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Update: Every blog has its erroneous day thanks to AMD
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It was a cold, dark day for AMD back in October 2007, when concerns over delays to its future 45nm ramp were raised in this blog and on other news sites. So desperate were AMD’s spin-doctors to keep the ‘myth’ of flawless execution in the public eye, that rather than contact myself over my findings, the spin-doctors thought it best to let another journalist/blogger over at CNET remind readers that I had actually made an ‘erroneous report.’
A level of naivety was shown that day by a journalist not as familiar with the world of semiconductor manufacturing and naivety by the spinners at AMD that I would simply support my thinking based on such stretched connections. The real close connections were carefully hidden and remain so today.
But now the truth has been revealed in the slide presented to me in a meeting with Globalfoundries at last week’s SEMICON West show. The 45nm ramp started in Q408 and has now passed the 50% migration phase. This was what I had highlighted in my later blog that the 45nm ramp at AMD would be a 2009 affair.
So the old wise saying that ‘every dog has its day’ must be true?
UPDATE: 22nd July
AMD’s quarterly conference was full of the usual around the corner good times and great new product launches. However, the most interesting thing for me was the detail given on the 45nm migration for its MPU’s, which further clarified the transition and cross-over point.
Here is what Rob Rivet, AMD’s CFO said under financial analyst questions;
“We will still be shipping 65nm in Q3[09]. I would expect we will cross over to be dominated by 45nm in Q4[09]. The crossover takes place in Q3. But a significant portion of the shipments in Q3 will be 45nm. Probably not 60%, but more in the 40% to 50% kind of zone, so a significant piece versus it was immaterial in the second quarter.”
This would seem to tie in nicely with Globalfoundries fab migration and AMD’s shipping levels being a good quarter behind the fab.
That is the case for the defence, your Honour.
