2008 Roadmap

AMD is expected to begin transitioning towards the Socket AM3 motherboard design sometime in 2008, possibly in Q2. The Socket AM3 design is the successor to Socket AM2+. AM3 processors should be compatible with existing chipsets that support AM2+ processors, but AM2+ processors are likely not to be compatible with AM3 motherboards. Boards supporting AM3 will initially be based on the AMD RS780 northbridge and the SB700 southbridge. The northbridge and southbridge will communicate using a 4X PCIe lane while the processor will use the HyperTransport link to communicate with the northbridge. AM3 based motherboards will have support for DDR3 (four DIMM slots), 12 USB 2.0 ports, 6 SATA II ports, and include integrated AZALIA HD Audio. Some motherboards could also contain integrated graphics with VGA, HDMI, and a compositive TV-out connection supporting S-Video and HD TV-Out. The SB700 southbridge will come in 5 different versions each with a slightly different feature set. The SB700 will be the most basic version of the chipset. The SB750 and SB750s add RAID 5 support. The SB710 adds support for OverDrive 3.0 which will be an overclocking friendly chipset. The SB710, SB700s, and SB750s chipsets will all integrate a clock generator and the Super I/O controller. The SB700 chipset started appearing on Phenom-capable boards in late 2007 and should be generally available in Q1 or Q2 2008.
Microsoft Fiji is the next release of Windows Media Center possibly due out sometime in 2008. Fiji builds on Windows Media Center that was released along with Windows Vista.

ATI and NVIDIA will both launch their next generation mobile GPU's sometime in 2008, most likely in Q2 and Q3. The breakdown for both is as follows:

ATI & NVIDIA 2009 Mobile GPUs
Market	ATI	NVIDIA
Enthusiast	Mobility Radeon HD 3870 X2 (M88) Mobility Radeon HD 3850 X2 (M88)	GeForce 9800M GTX (G92-GTX / NB9E) GeForce 9800M GTS (G94b-GT1 / NB9E) GeForce 9800M GTS (G94-GT / NB9E) GeForce 9800M GS (G94-GT / NB9E) GeForce 9800M GT (G94b-GS1 / NB9E) GeForce 9700M GTS (G94-GS / NB9E) GeForce 9700M GT (G96-GE / NB9E) GeForce 9700M GS (G96-GE / NB9E)
Performance	Mobility Radeon HD 3870 (M88) Mobility Radeon HD 3850 (M88)	GeForce 9650M GT (G96b-GT / NB9P) GeForce 9600M GT (G96-GS / NB9P) GeForce 9600M GS (G96-GE2 / NB9P) GeForce 9500M G (G96-GV / NB9P)
Mainstream	Mobility Radeon HD 3650 (M86)	GeForce 9400M GS (G98-GS / NB9M) GeForce 9300M GS (G98-GS / NB9M) GeForce 9200M GS (G98-GE / NB9M)
Value	Mobility Radeon HD 3430 (M82) Mobility Radeon HD 3400 (M82)	GeForce 9100M G (NB9V) GeForce 8200M G (NB8V)

H1 (1st Half)

Q1 (1st Qtr)

January

Intel Penryn Mobile CPUs were launched on January 7th. Like the desktop Penryn, the mobile CPUs will be manufactured using the new 45 nm process. All five CPU's will be avaiable later in January.

Penryn Mobile Processors
Model	Core	L2	TDP	Price
X9000	2.8 GHz	6MB	44W	$851
T9500	2.6 GHz	6MB	35W	$530
T9300	2.5 GHz	6MB	35W	$316
T8300	2.4 GHz	3MB	35W	$241
T8100	2.1 GHz	3MB	35W	$209

AMD Sempron LE-1300 (Code name: Sparta) was launched on January 7th. The LE-1300 will sport a 2.3GHz core frequency and TDP of 45 Watts.

Intel launched the Q9300, Q9450, and Q9550 quad-core (Yorkfield) CPU's on January 7th. They will be available sometime in Q1 2008. They also launched four dual-core (Wolfdale) CPUs: the E8190, E8200, E8400, and E8500. All four will be available later in January. All the processors will have a 1333MHz FSB. The E8190 will differ from the E8200 in that is doesn't support virtualization (Intel VT) or Intel's Trusted Execution Technology (Intel TXT).

Penryn Mobile Processors
Model	Core	L2	TDP	Price
Q9300	2.5 GHz	6MB	95W	$266
Q9450	2.66 GHz	12MB	95W	$316
Q9550	2.83 GHz	12MB	95W	$530
E8190	2.66 GHz	6MB	65W	$163
E8200	2.66 GHz	6MB	65W	$183
E8400	3.0 GHz	6MB	65W	$183
E8500	3.16 GHz	6MB	65W	$266

Intel launched 4 Xeon processed on January 7th. The X3360, X3350, and X3320 are quad-core processors. The E3110 is a dual-core processor. All four will be available later in Q1 2008.

Intel Xeon Processors
Model	Core	L2	TDP	Price
X3360	2.83 GHz	12MB	?	$530
X3350	2.66 GHz	12MB	?	$316
X3320	2.5 GHz	6MB	?	$266
E3110	3.0 GHz	6MB	?	$188

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3000 series was launched on January 7th. Initially the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 series and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3600 series will be available. The Radeon HD 3000 series supports DirectX 10.1, PCIe 2.0, DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, and full HD capability thru ATI's Avivo HD Technology with AMD’s Unified Video Decoder (UVD). These new graphics chips were optimized for AMD's upcoming Puma mobile platform.
NVIDIA Quadro FX 3700 was launched on January 8th. The Quadro FX 3700 is primarily for computer-aided design (CAD) and digital content creators. It features 112 stream processors, 512 MB memory, and a 256-bit memory interface. It has support for SLI, PCIe 2.0, and comes with a low energy consumption of around 80 Watts. Quadro FX 3700 video cards will retail for around $1599.
AMD Radeon HD 3450 & 3470 (Code name: RV620) was launced on January 23rd. The RV620 will replace the current Radeon HD 2400 series. The RV620 is built using a new 55 nm process with a core clock speed of 800 MHz and 40 stream processors. It supports DirectX 10.1, Shader Model 4.1 and PCI Express 2.0 as well as include Display Port. Two versions of the RV620 will be available. The Radeon HD 3450 is based on the RV620 LE and the Radeon HD 3470 comes with the RV620 Pro. The HD 3450 will feature 256MB GDDR2 500 MHz memory and the HD 3470 will have 256MB GDDR3 950 MHz memory. Both will have a 64-bit memory interface.
AMD Radeon 3650 (Code name: RV635) was also launced on January 23rd. The RV635 replaces the current Radeon HD 2600 series. The RV635 will be built using the same new 55 nm process as the RV620. The RV635 Pro will be the only version of the GPU, but two different card variants will be available. The first variant of the HD 3650 will come with 256MB GDDR3 800 MHz memory. The second will feature 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB cards using 500 MHz GDDR2 memory. Both variants will have 128-bit memory interfaces and 725 MHz core clocks. Neither support Hybrid Crossfire. All the other features will be the same as the RV620. Some RV635 boards may come equipped with DisplayPort and DVI-D connections.
ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 (Code name: RV680) was launced on January 28th. The RV680 will replace the current Radeon HD 2900. Like the RV620, RV635, and RV670, the RV680 will be built using a 55 nm manufacturing process. It will also support DX 10.1, Shared Model 4.1, OpenGL 2.0, PCIe 2.0, DVI, HDMI, Display Port, and HDCP compatibility. The RV680 is actually two RV670 GPU's on the same PCB board that communicate using a PCIe bridge chip (PLX). It will have a total of 640 stream processors (320 x2), 2x 256-bit memory interfaces for 2x 512MB GDDR4, ATI Avivo HD with Unified Video Decoder (UVD), and physics processing support. The HD 3870 X2 has a core clock of 825 MHz. It is capable of over 1+ TeraFLOP. It will also support CrossFireX with up to four GPU's.
Intel E8190 CPU was announced on January 7th and available to OEM's in late January. The E8190 is a Penryn-based CPU sporting a core frequency of 2.66GHz, 6MB of L2 cache, and 1333MHz FSB. The E8190 will be slightly different from the E8200 series. It will not support virtualization or contain Intel's Trust Execution Technology. This processor will be marketed to the OEM market and cost around $163 in quantities of 1000.
AMD Athlon LE-1640 (Code name: Lima) was launched on January 7th. The LE-1640 is a single core 2.6 GHz, 1MB L2, 45W TDP CPU and targeted towards entry-level systems.
Intel Celeron E1200 was launched on January 22nd. The Celeron E1200 is the first dual core Celeron and will be marketed for value/budget PC's. The E1200 is a 1.6 GHz chip with a 800 MHz FSB and 512 KB cache built using the 65 nm process. The processors maximum TDP will be 65 Watts. When released, the processor should be priced at about $53. Additional E1000 series processors will be released later in the year.
AMD announced the RS780 and RS740 chipsets on January 23rd. AMD later launched the chipsets worldwide on March 5th. The RS780 is AMD's next-generation IGP chipset for the performance/mainstream market and supports AM2+ processors, HT 3.0, and PCI Express 2.0. The IGP on the RS780 is the first chipset to support DirectX 10 and Unified Video Decoder (UVD) 2.0 for H.264 and VC-1 decoding. The IGP supports DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI, and HDCP. It also supports Hybrid CrossFireX which will allow a discrete video card and the IGP to work together for increased performance similar to nVidia's Hybrid SLI technology. The RS740 is the value chipset. Motherboards based on the RS780 will cost between $90 and $120. RS740-based motherboards will be around $40 to $60. The RS780 will be known as the AMD 780G chipset and the graphics core known as the ATI Radeon HD 3200 based on the RV610 GPU core. The RS740 will take on the name AMD 740G and the corresponding graphics core known as the ATI Radeon 2100. The ATI Radeon 2100 supports DirectX 9.0, HT 1.0, and PCIe 1.1a. Some motherboards based on the RS780 chipset will be paired with the AMD SB700 southbridge.
ATI FireGL V8650 2GB is expected to start shipping in January and is aimed at the workstation market. It supports DirectX, PCIe x16, Dual Link DVI-I, HD Component Video, features a parallel processing Unified Shader architecture, and Shader Model 4.0.
ATI Radeon HD 3690 was launched late January exclusively for Asia. The 3690 is a slower binned RV670 Pro GPU. It will only have half the memory, 256MB, and half the memory interface, 128-bit, of the 3850 it is based on. The price is expected to be around $100 when available. It will most likely not be available outside of China; instead, the HD 3650 will be available worldwide. The price is expected to be around $124.

