AMD apparently plans to add differences between the MP and XP processors.
The first carrot appears to be increasing official FSB on the processor, probably from 133 to 166Mhz.
That’s nice, but I’m typing this with an XP1600+ doing 10X166 at the moment using a KX7-133 and Corsair XMS3000. Hardly need an MP to do that.
Another (emphasized, not new) carrot of the new MP is unlocked multipliers. Well, if I’m a true MP-type and I have a 133MHz board and RAM like 98%+ of the Athlon platform population; you’d better let me adjust the multiplier if you expect me to buy your highspeed CPU.
If I’m not, unlocking is rather a pain, but is it $60 worth of pain (the usual premium of an MP over an XP)? Many of us would normally say “No” to that.
So out comes the stick.
Well, in case you didn’t know, AMD increased the pain level on the XP2100+. Read about it here.
Basically, for 2100+ processors or better, if you want a 12.5X or lower multiplier, you literally have your work cut out for you; it’s not just a matter of going over the trenches.
If AMD doesn’t do anything else to the Thoroughbreds, this won’t have much immediate impact since Thoroughbreds will be made at speeds less than 2100+. At some point, though, this could become quite an annoyance.
Another annoyance is that Throughbred XPs are supposed to be MP disabled. Probably more slicing and dicing.
I can understand why AMD wants more money for its CPUs. Given the prices as of late, their ASPs can’t be doing all too well and must be down this quarter.
The question, though, isn’t how understanding I might be. It’s how understanding you’ll be, and I expect the answer will be, “Not enough to buy an MP” and if matters get too aggravating, maybe enough for a few more to go PIV.
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