News AMD releases TWKR Edition CPU

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2009/07/01/amd-releases-twkr-edition-cpu/1

AMD has quietly launched its Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition processor for the overclocking community. You won't be able to buy this one.

 

Hah, willy waving. I chuckled.

But on a more serious note; wtf? Why bother with this. It just seems like such a stupid publicity stunt to pull off.
Good luck to them with the world record and all, but what IS the point when you can't purchase these in-store or online?

Meh.

 

Meh. Who cares.

 

i think AMD should be looking at producing CPUs that are comparable to i7 rather than break a few records with "super rare cream of the crop mega special CPUs".

although from a marketing point of view its good as gets them in the news etc etc spread the brand and latest tech and all that

 

Almost everything that a sane company does is an exercise in marketing. Otherwise you wouldn't hear about it. This is exactly how a company should behave. They are delivering superior value to a segment of their market.

 

Didn't you report on this weeks ago?

 

yes, as a rumour... linked in the first paragraph.

 

There are marketing exercises and pointless marketing exercises - something you can't buy is generally considered a pointless exercise in marketing, but this one might work for AMD since it's basically tapping on the overclocking community to say "OMG, AMD IS AMAZING!!!"

 

premium limited edition cars and winning races help sell cars from the manufacturers entire range so should apply to CPU's aswell given the overclocking community
I think its a good idea on AMD's part, good for the community and for AMD sales.

 

This to me is like the Le Mans, where Peugeot enter it with an amazing car and beat Audi who are the dominant force for almost 10 years. Still doesn't mean that a standard Peugeot is any better than an Audi. It's good for marketing but that's basically all. I love my old AMDs but that is because they were better than the availabel P4 at the time. As mentioned above I think they need to produce someting that will beat or match the i7 as that is were the headlines will be more often than a one offf special.

 

Of course this is marketing and with the current level of media and enthusiast attention AMD would be foolish if they didn't use every trick in the book to further the momentum already generated.

No they are not.

These CPU's are designed, manufactured and cut from the same wafer as every other PhII 955 and derivatives. They may have been specially selected and tested but they are the exact same chips you buy at retail today. This is the whole point of the exercise, sheesh!

Are these TWKRs relevant to the average pc enthusiast ? No.
Are the results of any form of extreme overclocking relevant to the average pc enthusiast ? No.
Does the above in anyway invalidate extreme overclocking as a hobby ? No.
As a lucky few are out there having a bit of fun, for once not at all their own expense, should we cynically criticise and do the best we can to pee on their parade ? ...

 

PR stunt fail imo (increase in performance is tiny)

 

Personally, I think that this is just as bad as the whole "Ferarri-endorsed" laptop crap ASUS has been pulling lately, but whatever. I'll be waiting here for AMD to deliver high-end performance that can compete with Intel's best... and not a year or two behind them, like with the Phenoms.

 

They are not CPUs you can buy; please tell me where I can buy a Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition chip. That's right, you can't. They are from the same wafers, but they are screened just like Intel's Core i7 975XE... except you can buy those, at a price. There were little more than a 1,000 975XEs at launch.

These are not the exact same chips you can buy at retail today - they operate outside of AMD's engineering boundaries which, as far as I'm aware, is why they are not for sale - AMD cannot provide a warranty. There are specific things that AMD is looking for during the screening process, much like Intel did with some of the Core i7 chips it was planning to use as part of a PR stunt at CES. The PR stunt didn't work back then because nobody managed to get the chips running stable at the event held on the outskirts of Las Vegas - the event ended up being all about AMD getting production silicon (that you could buy) to some insane speeds. This particular PR stunt isn't really about production silicon, because you cannot buy one of these chips.

There was an argument in the overclocking community about non-production Core i7 chips being used for breaking benchmarking records in January and, as far as I'm concerned, the same logic should apply with these TWKR chips. As I say, these pissing contests are getting more than a little ridiculous.

I see little point in releasing a chip that nobody can buy and that's what I take issue with. Not the fact that these chips overclock like stink.

At the right price, there'd be demand for them and AMD could turn it into a quite a profitable little side business. Yes, the lower price points sell the volumes, but if you can make 60-70% margin on a chip (which you could on a TWKR part)... why not do it? Or are there concerns that there won't be enough chips to satisfy the demand?

 

Too right. I'd buy one.

Instead, I sold my 720 as a known clocker to a friend and got a 955BE. Waiting on it to arrive.

We'll see what serious water can do, and then look at a chiller.

 

i think it should be seen purely as a marketing thing for AMD and, as you said, willy waving for the community.

it's just a bit of fun and even i am a bit intrigued by it all. the whole black box thing is a nice touch and it shows AMD are at least capable of have a laugh with the community.

don't forget it is for ThoseWhoKnow(R)...

 

No, you cannot buy a Phenom II 42 TWKR Black Edition cpu. We agree the chips inside the package all come from the same production process. The question of binning is an interesting one, I've read reports of some of the newer 550s outperforming early 955s on all four cores while the voltages required for 955 overclocks appear to falling. Make of this what you will but to me it suggests the process is maturing well and that samples hand picked from the initial production runs may soon look common place. Regardless of speculation on my part, the simple point I was trying to make is 'these chips are not specially designed'.

Non-production chips, hand selected parts, engineering samples. I think the release of such parts to the community and the abuse the community then bestows upon them can provide valuable technical information for the manufacturer - cheap, willing test engineers (could be a whole new class of minion ) - they are also good marketing material and I doubt the practice of releasing such samples will cease. I have no issues with the waving of willies or their associated colour, everyone needs a hobby. I do think published overclocking results should make it clear if retail or special parts were used, I consider those who pass off special results as standard retail to have their hand rather to fondly attached to their own particular private place.

I'm sure you're right but at the same time I'm sure many of those certain to buy such a part have already bought and sold a half dozen retail parts in their personal quest for the golden chip. Having seen the TWKR I'm sure such quests will continue.

 

Its no different then Intels stupid Extreme Editions which is also for marketing hype and what not, but still I look forward to seeing what these can do.

 

It's a little bit different because you can buy the Intel CPUs...

 

nah I bet AMD will end up selling these to the general community if it goes well with the overclockers focus group.