February

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) was released to manufacturing (RTM) on February 4th and was available on March 18th. The service pack will make quality improvements on security, reliability, and performance. Additional improvements include BitLocker Drive Encryption, Disk Defragmenter, and Group Policy. SP1 will also include DirectX 10.1, additional drivers, and support for exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) drive partition system used in many flash storage devices.
Windows Server 2008 (Code name: Longhorn) was released to manufacturing (RTM) on February 4th and will be available for purchase on March 1st. It will be launched on February 27th. This new server OS focuses its improvements in four key areas: web, virtualization, security, and solid foundation for business workloads. Web features include Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS7), simplified management, and delegated administration across websites. Virtualization technologies will be built in to the server allowing multiple OS to be run on a single server. The new virtualization technology is called Hyper-V (Code name: Viridian). Security features will include User Account Control (UAC), a more hardened kernel, and additional group policy user settings. Lastly, Server 2008 aims to decrease IT support and management with simplified management tools and streamlined installations.
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9775 was launched on February 19th, at the same time as the Intel Skulltrail platform. The QX9775 is a quad-core processor and has a core frequency of 3.2 GHz, support a 1600 MHz FSB, use a socket 771 configuration (server), have 12MB (2x6MB) L2 cache, and a TDP around 150 Watts. This CPU is based on a Xeon and therefore has SMP support built-in allowing dual processor configurations. At launch, the CPU had a cost of $1,499.
Intel's Dual Socket Extreme Desktop Platform (Code name: Skulltrail) was launched on February 19th. Skulltrail is Intel's high-end enthusiast and gaming motherboard and based on Intel's X48 chipset. It supports dual CPU's when the CPU has SMP support like the quad-core Core 2 Extreme QX9775 that was released along with it. It supports both NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFire with up to four cards in four PCI Express x16 slots.
NVIDIA launched the Quadro FX 3600M GPU for notebook and laptop workstations on February 21st. The 3600M includes features such as CUDA and Shader Model 4.0. It will primarily be marketed towards professionals working on computer-aided design (CAD) applications, digital content creation (DCC), and with large models. Video cards will include 512MB of GDDR3 memory, 256-bit memory interface, OpenGL 2.1, DirectX 10 support, and PowerMizer adaptive power management tools.
NVIDIA began production of ninth generation GPU's in February. NVIDIA's 9th-gen GPU's will likely not be new designs, but will instead be manufactured using TSMC's new 65 nm process which is a shrink from 80nm and 90nm of the previous generation. The D9M (aka G96) GPU will likely be the first available and should replace the GeForce 8500 series. D9M will include support for DirectX 10.1, PCIe 2.0, 256-bit wide memory interfaces, and GDDR3. D9P should also have support for DirectX 10.1, PCIe, 256- and 512-bit wide memory interfaces, and feature GDDR4 memory. The D9P should end up replacing the 8600 series. Lastly, D9E should replace the high-end 8800 models and have support for a 512-bit memory interface. D9E is thought to be a single, high-end multicore chip that breaks the tradition of past enthusiast models containing two discrete chips. All 9th-Gen GPU's will incorporate NVIDIA's Hybrid SLI allow them to take advantage of increase performance when paired with IGP motherboards. NVIDIA's 9th generation GPU's will in all liklihood end up with GeForce 9xxx model numbers.
NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT (Code name: D9M = Desktop 9 Mainstream, aka G94) was launched on February 21st. The 9600 GT has a 650 MHz core clock and a 1625 MHz shader clock with a 256-bit memory bus (a first for the mainstream series) clocked at 900 MHz. Like the other NVIDIA 9th-Gen GPU's, the 9600 GT is manufactured using TSMC's 65nm process. The 9600 GT will have a minimum of 512MB of GDDR3 memory, but 1GB versions will be launched by some partners. Power consumption is likely to be higher than previous mainstream cards with a minimum of a 400W power supply providing 26A on the 12V rail. It will require a 6-pin supplementary power connector like previous high-end cards. The 9600 GT has DirectX 10.1 support, Shader Model 4.0, OpenGL 2.1 and PCIe 2.0. It may also include the Quantum Effects physics processing engine and will be HDCP compatible. The GPU will introduce Dual-Streaming Decode technology which allows two high-def image decoding processes to occur simultaneously and also provides for picture in picture (PIP) functionality. Performance wise, the 9600 GT will fall somewhere between the 8600 GTS and 8800 GT. Prices for 9600 GT video cards are between $169 to $189 at launch.
Visual Studio 2008 (Code name: Orcas) was launched on February 27th although it had been available to developers since November. The main features include the addition of Language Integrated Query (LINQ), a native environment for building Vista applications, an improved developer environment experience (quality and performance), and ASP.NET AJAX. Visual Studio 2008 RTM'd in November 2007.
AMD launch the Sempron 2100+ on February 27th. The Sempron 2100+ is a 65 nm, 1.8 GHz, dual core CPU. It was launched exclusively in China to compete against Intel's newest dual core Celerons. Pricing is expected to be around $55.

