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Intel introduced its first CPUs based on the Core microarchitecture way back in June of 2006. This was the Xeon 5100 family of server processors, perhaps better known as Woodcrest.

First Quad-core Processors

Woodcrest was soon followed by Conroe and Merom–also known as Core 2 Duo–in July and August (still 2006) for desktops and notebooks. Then in November Intel launched its first quad-core processors by putting together two dual-core die into a single package. There are some today who assert that these processors are not genuine quad-cores, since they do not put four cores on a single die, but rather put two dual-core die together.

Quad-Core Xeon 5300 Processor Family

More Than a Million by the End of the Second Quarter

Whatever the case may be, Intel had sold more than a million of these quad-core babies by the end of the second quarter of this year.

Then the company “shipped over 2 million units in the third quarter alone”.

Over Twenty Quad-core Designs

Intel currently has over twenty quad-core designs. Nothing in mobile yet: just desktop and above all servers.

Source

Intel Q3 2007 Earnings Call Transcript

Quad-Core Images Courtesy of Intel Press Kit

Core 2 Extreme Quad-core

Core 2 Quad

AMD intends to begin ramping 45-nanometer technology in the first half of next year. Acording to the Chief Operating Officer, the company is “building 45 nanometer microprocessors as we speak”.

A 45-nanometer process technology will give AMD much-needed economies of scale. However, it won’t give them high-k/metal gate transistors. Expect the processors to run hotter than competitive offerings and not as fast.

AMD and everyone else in the industry has to move to high-k/metal gate transistors sometime. AMD may do so at a second-generation 45-nm process node at a later date in time.

High-k/metal gate transistors leak less electrical current and can either run cooler or be clocked to run much faster.

Intel is supposed to launch 45-nm high-k/metal gate CPUs on November 12.

AMD Q3 2007 Earnings Call Transcript

Barcelona is the codename for the new quad-core Opterons from AMD. At a recent conference call, AMD confessed that the first stage of the ramp of Barcelona had been “slower than anticipated”.

The current period hopes to be better. AMD managed to ship tens of thousands of quad-core processors in the previous period. In the current period, AMD hopes to ship hundreds of thousands. These hundreds of thousands of processors shall include desktop quad-cores as well as server CPUs this time around.

Yields not the Issue

There have been reports of scarcity of Barcelona both in the channel and among OEMs.

First Barcelona was delayed. When it came out, it was slow. Now we come to find out that issues delayed the ramp of the processor in high volume.

When asked what caused a delay in the volume ramp, the company responded that yields were not the issue.

Tuning Microprocessor Design to Process Technology

Rather the issue was tuning the microprocessor design of Barcelona to the 65-nm process technology AMD uses for the processor. Volume manufacturing required that the design of the CPU be better-tuned to the process manufacturing it is made on. “It is all a matter of wedding the design to the technology so as to be able to ship in volume”.

A Few Extra Weeks

The additional work required for turning on the high-volume ramp led to a delay of “a few extra weeks”.

Minor Issues

In wedding processor design with process technology in preparation for high volume, AMD experienced “minor issues”.

AMD Q3 2007 Earnings Call Transcript