CPU steppings/revisions

What exactly do steppings/revision do? Do these just fix software errata with the design, or can they actually reduce power consumption, increase performance, or increase overclocks?

What was the biggest revision that you know that actually did something significant?

Firestrider said:

What exactly do steppings/revision do? Do these just fix software errata with the design, or can they actually reduce power consumption, increase performance, or increase overclocks?

What was the biggest revision that you know that actually did something significant?

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Revisions ( steppings ) are exactly what the name implies... the architecture has been revised, tweaked.. made a teeny bit better. Typically not earth shattering performance difference.

The most significant revision I can think of is the stepping change on the Q6600 from the crappy B3 to G0... G0's kicked rear


~ Gos

Goshawk said:

Revisions ( steppings ) are exactly what the name implies... the architecture has been revised, tweaked.. made a teeny bit better. Typically not earth shattering performance difference.

The most significant revision I can think of is the stepping change on the Q6600 from the crappy B3 to G0... G0's kicked rear


~ Gos

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How was G0 better than B3? Better overclockability, lower latency caches, lower power consumption, better IPC, what? How can AMD/Intel build a better chip with the same design/process?

I heard that when they brought out the E0 wolfdales, they changed the timings in the L2 cache so it would be easier to get higher clockspeeds. I'm not sure if that's exactly true, but stuff like that. That would also most likely keep the chip cooler at higher clockspeeds with looser timings in certain clock cycle areas.

Firestrider said:

How was G0 better than B3? Better overclockability, lower latency caches, lower power consumption, better IPC, what? How can AMD/Intel build a better chip with the same design/process?

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Probably the best way to answer that is look at the Q6600 OC results threads since the G0 ( sSpec: SLACR ) was released... Also, it's the same process, but slightly (tweaked) different "design"


~ Gos

How is there a difference in TDP between the two Phenom 9950 (140W & 125W) given there is no new revision?

On Anandtech I read that the G0 Q6600 has a lower idle and load power consumption in comparison to the B3 by 3 and 5% respectibly.

Also unrelated question: if you overclock a lower model same architecture processor to a higher model's clock frequency would it use the same power consumption as that higher model given the same voltage?

Firestrider said:

How is there a difference in TDP between the two Phenom 9950 (140W & 125W) given there is no new revision?

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I honestly don't know, perhaps there was a revision? AMD is a different company all together, so perhaps they treat this "tweaking" a little differently than Intel does.


~ Gos