March

Intel launched the Core 2 Duo E2220 CPU on March 2nd. The E2220 is a 2.4 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 1MB cache dual-core CPU. It is a 65 nm chip based on the Conroe core. It has a 65 Watt TDP. It should retail for around $87 when released.
Intel launched the Core 2 Duo E4700 CPU on March 2nd. The E4700 is a 2.60 GHz processor with 2MB of cache and a 800 MHz FSB. It should be priced around $139 when released.
AMD Puma mobile platform was announced on March 4th although systems based on Puma will not begin shipping until late Q2. The Puma platform includes the AMD Griffin CPU, RS780M chipset, and a WiFi adapter. The RS780M chipset which includes the SB 700 southbridge uses the existing S1 socket. The RS780M chipset comes with integrated graphics and includes support for DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort. The Puma platform can include discrete graphics as well. The integrated graphics will be able ouput to two displays at once. It will also include support for HDMI+HDCP and Audio. Graphics will come via AMD's M8X graphics core with support for DirectX 10 and Hybrid Graphics.
AMD Griffin is a mobile processor expected to be available in Q2 2008. It was announced with the Puma mobile platform on March 4th. Griffin will replace the dual-core Turion CPU and have 1MB cache per core. It will also have a better optimized memory controller, a power optimized HT 3.0, and enhanced PowerNow technology to increase battery life and lower dissipated heat. It will be supported by the AMD Puma chipset.
NVIDIA's GeForce 8300 MCP (Code name: MCP78U) chipset was launched on March 4th with immediate availability. The GeForce 8300 is a motherboard GPU solution based on their G86 technology and designed to work with 8400 and 8500 series graphics cards. The 8300 should be manufactured using TSMC's 65 nm process. The 8300 includes NVIDIA's new PureVideo HD engine which will allow full HD playback using lower powered CPU's by offloading 100% of H.264, VC-1, and MPEG-2. The 8300 also features a x16 PCIe 2.0 lane, 3 x1 PCIe 2.0 lanes, 1Gb Ethernet with First Packet Technology, 6 SATA 2.0 ports, 2 PATA, 5 PCI lanes, 12 USB 2.0 lanes, HDA/Azalia audio (inc. DTS-HD & Dolby TrueHD), VGA, DVI, and HDMI support. The 8300 will be the first NVIDIA chipset to support both Hybrid Power and Hybrid SLI--going forward, all chipsets should support both. It also includes HT 3.0 which will enable it to be used with Phenom CPU's. (The 8300 was previously called the 8200 and 9200.)
NVIDIA D8E (Desktop 8 Enthusiast) (aka GeForce 9800 GX2) was launched on March 18th. The D8E is a high-end graphics card based on dual G92GTS GPU's (D8P). The card is actually be two stacked PCB's with two power connectors and SLI'd together through an internal connection. It is expected that you will be able to use two cards together in SLI configuration effectively enabling quad-SLI. The GeForce 9800 GX2 will replace the 7950 GX2. Each GPU will be clocked at 600 MHz, shaders at 1,500 MHz, 256 stream processors, 128 pixel shaders (per GPU), and come with 1GB (2x512MB) 256-bit GDDR3 memory clocked at 1 GHz. The memory interface will be 2x 256-bit. Different manufacturers may release cards with slightly better or worse specs. The suggested retail price will be $599.
nVidia nForce 790i SLI was launched on March 18th. The 790i chipset is for Intel CPU's with support for DDR3 up to 2000 MHz and an FSB up to 1600 MHz. The 790i will have the same features as the 780i, but with DDR3 support instead of DDR2. It will support the latest Core 2 Extreme quad-core CPUs. There may be two versions of 790i, an Ultra SLI and a plain SLI version. The Ultra SLI will probably support better overclocking and faster DDR3 memory modules, while the plain SLI version will do away with the IGP (integrated graphics processor) and only support DDR3 memory up 1600 MHz. The 790i chipset will be made up of the NVIDIA's C73 northbridge and MCP55 southbridge. It will feature 3-way SLI and Hybrid SLI technology. 790i motherboards will have four memory slots, three PCIe x16 slots (only 2 will be PCIe 2.0), two PCIe x1 slots (1 will be used for an audio riser card), and 2 PCI slots. Other features include eSATA, FireWire, 6 SATA ports, dual Gigabit Ethernet and up to 10 USB 2.0 ports.
NVIDIA nForce 750i was launched on March 18th. The 750i chipset was previously announced last year.
Intel launched the Xeon L5420 and L5410 processors on March 25th. Both are low-voltage, 45 nm, 50 Watt TDP processors for servers and workstations. The L5420 operates at 2.5 GHz and the L5410 at 2.33 GHz. Both feature 12MB cache and 1333 MHz FSB. They will cost $380 and $320 respectively.
The NVIDIA nForce 750a SLI chipset was launched on March 25th. The 750a SLI chipset is based on the nForce 780 chipset released late last year and supports Hybrid Power and Hybrid SLI.
Intel X48 which was expected to launch by the end of 2007, was quietly made available sometime mid March. Motherboard manufactures started shipping X48-based boards around March 15th; although it is unknown if/when Intel will officially launch the chipset--it may be a silent launch. Although a few manufacturers have already developed pre-production motherboards based on the X48, production motherboards are not expected to appear until sometime after the launch. The X48 chipset is an upgraded version of the X38 chipset and will support 1600MHz FSB and DDR3-1600 memory. Intel is expected to use the same PCB for the X38 and X48, so the X38 could also support 1600MHz FSB and DDR3-1600 memory after overclocking. The X48 chipset includes support for the upcoming Wolfdale and Yorkfield processors that have yet to be released.
Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 processor starting appear in the retail channels around March 26th. The QX9770 is a Yorkfield quad-core processor. It sports a 3.2GHz core frequency, 1600MHz FSB (up from 1333 MHz in original Yorkfields), 136 Watt TDP, 12MB (2 x 6MB) of L2 cache, Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST), Intel Virtualization Technology (VT), and built using the same 45 nm manufacturing process. It is expected to cost about $1,399 when available.
AMD Phenom X3 (Code name: Toliman, aka K10) was launched on March 27th. Phenom X3 is the triple core model positioned between the Phenom X2 and X4 and supports socket AM2+ motherboards. Initially the Phenom X3 CPUs will be a core-disabled version of the Agena quad-core processor. The models launched were the 8600 and 8400 with core frequencies of 2.3GHz and 2.1GHz respectively. Both are B2 steppings and likely be available only to OEM's. Each core will have its own 512KB L2 cache and share 2MB of L3 cache. It runs at 1.2V and has 64KB data cache (per core) and 64KB instruction cache (per core). TDP is expected to be around 95 Watts. Pricing is expected to be around $175 and $150 respectively.
AMD Phenom X4 9100E is a quad-core CPU and was launched on March 27th. The "E" designation means it is an Energy Efficient CPU. The 9100E is a 1.8 GHz CPU with a DDR2 1066 memory controller, 65 Watt TDP featuring both 2MB L2 cache and 2MB L3 cache. Required voltage will be around 1.10v to 1.15v. It is be a B2 stepping and will cost approximately $200.
AMD Phenom X4 9550 and 9650 launched on March 27th. The 9550 and 9650 were previously known as the 9500 and 9600, but were renamed when the B3 revision of the CPU that fixed the TLB errata was produced. The 9550 will operate at 2.2 GHz and the 9650 at 2.3 GHz. Both have TDP of 95 Watt and pricing for the 9550 will be approximately $195. The 9650 will be an OEM-only CPU.
AMD Phenom X4 9750 (previously known as the 9700) was launched on March 27th. It was originally due to be announced in late 2007, but due to errata and manufacturing problems it was bumped. The 9750 model is actually represented by two different SKU's. Both will feature a 2.4 GHz speed, but the OEM-only SKU will come with a 95 Watt TDP while the retail version will be a 125 Watt TDP version. The Phenom 9750 will be identical in features to the Phenom X4 9650 and 9550. The 9750 was originally known as the 9700, but due to the TLB errata and stigma associated with the original 9700 it was renamed. The 9750 is the a B3 revision of the CPU and will not contain the TLB errata that plagued the original 9700. The non-OEM version will retail for approximately $215.
AMD Phenom 9850 Black Edition processor was launched on March 28th. Because this CPU is a Black Edition processor, it will be shipped with its clock multiplier unlocked allowing for more flexibility in overclocking. It is a 2.5 GHz processor with 2MB L2 and 2MB L3 cache. It is also the first Phenom with a 2.0 GHz (4.0 GHz effective) HyperTransport. It is a B3 revision so it does not suffer from the previously mentioned TLB errata that plagued previous Phenom X4 processors. It will retail for around $235.
ATI launched the FireGL V7700 graphics card on March 31st. The FireGL V7700 is a 3D workstation graphics card with support for DisplayPort. It will be primarily marketed towards computer aided design (CAD), digital content creation (DCC) and medical imaging professionals. It supports PCIe 2.0 and comes equipped with 512MB memory has dual DVI outputs. It is priced at $1,099.
Intel released the Core 2 Extreme QX9700 sometime in March. The QX9700 is a quad-core 3.2 GHz CPU with a 1333 MHz FSB and 12MB L2 cache. It is exactly like the QX9770 CPU, except with a slower FSB.

Q2 (2nd Qtr)

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600+ Black Edition was expected to launch in Q2. More than likely this product has been canceled.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ is expected to also be launched in Q2. This product has likely been canceled.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5800+ is expected to be launched in early Q2 or late Q1. This model has probably been canceled.
AMD Phenom FX-8x CPU is expected during Q2 2008. The FX-8x is expected to have a higher frequency than the AMD Phenom FX-82.
Additional AMD Lima CPU's with higher core frequencies are expected to be launched in Q2 2008. These will be entry-level CPU's.
AMD Athlon BE-1660 is a 2.8GHz, 512KB L2 cache, single-core CPU expected to be launched in Q2. It's TDP is around 45 Watts.
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3850 X2, Radeon HD 3870 X2, Radeon HD 3870, and Radeon HD 3850 (Code name: M88) are mobile GPU based on the RV670 chip and is due to be announced sometime in Q2 2008. M88 is a 55 nm chip and will include improved Power Play technology and support DirectX 10.1 and possibly Crossfire. The 3850 X2 will include two RV670PRO cores. The faster 3870 X2 will include two RV670XT cores.
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 (Code name: M86) is a mobile GPU based on the RV635 chip and is expected sometime in late Q2. M86 will be a 55 nm chip and incorporate many of the same technologies such as PowerPlay that ATI's desktop GPU's have.
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3430 (Code name: M82) is a mobile GPU based on the RV620 chip and is due sometime in late Q2. M82 is a low-end, 55 nm chip based on the desktop RV620.
NVIDIA plans to rename and relaunch the GeForce 8400 GS as the GeForce 9300 GS in late Q2 or early Q3. The GeForce 9300 GS will be identical to the 8400 GS and use the same G98 / D8P, 65 nm core. The 9300 GS will use the slower binned chips.
NVIDIA will also rename and relaunch the GeForce 8500 GT as the GeForce 9400 GS in late Q2 / early Q3. It also will be identical to the 8500 GT which used the G98 / D8P, 65 nm core. The 9400 GS will use the faster binned chips.
Intel plans to launch three entry-level SV/ULV mobile CPU's in Q2: the Celeron 570, Celeron 550, and the Celeron 560. The 570 will cost $134 at launch, the 550 for $86, and the 560 at $107.
NVIDIA plans to release the nForce 740a SLI chipset in Q2. This will be an entry-level SLI chipset that includes 2x8 PCIe 2.0 lanes, 2x1 PCIe 1.0 lanes, 12 USB, 6 SATA, and Gigabit Ethernet. It will support AMD processors.
AMD Phenom FX-82 processor is expected during Q2 2008. The FX-82 will be the first Phenom FX processor and is expected to have a clock speed of 2.6 GHz or greater. It will also have 512KB of L2 cache for each of its four cores, 2MB of shared L3 cache, and support HT3.
AMD Phenom X2 6250 and 6050 are expected to be announced in late Q2 2008. The 6250 and 6050 are dual core Phenom processors with a TDP of around 65 Watts.

