cpu-collection.de (original) (raw)
2008-10-22
13 additions to the collection today:
The K6-III was the last and fastest of all Socket 7 processors. It achieved the distinction of being the fastest x86 processor on the market on release, and remained highly competitive for a considerable time afterwards.
In conception, the design was simple: it was a K6-2 with an additional L2 cache. The original K6-2 had a 64 KB primary cache and a much larger amount of motherboard-mounted cache (usually 512 KB or 1 MB but varying depending on the choice of main board). In contrast the competing Intel parts used 32 KB of L1 cache and either 128 KB of full-speed secondary cache integrated into the CPU itself (Celeron) or 512 KB of half-speed cache mounted on a processor daughter board (Pentium II, Pentium III). The K6-III, however, used both methods: it had 64 KB primary cache, a massive 256 KB on-chip, full-speed secondary cache (similar to the Celeron's but twice the size), and the variable size motherboard mounted cache on the Socket 7 main board became a tertiary level.
In execution, however, the design was not simple: with 21.4 million transistors, it was a very large chip to manufacture with early 1999 technology, and the K6 core design did not scale well past 500 MHz. Nevertheless, the K6-III 400 sold well, and the K6-III 450 was clearly the fastest x86 chip on the market on introduction, comfortably outperforming AMD's K6-2s and Intel's Pentium IIs.
References:AMD K6-III Tech Docs
3 new AMD K6-III in the collection:
The K6-2+ is a revised version of the K6-III. Essentially, the K6-2+ is a K6-III with a 128 KB L2 cache made on a new 180nm production process. It was also the first processors to be available with the PowerNow! power saving technology. Essentially, the power savings were achieved with a combination of frequency (through adjusting multipliers) and voltage reduction.
References:AMD K6-2+ Data Sheet [pdf] c't about first availability in Germany
1 new AMD K6-2+ in the collection:
Enhanced Am486, built around the standard AMD 486 core, incorporated write-back cache and enhanced power management features. These characteristics made them a good choice for reduced power consumption desktop systems and for the portable market segment. With clock-tripled performance speeds up to 120 MHz, these 3-V CPUs offered great price/performance value for both desktop and portable computers by providing power management and write-back enhanced features at no extra premium.
The enhanced Am486 microprocessors featured enhanced power management features, including SMM and clock control. These enhancements allow reduced power consumption during system inactivity. The SMM function is implemented with an industry standard two-pin interface. In write-back mode, frequently used data is stored in the high-speed internal cache and accessed continually from within until the data is modified, thus increasing the performance of the CPU.
9 new Enhanced AMD Am486 in the collection:
AMD A80486DX2-66NV8T
Enhanced Am486, 8 KB write-through cache
AMD Am486DE2-66V8TGC
Enhanced Am486, 8 KB write-through cache, commercial range 0 - +85�C
References: Datasheet
AMD A80486DX2-66SV8B
Enhanced Am486, SMM, 8 KB write-back cache
AMD Am486DX2-66V16BGC
Enhanced Am486, 16 KB write-back cache, commercial range 0 - +85�C
References: Datasheet
AMD A80486DX2-80 V8T
Enhanced Am486 with ICE microcode, 8 KB write-through cache
AMD A80486DX4-90NV8T
Enhanced Am486, 8 KB write-through cache
AMD A80486DX4-100NV8T
Enhanced Am486, 8 KB write-through cache
AMD Am486DX4-100V16BGC
Enhanced Am486, 16 KB write-back cache, commercial range 0 - +85�C
AMD Am486DX4-100SV16BGI
Enhanced Am486, 16 KB write-back cache, SMM, industrial range -40 - +100°C