AMD Athlon 64 3800+ CPU: E3 Processor Core aka Venice at the Door

[deejay]

Today AMD starts shipping its Athlon 64 processors on new E3 core revision also known under the codename Venice. This core brings into Athlon 64 processors such new features as SSE3 instructions support and higher core frequency potential. Read our new review of one of these new processors for more details!
The transition of the enthusiasts’ favorite Athlon 64 processors to the new cores manufactured with 90nm production technology started over half a year ago. The 90nm K8 Winchester core is now widely used in Socket 939 Athlon 64 processors with the 3000+, 3200+ and 3500+ performance ratings, and in Socket 745 Sempron processor family. However, Winchester didn’t manage to completely oust the 130nm cores from the previous generation Athlon 64 processors.

There are multiple reasons for that but the major one lies with the insufficient frequency potential of the Winchester core. Even though it boasts much lower power consumption and heat dissipation than its 130nm predecessor, the maximum actual working frequency of the processor based on Wi8nchester is only 2.2GHz. That is why the top Athlon 64 models as well as Athlon 64 FX-55 with 2.4GHz and 2.6GHz core clock rate are still based on the old Newcastle and ClawHammer cores manufactured with 0.13micron technology.​

However, AMD is going to announce the discontinue program for its Athlon 64 processors based on the cores manufactured with outdated production technologies beginning this April. Since the time the first Winchester based processor came out, the company engineers have done great work. They designed a new 90nm core aka Venice (E3 revision), which should send old 130nm cores to the garbage heap of history. Big hopes pinned upon the new core are based on the fact that AMD starts introducing new production standards used specifically for the Venice core.
As a result, this new core should not only allow replacing the Winchester in slower Athlon 64 CPU models and adding new functionality to these processors, but also should come to take the place of the Newcastle and ClawHammer cores in the fastest modifications of this processor family. Moreover, the arrival of Venice sets green light to the release of even faster Athlon 64 processor models. In the near future AMD is expected to announce new Athlon 64 4200+ and Athlon 64 FX-57 processors based on Venice and San Diego cores (San Diego is an analog of Venice but with larger L2 cache).
Read The complete article here
Source: Xbitlabs

 

[Crazy_Eddy]

As a result, this new core should not only allow replacing the Winchester in slower Athlon 64 CPU models and adding new functionality to these processors, but also should come to take the place of the Newcastle and ClawHammer cores

Would this apply to the Socket 754 domain as well?

 

[Darklord]

Me Want Venice Core

 

[Crazy_Eddy]

Rather interesting thing i came across while reading the article - they say that the winchesters couldnt scale up to higher clock frequencies and were "limited to 2.2 Ghz" which is why they could be introduced only in the lower end models like the 3000+, 3200+ and 3500+. Weren't most, if not all the people easily hitting 2.6-2.7Ghz with these things??

 

[Darklord]

yeah you hit 2.7 GHz pretty easily

 

[deejay]

Rather interesting thing i came across while reading the article - they say that the winchesters couldnt scale up to higher clock frequencies and were "limited to 2.2 Ghz" which is why they could be introduced only in the lower end models like the 3000+, 3200+ and 3500+. Weren't most, if not all the people easily hitting 2.6-2.7Ghz with these things??

The chip manufacturers have to produce and rate their products within a fixed set of parameters and guidelines.
These guidelines include such parameters as heat output , voltage tolerance and other technical stuff. these are formulated keeping the big corporate clients in mind.
if they exceed that they would be saddled with huge claims and lawsuits. plus they would have to deal with a tremendous amount of RMA. this will result in loss of goodwill plus revenue.
A recent example is the intel's prescott. (high heat output)
Hence they always play safe.
secondly they use a little bit of psychology too. meaning even the co's know that their chips can run at much higher speeds but to cater to the demands of the enthusiast and o/c community they purposely overlook this.
Consider for e.g. if the 3000+ cpu was sold as 3500+ very few enthusiast would have opted for it. since the o/c potential would be too less. an average o/cer is "thrilled" with his o/c. he gets a "high" feeling on a reasonable o/c.it is to cater to this that the co's purposely leave a certain margin. the resultant huge quantity of sales and the word of mouth publicity takes care of the little notional loss in terms of revenue.