April

nVidia GeForce GeForce 9800 GTX (Code name: D9E = Desktop 9 Enthusiast, aka G92) was launched on April 1st. This is nVidia's 9th-Gen enthusiast GPU and will phase-out the D8E series. The 9800 GTX is manufactured using TSMC's 65 nm process, contains over 1 billion transistors, and supports DirectX 10.1 and Shader Model 4.1. The 9800 GTX will contain 128 cores, a shader clock of 1688 MHz, a core clock of 675 MHz, and 512MB GDDR3 running at 1100 MHz over a 256-bit memory interface. Video card makers will likely launch additional 1GB and higher clocked versions of the card at a later date. The 9800 GTX will compete against AMD R700-based video cards. It has two SLI bridges and supports Tri-SLI. The card requires two 6-pin PCIe power connectors and has a dual-slot cooler. TDP is expected to be around 250W.
Intel announced 5 Atom CPU's and the Poulsbo chipset on April 3rd. The five Atom models announced were the Z500, Z510, Z520, Z530, and Z540. All 5 CPU's are 45 nm and have 512KB L2 cache. The 800 MHz Z500 and the 1.1 GHz Z510 have a 400 MHz FSB. The 1.33 GHz Z520, 1.6 GHz Z530, and the 1.86 GHz Z540 all have a 533 MHz FSB. The Z520, Z530, and Z540 also support HyperThreading. TDP's are 0.65, 2.0, 2.0, 2.0, and 2.4 Watts respectively. They are scheduled to begin appearing in consumer devices in June around the same time Intel's Centrino Atom is available. The Poulsbo chipset will act as the System Controller Hub and is a combination of the MCH and ICH. Poulsbo will come in three versions, US11L, US15L, and US15W. The US11L will support the 400 MHz FSB Atom CPU's, 512MB DDR2, 100 MHz graphics core clock, and SD video up to 800x480. The US15L also supports 400 MHz Atom CPU's, but also 1GB DDR2, a 200 MHz graphics core clock and HD video up to 1366x768. The US15W has the same feature set as the US15L, but supports 533 MHz FSB Atom CPU's.
Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) was released to manufacturing on April 21st. This service pack will focus mostly on hotfixes and patches, but will also include some new features and enhancements. One enhancement will be a new activation scheme; a product key will no longer be required during installation which is how Vista currently operates. Another feature borrowed from Vista, the network acess protection module restricts network access based to computers that are verified healthy according to administrator set network policies. SP3 will also included upgraded cryptographic algorithms and a Black Hole Router detection algorithm. SP3 is slated to be the last major update for Windows XP and comes almost 4 years after SP2 was released.
Intel launched the Core 2 Duo E7200 around April 22nd. The E7200 is based on the Wolfdale 45nm dual-core and features a 2.53 GHz speed, 1066MHz FSB, and come with 3MB of cache. At launch, it will cost around $137.
AMD launched the triple-core Phenom X3 8750, 8650, and 8450 CPU's on April 23rd. The 8750 is a B3 stepping and has a core frequency of 2.4 GHz. The 8650 and 8450 are also B3 steppings and have core frequencies of 2.3 GHz and 2.1 GHz. All three CPU's have a TDP of 95 Watts. These CPU's will follow the initial introduction of triple-core AMD CPU's. These three CPU's were previously known as the 8700, 8600, and 8450, but due to the TLB errata they were renamed. The 8x50 models signify they no longer suffer from the errata because they are B3 revision CPU's.
AMD launched the Athlon 4850E, 4450E, and 4050E in mid-April. All three are dual-core, low-power CPU's. The 4850E will be a 2.5 GHz CPU with 1MB L2 cache and have DDR2 800 MHz memory controller. The 4450E is a 2.3 GHz CPU and the 4050E clocks in at 2.1 GHz.
NVIDIA announced the MCP79 chipset on April 23rd. The MCP79 chipset is a single-chip solution for small form factor notebooks. There are six versions of the MCP79. All the versions include a DirectX 10 GeForce graphics core which supports Shader Model 4.0, NVIDIA's VP3 video processor, Hybrid Power, Hybrid SLI, and Hybrid Performance. The MCP79 chipset also includes a single-channel TMDS interface for HDMI 1.2. MCP79 has support for both 800 MHz DDR and 1333 MHz DDR memory as well as a 1066 MHz FSB. It also includes 3 Gbps SATA/eSATA, NVIDIA DriveCache, Gigabit Ethernet, High Definition Audio, TPM 1.2, and up to 20 PCIe 2.0 lanes. The cheapest version of the chipset, MCP79ML, will not include RAID 0/1, PCIe x16, DisplayCache, or DriveCache. The MCP79GLM will contain a Quadro-based graphics core instead of the GeForce core. The MCP79-SLI will have support for SLI. The remaining versions include the MCP79MVL, MCP79MH, and the MCP79MX.
NVIDIA launched the GeForce 9600 GSO around April 28th. The GeForce 9600 GSO will replace the 8800 GS, although it will be the same G92 core with 96 stream processors. Video card makers will be free to design the PCB however they like and set their own clock speeds. It will be positioned to compete against AMD's Radeon HD 3830. Prices are expected to be in the neighborhood of $129 per card at launch.
Intel Celeron E1400 was released on April 20th. The E1400 will be exactly like the E1200 except it comes with a faster clock, 2.0 GHz. It will be a dual-core chip supporting a 800 MHz FSB and come with 512KB cache manufactured using a 65 nm process. TDP should also be around 65 Watts and also priced around $54. It is based on the 65 nm Conroe core and supports Intel 64, XD (Execute Disable) Bit, and Intel Speed Step technology. An E1300 at 1.8 GHz may be released prior to the E1400.

May

AMD announced the Radeon HD 3850 X2 on May 4th. The 3850 X2 will be a dual-GPU video card with 512 MB to 1 GB of GDDR3 1.8 GHz memory. It will compete against NVIDIA's GeForce 8800 GTS. Pricing is expected to be between $299 and $379.
NVIDIA launched the nForce 780a (Code name: MCP72XE) chipset on May 6th. The 780a chipset is based on the nForce 780 chipset released late last year. This will be NVIDIA's first high-end board to contain an IGP. It will also support 3-way SLI.
AMD plans to launch the Radeon HD 3830 in May to compete against NVIDIA's GeForce 9600 GT in the entry-level market. The 3830 will be based on the RV670 core. It will feature a 128-bit memory interface, 55nm construction, DirectX 10.1, PCIe 2.0 and UVD. It will also include 320 stream processors and up to 256MB of memory. Pricing of 3830-based video cards is expected to be around $99-$149. It is likely to be a China-only product initially and cards will probably not be available until sometime in May.
NVIDIA will launch the GeForce 9600 GS possibly in May.

