Gecko's CPU Library

AMD Sempron (Manilla) processors

Introduction: May 2005

Overview

Sempron had been the marketing name used by AMD for several different entry level desktop CPUs, using several different technologies and CPU socket formats. The Sempron replaced the AMD Duron processor and competed against Intel's Celeron D processor.

AMD coined the name from the Latin semper, which meant "always, everyday", to denote that the Sempron was the right processor for everyday computing.

The Manilla core

In the second half of 2005, AMD added 64-bit support (AMD64) to the Sempron line. Some journalists (but not AMD) often refered to this revision of chips as "Sempron 64" to distinguish it from the previous revision. AMD's intent in releasing 64-bit entry-level processors was to extend the market for 64-bit processors, which at the time of Sempron 64's first release, was a niche market.

In 2006, AMD announced the Socket AM2 line of Sempron processors ("Manilla"). These were functionally equivalent to the previous generation, except they had a dual-channel DDR2 SDRAM memory controller which replaced the single-channel DDR SDRAM version. The TDP of the standard version remained at 62W, while the new "Energy Efficient Small Form Factor" version had a reduced 35W TDP. The Socket AM2 version also did not require a minimum voltage of 1.1 volts to operate, whereas all socket 754 Semprons with Cool'n'Quiet did. As of 2006, AMD sold both Socket 754 and Socket AM2 Sempron CPUs concurrently.

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.