AMD claims to close CPU process gap
 

WITH INTEL THUMPING its chest in full force about 65 nano technology, AMD shot back with a pithy press release about how it is going to close the process gap this time. Fine, good, no, great, competition is what makes Applied Materials stock go up, and we all win that one, or at least Applied Materials stock holders win.
AMD said it is planning to be right on Intel's heels with 65 nanometres, Intel is talking about Q4 of this year, and AMD "late" Q4/05, mere months behind.

There are two problems with this. First, as we noted here, Intel is speeding up on its 65 nanometre process. So, for every day that Intel shows up early, AMD has another day of gap. Intel PR will crow about this.

The more worrying question is where are the chips? Intel has been demoing 65nm chips for months now, up and running code, happy in its own world. The Presler box at IDF ran at 2GHz, which isn't bad for a chip this early. AMD showed nothing. It has, to the best of our nowledge, publicly shown nothing. It has also privately shown nothing, to the best of our knowledge.

This is a little worrying. AMD has been playing things very close to its chest recently, but this is uncomfortably close. If 65 nanometres was doing well, and a mere nine months away, you would expect them to have at least a few bits to show to tame and loyal press. Those pats^h^h^h^h reporters would then trumpet to the world how AMD was right up there with Intel, and they would hold hands and sing kumbaya while trundling off into the sunset. That is the way the PR game is played, one side shoots first, and the next hastily says 'we can do that too'.

We're hearing unsettled murmurs from peanut gallery. AMD needs to show off stuff and now to quell the mutters of the folks in the gallery. µ
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=22043