PC Perspective - AMD Introduces Ultimate Enthusiast Platform

AMD Introduces Ultimate Enthusiast Platform - 4x4

Thu, Jun 01, 2006 - 01:35 PM

Ryan Shrout | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Processor

While listening in on the AMD analyst day going on right now in Austin, TX, AMD introduced something more than a little exciting. When sharing a roadmap of the desktop outlook for AMD's processors through 2007 and 2008, a platform known as "4x4" was discussed as being the ultimate enthusiast platform. What does that include?

What you are seeing here is a dual-processor system board platform, each using dual-core processors for a total of four logical cores in a single computer. Also included on this slide is the introduction of dual-GPU video cards, similar to what we have seen in NVIDIA's Quad-SLI technology. Two of these dual-GPU cards combined together in either SLI or CrossFire mode brings the four GPUs to the AMD "4x4" platform.

Interestingly, though NVIDIA has talked about Quad SLI for some time, ATI had been silent up until this AMD presentation. While we assumed that ATI was working on competition for the NVIDIA technology, now we know for sure.

AMD also said this allows for enthusiasts to "step-up" in their technology, by getting a system with a single CPU and video card to start with, and upgrade later down the road to a true "4x4" configuration. This is the same platform advantage that NVIDIA offered up with their SLI technology and it's interesting to see AMD taking the same route. Could this mean the re-introduction of dual-processor motherboard in the enthusiast market soon? They have been missing for quite some time as SMP systems were much more expensive and didn't offer the performance advantages many had hoped for.

There is no doubt that a system with two dual-core Athlon processors and two dual-GPU video cards would be incredibly powerful and might help address the CPU-limitedness of many games when using SLI and Quad-SLI configurations. By no means does this sound like a cheap gaming solution, but the best never has been, right?

There hasn't been any indictaion yet on when this technology platform is actually going to be ready, but I'll let you know more as the tech day continues. Check back often!

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1 Comments - Post Your Own Comment

Posted By Cannyone

Thu, Jun 01, 2006 - 03:14 PM

I guess I'm just not an "Enthusiast" any more! I don't have a "dual-core" processor. And I don't see the point in having 2 of any graphics cards, unless they are the fastest available and then it's not a "good value" for 40% increase in performance it yeilds. But I guess that's the only idea second rate companies can fall back on these days. Never mind the fact that the industry doesn't really have extensive support for multi-threading in their software. They think we should buy more, and more, of their "second rate" products so we can try to get the performance they can't deliver. All of this is just "hype"!! (Though I'm sure PC Power&Cooling is loving this idea - can you say 1000W p/s for all?) :rolleyes: Why am I this way? Well I used to buy into this kind of BS. But then I realized that the "Enthusiast" market is only a tiny nitch. For the most part they will be ignored by the industry. And the promise of "64-bit", "dual-core", "dual-gpu"...etc., won't be realized. And those of us who spend our money on such will only be disappointed.

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