Everyone knows that one of the major reasons the Athlon 64 is such a fast processor is because the memory controller is integrated onto the chip, rather than being on the Northbridge. This means that main memory can interact directly with the processor, rather than having to go through a third party.
Well, AMD are clearly keen to push this further, as there is a suggestion on
the INQ today that AMD are going to integrate the PCI Express controller on to their next generation processors.
This should mean faster PCI-E operation, with less latency.
The integration will happen when AMD shifts its chips to a new form factor, Socket 1207 (which sports, you guessed it, 1207 pins).
All those extra pins will also house, we suspect, a DDR2 memory controller.
Look for more news as these new CPUs approach, towards the end of the year. We can also hypothesise that Intel might well be talking about something similar at IDF this year, in August - we'll be there to cover it if and when...
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