Making sense of AMD's processor road map

IDG News Service - Advanced Micro Devices Inc. last week gave journalists and analysts a peek at its plan for upcoming processors, including more details on the company's quad-core processors and family of server chips with 16 cores.

However, each of the processors and chip packages on AMD's road map are tagged with code names that do little to explain what each chip actually does. To help you make sense of what each code name represents, here's a quick overview of what AMD has in store, and when each chip is expected to hit the market:

Barcelona: The code name given to AMD's upcoming quad-core Opteron processors, made using a 65-nanometer process. AMD plans to ship the first Barcelona chips next month, with the first servers based on the processors appearing on the market in September.

Bobcat: Code name for a future low-power CPU architecture for mobile devices such as ultramobile PCs and consumer electronics products. Will consume from 1 watt to 10 watts of power. Due in 2009.

Bulldozer: Code name for a CPU core designed for servers and clients that consumes from 10 watts to 100 watts of power. Set for release in 2009.

Eagle: Code name for an upcoming notebook chip package based on the Falcon processor. To ship in 2009.

Falcon: Code name for the first Fusion chip that will combine a CPU and graphics processor. Designed for laptops, Falcon will offer up to four Bulldozer cores. Due to ship in 2009.

Fusion: The code name for AMD processors that combine multiple components with the aim of lowering power consumption and improving performance. The first Fusion chips, called Falcon, will ship in 2009.

Griffin: Code name for an upcoming dual-core mobile processor. To ship in 2008.

Hardcastle: The code name given to upcoming chip packages designed for business users, including Perseus and Puma.

Leo: Code name for a desktop chip package based on the 45nm Phenom processor, which will offer 6MB of cache. Set for release in 2008.

Perseus: Upcoming desktop chip package designed for business users. To ship in 2008.

Phenom: The brand name for AMD's quad-core desktop processors, which are slated to start shipping during the fourth quarter of 2007.

Puma: Chip package for laptops based on the Griffin processor. To debut in 2008.

Ridgeback: Code name for AMD's 45nm desktop processors. Will include 6MB of cache. To be released in mid-2008.

Sandtiger: The code name for a family of server chips with eight to 16 cores that will be released in 2009. Will be produced using a45nm process and include support for DDR3 (Double Data Rate 3) memory. Due in 2009.

Shanghai: Code name for the 45nm successor to Barcelona. The quad-core Shanghai will offer some architectural improvements over Barcelona, as well as 6MB of cache. To be released in mid-2008.

Spider: Desktop chip package based on 65nm Phenom processors with 2MB of cache. To be released in 2007.