Super7.net heeft deel 3 gepost van z'n AMD K7 preview. In dit deel babbelen ze over 'branch prediction', 'universal x86 decoders' en 'integer execution units'. Aan het eind hebben ze nog wat meer begrijpbare info over fabricage processes en die-size (0,25 micron vs 0,18 micron enzo). Laat ik daar maar stuk over ctrl-v/en:
At 184mm², the 0.25 micron K7 die is bigger than the PIII, and die size can hold a direct relationship with the pure speed of the CPU. Larger die chips require more power to run efficiently and power increases tend to increase heat which tends to decrease performance.The large die size presents a few logistical problems as well. Increased die size means fewer chips per wafer and lower yields that will no doubt result in initially higher cost to the consumer. Once the Dresden fab ramps up, the prices should drop as production increases. This should hopefully put the K7 into the mainstream buyers market before Christmas.
