AMD FX-8150 "Bulldozer" CPU Review - PAGE 3

The four modules are surrounded by four Hyper-Transport links, the memory controller and other miscellaneous I/O. Even though the L3 cache is split in four parts, it is treated as one global cache, and latency is the same throughout. The northbridge functionality is in the middle. This yields a 315mm² die and approximately 2 billion transistors.

For the desktop variant however, three Hyper Transport links go unused. The chip is put into the socket AM3+ package, which compared to its predecessor adds support for CPU voltage loadline adjustments and increases in ILDT and DRAM current for higher frequencies. In fact, at stock the Hyper Transport link runs at a nice 2.6GHz in both directions, providing up to 5.2 GT/s. The officially supported memory speed is now up to 1866MHz, like with Llano. AM3 processors are also forward compatible.

For the 1-2 socket platform, the HT link count is now up to three, with each running at a whopping 3.2GHz. The memory speed is down to 1600MHz, however. The Advanced Platform Management Link (APML), a processor slave interface based on the SMBus, gets added to the mix as well. This allows the TDP to be capped dynamically using the APML tools. This will surely prove to be quite useful in the server department, where hot spots remain a concern in data centers. The set TDP of the processors could then be part of the equation for the heating system. Last but not least, the Valencia processors are a drop-in replacement for the Opteron 4000 series, provided the motherboard manufacturer publishes the required BIOS update.

Now this is the cream of the crop: the world's first hexadeca-core processor. That's sixteen. Interlagos consists of two dies slapped together under the same hood, which are then seen as a single processor for the OS. This time, all four HT links are enabled, with some used for connecting the two chips. There are four links left for external communication. The supported memory speed is now back up to 1866MHz, too. The G34 infrastructure allows for up to four sockets, so this adds to a total of 64 processor cores on a single motherboard. Once again, Interlagos is a drop-in upgrade provided the BIOS has been updated.

The processor reviewed here is obviously the desktop version, which looks pretty much the same as the AM3 processors. The retail FX-8150 can be bought in a neat little steel box with a window on the side, and comes with the standard air cooler.

There is another version which comes in a larger cardboard box bundled with a self-contained water cooler. The rumors were true; it will be possible to acquire the new chip with a better cooling solution right out of the box, although no official price has been announced for it yet.

The water loop is manufactured by Asetek. It features a double-thick radiator aided by a pair of 120mm fans. Unfortunately, it was received by Neoseeker only a few hours before the article launch, so water loop performance testing will come in a future update.

The FX processors are much like their predecessors. Beside the labels on the heatspreader, the only differences externally are the extra two pins at the back. These are most likely ground pins.