This is a bit unusual. I got an email from AMD PR this week asking me to correct the Bulldozer transistor count in our Sandy  Bridge E review. The incorrect number, provided to me (and other reviewers) by AMD PR around 3 months ago was 2 billion transistors. The actual transistor count for Bulldozer is apparently 1.2 billion transistors. I don't have an explanation as to why the original number was wrong, just that the new number has been triple checked by my contact and is indeed right. The total die area for a 4-module/8-core Bulldozer remains correct at 315mm2.

CPU Specification Comparison
CPU Manufacturing Process Cores Transistor Count Die Size
AMD Bulldozer 8C 32nm 8 1.2B ~2B 315mm2
AMD Thuban 6C 45nm 6 904M 346mm2
AMD Deneb 4C 45nm 4 758M 258mm2
Intel Gulftown 6C 32nm 6 1.17B 240mm2
Intel Sandy Bridge E (6C) 32nm 6 2.27B 435mm2
Intel Nehalem/Bloomfield 4C 45nm 4 731M 263mm2
Intel Sandy Bridge 4C 32nm 4 995M 216mm2
Intel Lynnfield 4C 45nm 4 774M 296mm2
Intel Clarkdale 2C 32nm 2 384M 81mm2
Intel Sandy Bridge 2C (GT1) 32nm 2 504M 131mm2
Intel Sandy Bridge 2C (GT2) 32nm 2 624M 149mm2

Despite the downward revision in Bulldozer's transistor count by 800M, AMD's first high-end 32nm processor still  boasts a higher transistor density than any of its 45nm predecessors (as you'd expect):

Transistor Density Comparison

Transistor density depends on more than just process technology. The design of the chip itself including details like the balance between logic, cache and IO transistors can have a major impact on how compact the die ends up being. Higher transistor densities are generally more desirable to a manufacturer (fewer defects per die, more die per wafer, lower costs), but from the end user's perspective the overall price/performance (and power?) ratio is what ultimately matters.

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  • FeuchterFutzi - Saturday, December 3, 2011 - link

    http://www.planet3dnow.de/cgi-bin/ne...?id=1321455...

    in googlish:

    Wednesday 16 November 2011
    16:01 - Author: Dr @
    AMD Bulldozer Schrumpfkur missed - a virtual

    Who now expected, it would be a new revision of the miracle bulldozer in the wings who will be disappointed. For the launch of the first "Bulldozer" processor-based desktop AMD FX (codenamed "Zambezi") had AMD communicated to the press through a die size of 315 mm ² and a transistor count of around 2 billion. As The Register then in the context of the launch of the new Opteron 6200 ("Interlagos") and 4200 ("Valencia") is only 2.4 billion transistors for the "Interlagos" spoke, asked some users cope in our forum, such as this number to the previous statement fits. After all, this figure is 40% below the original value of about 4 billion

    Therefore we have asked AMD, after which it has been confirmed that the statement of The Register is accurate. Because all processors of the first "Bulldozer" generation on the same "Orochi" The building is for all versions 315 mm ² die size and 1.2 billion transistors to estimate. Since the Opteron 6200 is constructed from an MCM (Multi Chip Module) from each of two dies, each processor must here per the duplicate values ​​are estimated. The virtual downsizing in the number of transistors is built so simply due to a communication error. As it happened, you could not tell us yet.

    Source: AMD
  • omi - Saturday, December 10, 2011 - link

    so i also gotcha a thought in ma mind that aftr 2b transistor count why the tests are telling that bd is weaker than i7-2700k. Amd is just faking for the sales of bd they must have to apologize people for their fatal eror!sick!
  • C'DaleRider - Monday, February 2, 2015 - link

    English. Do you speak it?

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