June

Intel Atom N230 was launched on June 3rd. The N230 is marketed towards the "nettop" market. The processor itself is 22mm x 22mm and operates at 1.6 GHz and has 512K L2 cache. It is HT-enabled and has a TDP of 4W.
Intel Atom N270 was launched on June 3rd. The N270 is identical in features to the Atom N230 except it has a lower TDP of 2W.
AMD launched the Quad-Core AMD Opteron 1352 (2.1 GHz), 1354 (2.2 GHz), and 1356 (2.3 GHz) processors on June 3rd.
NVIDIA announced the GeForce 9M Series mobile GPU's on June 3rd. The new 9M series includes support for PureVideo HD video processing, Blu-ray Profile 2.0 features and Blu-ray Live, Hybrid SLI, DVI, HDMI 1.3, Display Port 1.1, VGA, and the new MXM version 3.0 graphics module specification. Video cards based on the 9M series will be released in the following months.
AMD announced a new batch of Turion X2 Ultra Dual-Core mobile processors on June 4th. These processors combined with the ATI Radeon HD 3000 mobile GPU form the hear of the Puma platform. The new processors will be available in clock speeds up to 2.4 GHz.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 (Code name: D10E, aka G100(?) or D10U-30), previously known as the GeForce 9900 GTX, was launched on June 17th. The GTX 280 is one of first GPU's based on the new GT200 architecture. The GTX 280 almost, but does not quite replace the 9800 GX2. The GTX 280 is a 65 nm GPU, comes with a 512-bit memory interface, and has 1 GB of GDDR3 memory. The core clock operates at 602 MHz, memory at 1107 MHz, and have 240 stream processors and 32 ROPs with Shaders running at 1296 MHz. It has 1.4 billion transistors and its TDP will be 236 Watts. It retails for $649 at launch.
NVIDIA launched the GeForce GTX 260 (Code name: D10E, aka G100(?) or D10U-20), previously known as the GeForce 9900 GTS, on June 17th. The GTX 260 comes with a 448-bit memory interface and 896MB of memory. Its core clock operates at 576 MHz, memory at 999 MHz, and has between 192 stream processors and 28 ROPs with Shaders clocked at 1242 MHz. TDP is 182 Watts and it also has 1.4 billion transistors like its sibling. It is priced at $399 for launch day.
Mozilla Firefox 3.0 was released on June 17th. For a complete list of changes and additions, click here.
Intel Eaglelake chipset is expected to be released in June at Computex; although due to manufacturing problems the first boards will not be available until sometime in mid to late June. Production should ramp up in July. Eaglelake will be the successor chipset to the G35 and P35 chipsets and targeted for mainstream consumers. Eaglelake will include PCI Express 2.0, a new ICH10 southbridge and be manufactured using a 65 nm process. The chipset will also include the built-in Danbury data protection engine which will provide hardware-based content encryption. PS/2 and LPT support is thought to be dropped. Multiple versions of the chipset will be produced including the G45 IGP, the G43, and the P45. The G45 IGP will have an integrated Intel GMA X4500HD graphics engine with support for DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0, and OpenGL 2. It will also have built-in HDMI, DisplayPort, and DVI support with HDCP. Performance of the G45 graphics chipset is thought to be around 3X that of the G33 graphics chipset. The G43 will differ from the G45 IGP in that it has reduced HD video decoding and memory support meaning higher CPU and memory utilization. The G43 will be marketed towards the value segment. Both the G45 and G43 will support dual-channel memory, but the G43 will be limited to one DIMM per channel and have a maximum memory capacity of 4GB. The G45 will support up to 8GB. The P45 will be mainstream chipset with support for either a single x16 PCIe 2.0 slot or dual x8 slots enabling CrossFireX. The P35 will only have an x16 and an x4 slot to run a CrossFireX setup. It will also have support for up to 8GB of DDR3 memory running on a 1333MHz bus. The P45 and G45 chipsets will be avaiable to manufacturers for $40. The G43 cost to manufacturers will be $34. A business oriented version called the Eaglelake-Q is expected to be released later in the year.
Microsoft released the Hyper-V software for Windows Server 2008 on June 27th. Hyper-V is enterprise-class virtualization software expected to compete with VMware and Xen-based virtualisation systems.
Intel Atom and Intel Centrino Atom (Code name: Diamondville and Silverthorne) is expected to be launched in June. Intel Atom and Intel Centrino Atom was announced on March 2nd. Atom is both an ultra-low cost, ultra-low voltage platform and processor. The Atom processor is being designed specifically for the low cost system and manufactured using a 45 nm process and will eventually be available in single and dual-core versions. The CPU's core will measure less than 25 mm². Two different versions, one for desktops and one for laptops will also be created. At launch, the single core Atom (Diamondville-SC) 230 (for desktops) and Atom (Diamondville-SC) 270 (for laptops) will be available. These initial Diamondville-based Atom processors will operate at 1.6 GHz, have a 533 MHz FSB, 512KB cache, and consume somewhere 4 Watts. The first dual core Atom CPU's will launch with 3xx model names and be available sometime in Q3 or Q4. Atom 3xx CPU's will likely all be dual core processors, while the 2xx series will be single core. Diamondville-based Atom CPU's will be capable of simultaneous multi-threading (SMT) and the Silverthorne architecture is expected to support it as well. The Silverthorne-based Atom processors will have TDP's between 0.6 and 2.5 Watts. The Silverthorne-based Atom processor with the 0.6W TDP is expected to run at around 500 MHz. Silverthorne-based Atom processors will be aimed at Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs). To further reduce costs, Atom CPU's will be able to operate without a fan (passively cooled) and be soldered directly to the motherboard. Total TDP of a Diamondville-based Atom system is expected to be between 4 and 8 Watts total. The Atom 230 is expected to cost $29 when available.
AMD Radeon 4800 series (Code name: RV770) GPU was first launched on June 19th with some limited availability on launch day and mass availablity is expected in July. RV770 replaces the Radeon HD 3800 series (RV670). This new chip will be the basis for the upcoming R700 dual chip design. It will be a 55 nm chip supporting DirectX 10.1 and significantly faster than the RV670. At least two versions, the RV770XT and RV770PRO, will be produced. RV770 will compete with the NVIDIA G100 GPU.

RV770PRO, which will be called the Radeon HD 4850, will use slower GDDR3 memory and a 256-bit memory interface. The Radeon HD 4850 is expected to have a core clock of 670 MHz, 825 MHz shader clocks, and 512MB memory at around 1100 MHz. Radeon HD 4850 will launch on June 19th. Radeon HD 4850 cards will be sold for $249 at launch.

RV770XT, which will be the Radeon HD 4870, will come with faster GDDR5 memory and a 256-bit memory interface. The 4870 will have a 750 MHz core clock, 1050 MHz shader clocks, and come with either 512MB or 1GB memory clocked at 1935 MHz. Radeon HD 4870 will launch on June 25th with availability in July. Radeon HD 4870 video cards will retail for around $299 at launch.
AMD Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition CPU was released around June 27th. The 9950 features a 2.6 GHz core frequency, four cores, 65 nm, and will be a B3 revision. It will have a 140W TDP. Aside from the increased frequency, it will have the same features as the proceeding Phenoms. Like other B3 revision chips, the 9950 was originally named the 9900 but received the new name to differentiate itself from prior revisions that contained the TLB errata.
Intel P43 chipset was quietly released in June. The P43 chipset will be based on the P45 chipset but with some lesser specs and a slightly different feature set. It will only support a single x16 PCI Express slot instead of the dual x8 slots on the P45. It will support both DDR2 and DDR3, but will be limited to a maximum of 1066 MHz for both. The P45 supports only DDR3 up to 1333 MHz. The chipset will be available to manufacturers for $34, so motherboards based on the P43 will likely be cheaper than the P45.

H2 (2nd Half)

