Rumor: New Triple-Core AMD Processors Might Be Coming

So if you are curious, here is the difference between Intel and AMD's quad-core offerings, I am not going into price or performance, but how they are made. AMD's quad-core processor is a single chip with 4 cores on it. Intel uses a MCM or multi-chip module that more or less allows them to connect two dual-core chips to make four cores.

Intel's method results in a higher yield, as if a core in a chip is bad they don't lose all 4 cores of the chip because it goes in the garbage bin, they only lose two, and then replace that chip. That allows for a higher yield of chips that ship. AMD's method means that if one core is bad, they lose the whole processor.

Maybe not anymore, apparently they are considering releasing triple-core processors which would basically be those quad-core chips that have something wrong with one core, which would allow for a higher yield. Another thing to point out, is that although you may have never heard of a triple-core CPU, there is such a beast, and it powers the Xbox 360, so its not heard of in the PC component market, but it does exist, and it does work. So it could happen, the biggest factor in whether they sell or not would be price, which I would assume would have to be really close to the dual core CPUs in order for them to sell.

AMD triple-core rumors surface [via arstechnica]