Socket M2 Processor Roadmap; FX-62 and Athlon 64 X2 5200+

Socket M2, the 940 pin DDR2-ready Athlon 64 Socket, will launch a little bit later than we originally expected with mass production just starting in late April. However, even though the launch has been slightly delayed from the original March timeframe, there is still good news for those on DDR1; Socket 939 will stick around well into Q1'07 on the performance desktop - and well beyond that for Sempron. In fact, AMD's latest roadmap goes all the way to Q2'07 with Socket 939 Sempron.

The new Pacifica enabled DDR2 processor code names expected to launch during the end of Q2'06 will be:

• Windsor: Dual Channel DDR2, Pacifica enabled Socket M2 dual core
• Orleans: Dual Channel DDR2, Pacifica enabled Socket M2
• Manila: Dual Channel DDR2 Sempron, Socket M2

The new chips will debut on NVIDIA's recently announced M2 platform, complete with MCP55 and C51XE. Straight from AMD's latest roadmap, here are a list of all the newest products, cores and launch dates:

Other interesting noteables include the lack of any new Socket 939 SKUs. Hopefully Socket M2 sticks around long enough to actually get one or two different processors on the same board like in the old days of Socket 462. In fact, even though the roadmap explicitly claims that Socket 939 Semprons will show up before the end of the year, the only new Semprons listed are Socket M2.

We hope this M2 roadmap isn't the whole picture. There are obviously quite a few of us who have Socket 939 motherboards still - and some new chips to give Intel's Presler and Cedar Mill 65nm processors a run for their money would be great.