AMD Shanghai (aka K10.5) is expected to be release sometime in late H2 2008 or early 2009. Shanghai will be a die shrink to 45 nm for the AMD Opteron (Barcelona) core. Shanghai is expected to have a native quad-core design, an improved K10 architecture, 64KB data cache (per core), 64KB instruction cache (per core), 512KB L2 cache (per core), 6MB L3 cache, AMD-V, 3x HT links, and faster clock speeds. It will support both normal and registered DDR2 (RDDR2) memory, but DDR3 support may also be included. It will require 1.150V to run. AMD has said it will be the first 3+ GHz chip they've produced.
AMD Istanbul is a variant of Shanghai and is expected to be announced in late 2008 or 2009. Istanbul will be a native 6 core processor based on the new Shanghai architecture and will be socket-compatible (Socket F1). It will be intended for dual+ CPU sytems and use AMD's Direct Connect Architecture. A twin-die configuration could enable up to 12 cores on a single chip.
AMD Deneb will be a new quad-core (Phenom X4) processor due out sometime in H2 2008, most likely late Q4. Deneb will be 45 nm processors and feature a shared 6MB L3 cache, 2MB L2 cache, HT3, ~95W TDP, and support for DDR2 & DDR3 with AM2+ & AM3 socket motherboards. Deneb processors will likely be available around 3.0 GHz in speed, but even higher speeds are possible.
AMD Deneb FX processors are expected in H2 2008, most likely late Q4. They will be very similar to Deneb processors except for higher core frequencies. They also may end up with support for 1207+ socket motherboards. Like other FX branded CPU's from AMD, they will likely be overclocking friendly and come completely unlocked.
AMD Propus is expected sometime in H2 (or Q1 2009) and will likely appear after Deneb. Propus processors will be the next evolution of Phenom X2 CPUs and based on the 45 nm Deneb CPU design. Propus might include "variable shared L3 cache" or more likely do away with the L3 cache entirely, 2MB L2 cache, HT3, and support for DDR3. Propus CPUs should be able to be used on AM2+ and AM3 motherboards. Propus should be the B3 revision of the Kuma processor. It will have a TDP around 95 Watts.
AMD Regor will be the next generation dual-core AMD Athlon X2 CPUs due out sometime in H2 2008, but more likely Q1 2009. They are likely to support DDR2 and DDR3 as well as HT3. Also, they will likely support AM2+ and AM3 socketed motherboards.
AMD Sargas is the next generation single-core Sempron due out in H2 2008. DDR2 and DDR3 support is expected along with HT3. Additionally, these CPUs should be compatible with AM2+ and AM3 motherboards.
Intel Itanium (Code name: Tukwila -- previously code named Tanglewood) is expected to be released in H2 2008. It was announced in February 2008 at IDF. Tukwila will replace the Itanium 2 and be rebranded simply Itanium. Tukwila will feature a brand new architecture and include Intel's QuickPath Interconnect which will make is socket compatible with the Nehalem Xeon processor. Tukwila is expected to have 4 cores with 30 MB of shared L3 cache and manufactured using a 65 nm process. It will have a dual integrated memory controller and mainframe-class RAS features. Performance of Tukwila is expected to be roughly double that of the Itanium 2. It will consume roughly 25% more power than previous Itanium 2 CPU's and contain more than 2 billion transistors.
Intel plans to introduce the Xeon X7460, a new six-core Xeon CPU (Code name: Dunnington), in the 2nd half of 2008. Dunnington will be composed of three dual-core 45nm Penryn cores. Each pair of cores will share 3MB of L2 cache while all six will share 16MB of L3 cache. The CPU will operate at 2.66 GHz and works on a 1066 MHz bus. Dunnington will succeed the Xeon Tigerton CPU, but will probably not be pin compatible. It will support FlexMigration technology for virtual machines (VM). It will contain 1.9 billion transistors and TDP is estimated to be around 130 Watts or less. It will cost around $2,651 at launch making it the most expensive Xeon ever sold.
Intel intends to launch the six-core Xeon X7450 in H2 2008. The X7450 will be based on the new Dunnington design. It will operate at 2.4 GHz and utilizes a 1066 MHz bus. It has 12MB cache and will cost $2,235 at launch.
ATI RV740 is scheduled for launch in the second half of 2008, probably after July. RV740 will be ATI's mainstream GPU and compete with the GeForce 9600 GT. RV740 will be a 55 nm GPU with a 256-bit memory interface. Performance-wise it should be between the slower RV635 and the faster RV770. It should replace the RV635.
AMD intends to launch the low-power, triple-core Phenom X3 8250e in H2. The 8250e will be a 1.9 GHz CPU, have 1.5MB L2 cache, 2MB L3 cache, and a TDP of 65 Watts. It will likely become available in late July or early August.
Phenom X3 8450e will also launch in H2, probably around the same time as the 8250e. It will operate at 2.1 GHz and include 1.5MB L2 cache and 2MB L3 cache.
USB 3.0 (aka PCI Express over cable) specification is expected to be formalized sometime in H2 2008. USB 3.0 will be 10x as fast as USB 2.0, up to 4.8Gbps. USB 3.0 will be backwards compatible with USB 2.0. Improvements to the specification will include better power consumption and protocol efficiency. Additionally, USB 3.0 cables and ports are to be designed with support for both copper and optical capabilities in mind paving the way for higher speeds in the future.
AMD Rana is expected to replace current generation AMD Athlon X2 CPUs in H2 2008. These dual-core CPUs will have 512KB L2 cache per core, DDR2 support, HT3, and use AM2+ sockets.
AMD Spica will be introduced in H2 2008 and phase out older Semprons. Spica will be a single-core CPU with support for HT3, DDR2, and AM2+ sockets. These processors are expected to have a total of 512KB L2 cache.
NVIDIA plans to announce the 9M series of mobild video cards sometime in H2. For the enthusiast, NVIDIA plans to launch the 9800M GTX, 9800M GTS, 9700M GTS, and 9700M GT. The performance level includes the 9650M GT, 9600M GT, 9600M GS, and the 9500M G. At the mainstream level there will be the 9400M G, 9300M GS, 9200M GS, and the 9100M G. The enthusiast class cards all get 256-bit memory interfaces and up to 51 GB memory bandwidth except the 9700M GT which will only have up to 26 GB memory bandwidth. The performance group all have 128-bit memory interfaces and 26 GB memory bandwidth. Mainstream "G" cards come with 128-bit memory interfaces and 26 GB memory bandwidth while the "GS" have 64-bit and 11 GB memory bandwidth. All 9-series cards support HybridPower, DirectX 10, and full HD support. At the high-end, the 9800M GTX has a processing speed of 420 Gigaflops. The 9800M and 9700M cards will support SLI.
Intel is planning to launch the Core 2 Duo T9800 sometime in H2 2008. The T9800 is a dual-core, 2.93 GHz mobile CPU that has 6 MB cache and a 1066 MHz FSB. It is Socket P compatible and will work with the new Centrino 2 platform.

Q3 (3rd Qtr)

Intel intends to launch the Celeron 575 sometime in Q3. The 575, like the Celeron 585, is an entry-level mobile processor for the new Centrino 2 platform. It will have the same features as the Celeron 585, but operate at 2 GHz instead. Pricing will be $86/unit per thousand.
Intel plans to launch the Celeron 585 possibly in Q3. The 585 will be an entry-level mobile processor for the Centrino 2 platform (Montevina). It will be a 65 nm Merom-based processor operating a 2.16 GHz. It will include support for a 667 MHz FSB and feature 1MB L2 cache and have a TDP of 31 Watts. Pricing is set at $107/unit per thousand.
Intel will launch its first quad-core mobile CPU sometime in Q3. This CPU will be primarily for the high-end, performance oriented mobile market. This CPU may be manufactured as a single silicon die instead of two dual-core dies to reduce heat and power requirements necessary for a mobile CPU.
Intel plans to release a low cost mobile platform code named Shelton in Q3 2008. Shelton is being specifically designed for low cost mobile systems and for thin client systems. A new processor called Intel Diamondville will be the heart of the platform. Shelton will have support for a USB or IDE SSD (solid state drive) drive, up to 6 USB ports, 802.11g Wi-Fi, and typically outfitted with a 7-8 inch LCD panel. Boards are likely to only have 1 single-channel DDR2 DIMM slot and a single PCI connector. Graphics will be integrated and based on the Intel 945GSE chipsets which has support for DirectX 9. They will have support for Microsoft Vista Basic. Shelton-based notebooks should retail for $300-$500.
SQL Server 2008 (Code name: Katmai) is expected to be released in Q3. The new version focuses on four key areas of features and improvements: mission-critical platform, dynamic development, beyond relational data, and pervasive business insight.
- Mission-critical platform – SQL Server 2008 enables organizations to run their most complex applications on a secure, reliable, and scalable platform while enabling IT to reduce the complexity of managing their data management infrastructure. SQL Server 2008 provides a secure and trusted platform by securing valuable information in existing applications and enhancing the availability of the data. SQL Server 2008 introduces an innovative policy-based management framework that enables policies to be defined for explicit and automated administration of server entities across one or multiple servers. In addition, SQL Server 2008 delivers predictable query performance with an optimized platform.
- Dynamic development – SQL Server 2008 along with the .NET Framework reduces the complexity of developing new applications. The ADO.NET Entity Framework enables developers to be more productive by working with logical data entities that align with business requirements instead of programming directly with tables and columns. The new Language Integrated Query (LINQ) extensions in the .NET Framework revolutionizes how developers query data by extending Visual C# and Visual Basic .NET to support an SQL-like query syntax natively. And support for occasionally connected systems lets developers build applications that enables users to take data with them on devices and later synchronize their data with central servers.
- Beyond relational data – SQL Server 2008 enables developers to consume and manage any type of data from traditional data types to advanced new geospatial data. Developers can build next-generation database applications that feature new location awareness support and that enable document management capabilities.
- Pervasive business insight – SQL Server 2008 provides a scalable infrastructure that can manage reports and analysis of any size and complexity while making it easier for users to access information through deeper integration with Microsoft Office. This enables IT to drive business intelligence throughout the organization. SQL Server 2008 makes great strides in data warehousing, enabling users to consolidate data marts in an enterprise data warehouse.
Intel plans to release the Core 2 Quad Q9400 in Q3 or late Q2. The Q9400 will be a 2.7 GHz quad-core CPU with 6MB L2 cache. It will support the LGA775 socket and have a 1333 FSB. It will cost around $268 at launch.
Intel plans to release the Core 2 Quad Q9650 in Q3 or late Q2. The Q9650 will be a 3.0 GHz quad-core CPU with 12MB L2 cache. It will support the LGA775 socket and have a 1333 FSB. The Quad Q9650 is exactly like the Extreme Q9650 except with a locked multiplier. It will cost $530 at launch.
Intel will launch the Atom 3xx series processors sometime in Q3 or Q4. The 3xx series will be dual core CPU's with a TDP around 8 Watts.
AMD Phenom X3 8550 triple-code CPU is expected to be launched in Q3, probably early July. The 8550 runs at 2.2 GHz processor and will be based on the Toliman core.
Intel will launch the Core 2 Duo E7300 sometime in Q3. The Core 2 Duo E7300 will operate at 2.66 GHz, support a 1066 MHz FSB, and come with 3MB cache. It will have two cores and two threads. TDP will be 65 Watts. At launch, it will sell for $137.
Intel is planning to launch the Core 2 Quad Q8200 in Q3. It will have a 1333 MHz FSB, 4MB L2 cache, and operate at 2.33 GHz. This will be an entry-level CPU targeting AMD's triple-core market. Because it is an entry-level CPU, it will not support Intel's VT or TXT technologies. It will feature four cores and four threads per core. TDP is expected to be 95 Watts. It will be priced at $203.
Intel plans to launch the Pentium E5200, a 2.5 GHz value CPU, in Q3. The E5000 family of processors will be phased in to replaced existing E4000 processors. They will be dual core, 45 nm, Wolfdale-based CPU's. They will have 2MB of L2 cache and a 800 MHz FSB. These will be entry-level processors and priced at $133 in quantities of 1000.
AMD will launch a new series of dual-core CPU's based on the K10 architecure in Q3. These new CPU's will re-use the Athlon and named with 6000 series model numbers. At launch, the 6250 and 6050 will be avaialble. These new CPU's will have 1MB L2 cache and 2MB shared L3 cache. Maximum TDP will be 65 Watts for both.

