AMD's Fusion is a multi-die package

As you can see with ATI's Xenos, the MCM is the simplest form of glueing more silicon dies onto the same package

THE AMD FUSION NOTION is slowly taking shape, with controlled leaks to interested parties, I am led to understand.

To get the big picture, it is necessary to understand what Fusion actually is. For a company that has openly said that Intel's products aren't true dual-core (Presler) and are not true quad-core (Kentsfield/Clovertown), Fusion will be the beginning of a new way of thinking at Chimpzilla. By copying Intel's moves, that is.

Fusion is nothing but a MCM (multi-chip module), similar to ones that are already around. Like Intel quad-core Kentsfield/Clovertown and ATI's own Xenos for Xbox 360.

The cores, memory controller and the Hypertransport are located on one die, while the GPU is located on another, connected to the main package with AMD's own tech. This is not the only MCM that will come from AMD. Montreal is two Shanghai dies slapped together onto a Socket F+/AM3, so eight-core Opterons/Phenoms will be something that Intel already sells today - two pieces of silicon using a single socket.

INQ