According to industry sources, AMD has decided to modify the naming scheme for their 45nm desktop processors. While AMD is keeping the Phenom X3 and Phenom X4 branding, the model numbers have changed from four digits to five digits in length.
This new numbering system has caused some confusion, but 1xx00 for lower end and 20xx0 for higher end Phenoms is a somewhat logical step up from the four-digit, Phenom 9 series numbering system. Perhaps AMD could drop the redundant zero at the end of each model number to make it easier to say these rather long names.
According to sources, AMD intends to start shipping DDR2 variants of Deneb this year as you can see from the table below.
| Name | Freq. | HT 3.0 Freq. | Memory | Total Cache | TDP | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phenom X4 20x00 | 3.0GHz | 4.0GHz* | DDR3-1333 | 8MB | 125W | Q2 2009 |
| Phenom X4 20550 | 3.0GHz | 4.0GHz* | DDR2 | 8MB | 125W | Q4 2008 |
| Phenom X4 20x00 | 2.8GHz | 4.0GHz* | DDR3-1333 | 8MB | TBD | Q1 2009 |
| Phenom X4 20350 | 2.8GHz | 4.0GHz* | DDR2 | 8MB | 125W | Q4 2008 |
| Phenom X4 20x00 | 2.6GHz | 4.0GHz* | DDR3-1333 | 8MB | 95W | Q1 2009 |
| Phenom X4 16x00 | 2.8GHz | 4.0GHz* | DDR3-1333 | 2MB | 95W | Q1 2009 |
| Phenom X4 16x00 | 2.6GHz | 4.0GHz* | DDR3-1333 | 3MB | 95W | Q1 2009 |
| Row 7 - Cell 0 | Row 7 - Cell 1 | Row 7 - Cell 2 | Row 7 - Cell 3 | Row 7 - Cell 4 | Row 7 - Cell 5 | Row 7 - Cell 6 |
| Phenom X3 14x00 | 2.6GHz | 4.0GHz* | DDR3-1333 | 7.5MB | 95W | Q2 2009 |
| Phenom X3 12x00 | 2.8GHz | 4.0GHz* | DDR3-1333 | 1.5MB | 95W | Q2 2009 |
| Phenom X3 12x00 | 2.6GHz | 4.0GHz* | DDR3-1333 | 1.5MB | 95W | Q2 2009 |
*There are obviously errors in this rumored roadmap as HyperTransport 3.0 has a maximum clockspeed of 2.6GHz, and even the newly released HyperTransport 3.1 only runs at a maximum of 3.2GHz. It is possible that 4.0GT/s is meant instead, equating to a 2.0GHz HT 3.0 clockspeed across the board.
Sources mentioned that AMD intends to end shipments of the Phenom X4 20550 and 20350 in Q2 2009. Perhaps AMD are releasing chips with memory controllers which they know function correctly just to get their foot in the door, and are continuing to refine their DDR3 memory controllers in the meantime. It is also possible that AMD have axed the dual memory controller configuration for AM3 CPUs altogether, and these dedicated DDR2-compatible processors are the only means for AM2+ users to upgrade to the 45nm Phenoms without a motherboard and RAM change.
In any case, industry sources said that during H1 2009, Deneb will switch to AM3 and DDR3 compatibility, and Propus will show up in Q1 as Phenom X4 16x00. In addition to ceasing DDR2 Deneb shipments, Q2 2009 will also bring a new range of Phenom X3 processors for the lower end of the spectrum.
Considering this roadmap has obvious flaws, and it did not come from AMD, the information included in it must still be considered speculation for the time being.
AMD didn’t comment on this news story.