July

AMD Phenom X4 9150E was launched around July 1st. The Phenom X4 9150E operates at 1.8 GHz and it has a TDP of 65 Watts. It will be available at launch for $195.
AMD Phenom X4 9350E is a low-power CPU released around July 1st. It is based on the Agena core. It operates at 2.0 GHz and has a TDP of 65 Watts. The price at launch is set for $175.
AMD very quietly released the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ EE SFF around July 1st. It is a 35 Watt TDP, dual-core desktop CPU. It is based on the old 90 nm design and clocked at 2.0 GHz.
Firewire 3200 specification was published on July 9th. The new standard quadruples speeds to 3.2 Gbps or about 400 MB/sec. It builds on the existing 1394b standard and will be backwards compatible meaning it will use the same cabling and equipment. Overheard will be lowered allowing up to 97% of the transmitted data to contain user payload.
Intel 45 Express chipset (GM45) (Code name: Cantiga) was launched on July 15th. The chipset is for the next generation Centrino platform (Montevina). It will feature a new integrated graphics core (GMA X4500) which will support DirectX 10, Shader Model 4.0, and Intel Clear Video technology which allows it to decode high-definition video. The GPU core will run at 533 MHz. Overall performance is expected to be about three times faster than the previous GM965 chipset that it replaces. The GM45 chipset will support both 667MHz and 1066MHz FSB's, DDR2 and DDR3 memory, and come equipped with the ICH9M/ICH9M-Enhanced south bridge. It will also support DDR3 at 800MHz, but not DDR2. The Montevina platform may also have two lower cost IGP chipsets; the GS45 without HDMI and Display Port support and the GL40 with slower graphics performance. The GS45 and GL40 will likely launch in the quarter after the GM45 is launched. The baseline specification for Centrino 2 notebooks calls for a minimum of 2GB memory.
Intel PM45 chipset (Code name: Cantiga) was also launched along with the Intel GM45 chipset on July 15th, but will come without an integrated graphics processor (IGP). Notebooks using this chipset will use discrete graphics solutions from either NVIDIA or ATI.
Intel GM47 chipset was launched along with the Intel GM45 chipset on July 15th. The GM47 is identical to the GM45 except it has a faster graphics core clock of 640 MHz.

Intel Centrino 2 (Code name: Montevina) will be the fifth generation Centrino platform and debuted on July 15th. Montevina will support Penryn Mobile CPU's, 1066 MHz FSB, DDR3-800 MHz memory, up to 6MB cache, Intel Turbo Memory (NAND Flash), LAN controller (code name Boaz), Intel Wireless WiFi Link (code name Shiloh), and Intel WiMax (code name Duna Point) or the Intel combo WiFi/WiMAX Link (code name Echo Point). Penryn CPUs used in conjunction with Montevina will get a new, lower TDP rating of 25 Watts.

Intel will also release a revised naming scheme for its mobile processors when Montevina is announced. The new naming scheme for the mobile processors will be brought more in-line with that of its Core 2 Duo desktop processors. The small package processors will likely be used for ultra mobile devices such as handheld computers and for embedded devices.

Intel Montevina CPU Naming Scheme
Prefix	Description	TDP Range
QX	Quad-core Extreme Performance	40W+
X	Dual-core Extreme Performance	40W+
T	Highly Energy Efficient	30-39W
P	Power Optimized Energy Efficient Higher Performance	20-29W
L	Highly Energy Efficient	12-19W
U	Ultra High Energy Efficient	<=11.9W
SP	Small Package Power Optimized Energy Efficient Higher Performance	20-29W
SL	Small Package Highly Energy Efficient	12-19W
SU	Small Package Ultra High Energy Efficient	<=11.9W

Intel release a refreshed batch of 15 mobile processors for the recently released Centrino 2 (Montevina) platform on July 15th. Existing Core 2 Duo processors will have their TDP lowered to 25 Watts compared to 35 Watts for earlier Penryn Mobile CPUs. Seven CPU's will be for the typical notebook market and eight CPU's for the small form factor (SFF) market. The seven CPU's will all support 1066 MHz FSB. Of the eight SFF CPU's, those with TDP less than or equal to 10W will have FSB up to 800 MHz while the other will support up to 1066 MHz. The Core 2 Extreme QX9300 will be Intel's first quad-core mobile processor. The QX9300 will not be launched until Q3 although it will probably be announced along with the other CPU's. The Q9100 will also not be launched until Q3.

Intel Centrino (Montevina) Processors (Typical CPU's)
Model	Core	L2	TDP	Price
QX9300	2.53 GHz	12MB	45W	$1,038
X9100	3.06 GHz	6MB	44W	$851
T9600	2.8 GHz	6MB	35W	$530
T9400	2.53 GHz	6MB	35W	$316
P9500	2.53 GHz	6MB	25W	$348
P8600	2.4 GHz	3MB	25W	$241
P8400	2.26 GHz	3MB	25W	$209

Intel Centrino (Montevina) Processors (SFF CPU's)
Model	Core	L2	TDP	Price
SP9400	2.4 GHz	6MB	25W	$316
SP9300	2.26 GHz	6MB	25W	$284
SL9400	1.86 GHz	6MB	17W	$316
SL9300	1.6 GHz	6MB	17W	$284
SU9400	1.4 GHz	3MB	10W	$289
SU9300	1.2 GHz	3MB	10W	$262
U3300	1.2 GHz	3MB	5.5W	$262
Celeron 723	1.2 GHz	1MB	10W	$161

NVIDIA released the GeForce 9800 GTX+, a refreshed 9800 GTX, on July 16th. The GTX+ will have a higher core clock of 738 MHz and a higher shader clock at 1836 MHz. It will also include support for PhysX on the GPU and CUDA-based applications. It will also be manufactured at 55 nm instead of 65 nm for the original GTX.
NVIDIA plans to launch the GeForce 9500 GS (Code name: G96 aka D9M-25) in July. It will have a 550 MHz core clock and 500 MHz GDDR2 memory with a 128-bit memory interface. The shaders are clocked at 1400 Mhz. Initially it will be manufactured using a 65 nm process, but later shrunk to 55 nm.
NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT (Code name: G96-300 aka D9M-30) is expected to be launched in late July, possibly on the 29th. The 9500 GT will be based on the G96 GPU core but with a narrower 128-bit memory interface (vs. 256-bit for the 9600). The 9500 GT will target the value-level market. It should come with 256MB/512MB GDDR2 memory (and a 512MB GDDR3 version), 550 MHz core clock, 1400 MHz shaders, and 800 MHz GDDR3 memory. The memory will likely be GDDR3 memory, but GDDR2 memory may appear in some lower-end models. It will also support DirectX 10.0, OpenGL 2.1, PCIe 2.0, and Hybrid SLI. It will also have DisplayPort capabilities, but that will be left to the manufacturers. Initially it will be a 65 nm core, but later it will transition to a 55 nm core. A 1 GB versions is also possible from some manufacturers.
AMD plans to launch the RS780D (aka 790GX) and RS780C chipsets in late July. The RS780D will be a high-end chipset based on the previously released RS780. It will support multiple video cards. The RS780C is for the mainstream market and will likely have fewer features than the RS780, but more than the RS740. Motherboards based on the RS780D will cost more than $120. RS780C motherbaords will cost around $60-$80 depending on the features. The RS780C will be known as the AMD 780V and the graphics core known as the ATI Radeon 3100. It will not include support for UVD or Hybrid CrossFire. The RS780D, known as the AMD 790GX chipset, will have its graphics core known as the ATI Radeon HD 3300 based on the RV620 GPU core (55 nm). The graphics core will have all the features of the RS780, but will also include dual x8 CrossFire support. The RS780D will probably include support for tri-hybrid CrossFireX which will allow dual discrete video cards and the IGP to work in concert with each other. The chipset will also support Sideport graphics memory (up to 128MB) to help speed up the IGP. Sideport will be DDR3 memory running at 400 MHz, 533 MHz, or 667 MHz. It will also include the new SB750 southbridge which will have support for RAID 5.
AMD plans to relaunch its 790FX chipset in July. The relaunched version of the chipset will include the new SB750 southbridge which will include new support for RAID 5. It will also support RAID 0, 1, and 10. The chipset also includes support for 12 USB 2.0 ports, 6 SATA, IDE, and audio. Overall, boards based on the new chipset will offer better overclocking support and the ability to use 140 Watt CPU's. The chipset can also support up to four PCIe 2.0 slots (probably x8), 1 PCIe x4 slot, and one PCI slot.

