hand has just announced to the world.
AMD aims for GPUs in mainstream servers starting 2012 – Computerworld.
Llano will go up against Intel’s Sandy Bridge. Both are scheduled to be available in 2011. AMD should have the graphics advantage with Llano since they have ATI and can produce a DX11 graphics chip. Intel should have the CPU advantage, but will only produce a DX10 chip in Sandy Bridge. Then again, most users may not be gamers and may not need anything more than a DX10 class graphics. We will have to wait and see.