August

Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 is expected to be introduced in August 10th. E8600 is a 3.33 GHz CPU manufactured using the new 45 nm process and based on the Wolfdale core. It will have 6MB of cache, a TDP around 65 Watts, and will be a C0 stepping. It will cost $266 at launch.
NVIDIA MCP7A chipset (nForce 730i) will be launched in August. MCP7A will be a chipset for Intel CPU's and come in eight (8) different versions. The standard features for all the different versions of the board include support for up to 6 SATA 3.0 GB/s ports, up to 12 USB 2.0 ports, integrated Gigabit ethernet, RAID (0, 1, 0+1, 5), 1333 MHz FSB, Hybrid SLI, DVI, HDCP, PureVideo HD, HDMI, DirectX 10, and a dual-channel memory controller. MCP7A-U (GeForce 9400) motherboards will cost around $80 and MCP7A-S (GeForce 9300) motherboards around $70-$75. The Geforce 9300 will have a GPU clock of 450 MHz and the shaders at 1.2 GHz. The Geforce 9400 will be clocked at 580 MHz and shaders at 1.5 GHz. A non-IGP version, the MCP7A-H, will come with only a single-channel memory controller supporting a maximum of DDR2-800 MHz memory. The MCP7A-GL and MCP7A-J will include support for 1080p high-definition video processing and integrated HDCP. One version of the MCP7A will also include a Quadro GPU for workstation-class performance. The MCP7A-SLI and MCP7A-GL will be the only SLI capable boards featuring 2 x8 PCIe 2.0 slots. NVIDIA might add to the MCP7A-U support for DDR3 memory. MCP7A-D-SLI will not have an integrated GPU nor will it support Hybrid SLI.
NVIDIA MCP7C chipset is due to be launched in August. MCP7C will be for Intel CPU's and likely very similar to the MCP7A chipset. It will support 1333 MHz FSB and come with a single-channel memory controller supporting a maximum of DDR2-800 MHz memory. It will feature HDMI, DVI, HDCP, and PureVideo HD. Motherboards based on the MCP7C will have a cost of around $60-$65.
ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 (Code name: R700XT) is expected to be launched on August 12th. Production will begin in late July so some video cards may end up appearing earlier than the launch date. The R700 series will replace the existing R600 series. DisplayPort and possibly DirectX 11 support will be included. R700 will likely consist of two GPU cores (RV770 XT) on a single PCB and manufactured using a 45nm process. The R700 will support new GDDR5 memory and come with 2GB. 1GB GDDR3 versions will also likely be available.

September

NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT (Code name: G92-280 aka D9P-40) quietly became avaible from OEM desktop manufacturers around the middle of July. It will likely become available in the retail channel shortly thereafter. The GeForce 9800 GT will likely use the 65 nm core from the 9800 GTX, but later be transitioned to the 55 nm G92b core. It will support Hybrid Power and come in 256 MB and 512 MB GDDR3 versions. The core clock should end up higher than the GeForce 8800 GT's 600 MHz. Memory will be clocked at 900 MHz and shaders at 1500 MHz. It will come with 2x DVI-I and HDTV support. 9800 GT cards will require 2x 6-pin power connectors. It will likely cost around $149 when available.
ATI RV710 GPU (Radeon HD 4450?) is expected sometime in September. The RV710 is the low-end R700 GPU. It should end up replacing the Radeon HD 3450 and 2400 series. It will come in 256 MB and 512 MB versions. The different versions of the card will sell for between $69 and $99 at launch.
ATI RV730 GPU is expected sometime in September. The RV730 will be a mainstream GPU and should replace the RV630. It will be available in XT and PRO versions, both coming with 1GB of memory. It will probably sell for between $129 (PRO) and $149 (XT).
ATI Radeon HD 4850 X2 (Code name: R700PRO) will likely be announced in September. The 4850 X2 will consist of two RV770 PRO cores and target the enthusiast market. It includes 2GB of GDDR3 memory and will sell for around $449 at launch.
Intel Atom 330, a dual-core CPU for mobile Internet devices (MID), is expected to be launched on September 21st. The Atom 330 is a 1.6 GHz CPU, has 2x512 KB (1MB) cache and has a FSB of 533 MHz. It's two cores will have four threads and supports 64-bit. TDP will be 8 Watts. It is expected to cost $43 at launch.

Q4 (4th Qtr)

Intel Nehalem is expected to be release sometime in Q4 of 2008 although it may be announced as early as September. Nehalem is both a microprocessor architecture and a CPU. Nehalem will be manufactured using the same 45 nm methods used for Penryn, but it will require a new socket called LGA1366. Nehalem is expected to have between 2 and 8 cores and integrated tri-channel memory controller for DDR3 (no DDR2 support is expected) 800 MHz, 1066 MHz, and 1333 MHz memory. Nehalem CPU's will be built using pairs of cores based on an advanced Core 2 (Penryn) CPU's. Up to 4 pairs, 8 total cores, will be possible with Nehalem. Nehalem will no longer have a front side bus (FSB), it being replaced with the Intel QuickPath Interconnect technology. The amount of cache is expected to be less than Intel Penryn processors, measuring in at 8MB of L3 cache; however all 8MB will be shared between all the cores. Nehalem CPU's will have 256KB of L2 cache per core, 32KB cache for data, and 32KB L1 instruction cache per core. It will contain 731 million transistors and include support for SSE4.2 instructions. The new microprocessor architecture will also include Simultaneous Multi-Treading (SMT) technology which is actually a revival of Hyper-Threading (HT) found in the Pentium IV. With SMT, a Nehalem processor with four physical cores will be detected as eight logical cores. An integrated graphics processor off the die might also be included, although it may not be included in the first versions of the chip. The high-end, Extreme edition of the chip has been code named Gainstown and is likely to be symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) / dual CPU compatible. The desktop edition has been code named Bloomfield. The server and high-end enthusiast versions will be available first, followed later by desktop and mobile versions. Lynnfield will be the code name for the performance mainstream processors and Havendale will round out the entry-level to mainstream markets. Total TDP is expected to be around 130 Watts. Performance is estimated to be 20 to 30% faster than 45nm Core 2 CPU's running at the same speed. Three Nehalem CPU's are expected to be available at launch: an Extreme Edition processor that will co-exist with the QX9770, a performance processor that will co-exist with the Q9650, and a high-end mainstream (M3) processor that will co-exist with the Q9550.
Intel Bloomfield is expected to be released in Q4 2008 although a September announcement is possible. Bloomfield will be a quad-core chip for high-end markets based on Nehalem. Bloomfield CPU's will be capable of processing eight simultaneous threads because of the Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) technology include in Nehalem processors. Bloomfield will also support triple-channel DDR3 memory and Intel's Quick Path Interconnect. Bloomfield CPU's will use a LGA 1366 socket. Intel plans to release three Bloomfield CPU's in Q4. The three code names for the chips are XE, P1 and MS3 with core frequencies of 3.2 GHz, 2.93 GHz and 2.66 GHz respectively. The TDP for the three CPU's are 130 Watts. The 3.2 GHz Bloomfield is expected to retail for $999 at launch while the 2.93 GHz will be $562 and the 2.66 GHz is $284.
Intel X58 chipset (Tylersburg-DT) is expected sometime in Q4, but it could be announced as early as September. X58 is a high-end chipset for Nehalem processors and will be based on the Eaglelake chipset. Like Eaglelake, it will include the new ICH10/R southbridge. For this chipset, it is expected that only DDR3 support will be included by dropping DDR2. This DDR3 memory will be clocked at 1333MHz and accessible through 3 channels. It will also come with a pair of x16 PCIe 2.0 slots. Boards with 4x x8 PCIe slots might also be possible. The MCH (Memory Controller Hub) will be replaced by the IOH or I/O Hub and will now reside on the CPU. The X58 chipset will include SLI support from the NVIDIA nForce 200 SLI processor.
AMD plans to launch a 95 Watt version of the Phenom X4 9850 before the end of the year. It will probably be exactly like the previously release 9850, but with a locked multiplier and of course the lower TDP.
A revised Phenom X4 9950 is expected to be relaunched in at the end of Q4. The revised 9950 will more than likely have a lower TDP than the original 9950.
AMD plans to introduce the M98, a mobile GPU based on the RV770, in Q4. It will most likely be a high-end mobile GPU and be available in mobile workstations only due to power and heat requirements.

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