Computer Processor Codenames: What the processors are and the inspiration behind the names.

12/04/2006
2 COMMENTS

In the computer industry there are plenty of buzzwords that get slung about when talking about the next generation of computer hardware and CPU codenames are quite possibly the hardest to keep track of due to the sheer amount of them. We have put together this list with the codename of each of the existing AMD and Intel processors.

So what is the purpose of all the codenames? Well, it allows the chip companies to talk about their upcoming CPU’s without actually talking about them. The chip companies let slip the barebones facts about the chips, give it a codename and let the computer hardware geeks speculate and ask questions which makes for great material to write about in the hardware industry.

Why the weird names? It seems most of Intels processors codenames are inspired by local geography of the Pacific Northwest of America. Alaska, Deerfield, Foster, Gallatin, Northwood, Montana, Madison and McKinley are rivers in Alaska, California, Montana, Massachusetts and Vermont.

The early series of AMD processors (eg. K5, K6-2) had their name inspired by Kryptonite which is a fictional element from Superman comicbooks (Im assuming this was set up to sound like AMD is Intels kryptonite?). Some of the later AMD series were inspired by sports cars (eg. Corvette, Mustang). Now that is cleared up, on to the list.

AMD Codenames	Processor Description	Socket/Slot
X5	5×86-133	Socket 3
SSA5	K5 (original PR75-PR100)	Socket 5, 7
5k86	K5 (newer PR120-PR200)	Socket 7
K6	The Original AMD K6 core (cancelled)	n/a
NX686	NexGen K6 Core which became the K6	Socket 7
Littlefoot	0.25µm K6	Socket 7
Chompers	K6-2	Socket 7, Super 7
Sharptooth	K6-3	Super 7
Argon	Previously K7	n/a
K7	Athlon	Slot A
K75	0.18µm Athlon	Slot A
K76	0.18µm Athlon (with copper interconnects)	Slot A
K8	Athlon 64
Thunderbird	Athlon	Slot A, Socket A
Mustang	Athlon with a large L2 cache (cancelled)	n/a
Corvette	Previously mobile Athlon (now Palomino)	n/a
Palomino	0.180.18µm Athlon XP/MP, Mobile Athlon 4	Socket A
Thoroughbred-A	0.13µm Athlon XP/MP 1700-2100+	Socket A
Thoroughbred-B	0.13µm Athlon XP/MP 1700-2400+, 2600-2800+, Semperon 2200-2800+	Socket A
Barton	0.13µm Athlon XP/MP 1700-2100+	Socket A
Thorton	Athlon XP (256KB L2 cache)	Socket A
Spitfire	Duron	Socket A
Camaro	Previously Morgan
Morgan	Mobile Duron & Mobile 7 Duron 900MHz – 1.3GHz	Socket A
Applebread	Duron 1.4 – 1.8GHz
Appaloosa	0.13µ Morgan	Socket A
ClawHammer	Athlon 64 (64bit)	Socket 754 & Socket 939
ClawHammer DP	Early name for the now Opteron DP	Socket 940
Newcastle	Althon 64	Socket 754 & Socket 939
Winchester	0.09µ Athlon 64	Socket 939
San Diego	0.09µ Athlon 64 and the Athlon 64 FX with SSE3 extensions	Socket 939
Venice	0.09µ Athlon 64 with SSE3 extensions	Socket 939
Odessa	0.09µ Mobile-version Athlon 64
Manchester	Athlon 64 X2 with 512KB L2 cache and SSE3 extensions	Socket 939
Toledo	Athlon 64 X2 with 1024KB L2 cache and SSE3 extensions	Socket 939
SledgeHammer	Opteron with a large L2 cache	Socket 940
Palermo	0.09µ Sempron	Socket 754
Paris	Sempron	Socket 754
Oakville	Mobile Athlon 64 and Sempron	Socket 754
Windsor	Athlon 64 X2 and Athlon 64 FX-62	Socket M2
Orleans	Athlon 64	Socket M2
Manila	Sempron	Socket M2

Intel Codenames	Processor Description	Socket/Slot
P23	486SX	Socket 1, 2, 3
P23S	486SX SL-Enhanced	Socket 1, 2, 3
P23N	487SX (coprocessor)	Socket 1
P4	486DX	Socket 1, 2, 3
P4S	486DX SL-Enhanced	Socket 1, 2, 3
P24	486DX2	Socket 1, 2, 3
P24S	486DX2 SL-Enhanced	Socket 1, 2, 3
P24D	486DX2 (with write-back cache)	Socket 3
P24C	486DX4	Socket 3
P23T	486DXODP (486 Overdrive)	Socket 3
P4T	486ODPR (486 Overdrive)	Socket 1, 2, 3
P24T	PODP5V (486 Overdrive)	Socket 2, 3
P24CT	Pentium Overdrive 3.3v	Socket 2, 3
P5	Pentium 60/66MHz	Socket 4
P5T	Pentium Overdrive 120/133MHz	Socket 4
P54C	Pentium 75MHz – 120MHz	Socket 5, 7
P54CQS	Pentium 120MHz – 133MHz	Socket 5,7
P54CS	Pentium 120MHz – 200MHz	Socket 7
P54CT(A)	Pentium Overdrive	Socket 5, 7
P55C	Pentium MMX	Socket 7
P54CTB	Pentium Overdrive MMX	Socket 5, 7
Tillamook	Mobile Pentium MMX	Mobile Module
P6	Pentium Pro	Socket 8
P6T	Pentium II Overdrive	Socket 8
Klamath	0.35µm Pentium II	Slot 1
Deschutes	0.25µm Pentium II	Slot 1
Drake	0.25µm Pentium II Xeon	Slot 2
Tonga	Mobile Pentium II	Mobile Module
Covington	Celeron (Pentium II without cache)	Slot 1
Mendocino	0.25µm Celeron with 128KB on-die L2 cache	Slot 1, Socket 370
Dixon	Mobile Pentium II with 256KB on-die L2	Mobile Module
Katmai	0.25µm Pentium III with SSE	Slot 1
Tanner	0.25µm Pentium III Xeon with SSE	Slot 2
Coppermine	0.18µm Pentium III with on-die L2 cache	Slot 1, Socket 370
Tualatin	0.13µm Pentium III	Socket 370
Coppermine-T	0.18µm Pentium III with Tualatin Voltage	Socket 370
Cascades	0.18µm Pentium III Xeon	Slot 2
Coppermine-128	0.18µm Celeron with 128KB L2	Socket 370
Timna	Mobile Celeron with DRAM controller (cancelled)	n/a
P68	Willamette	n/a
Willamette	0.18µm Pentium 4	Socket 423, 478
Northwood	0.13µm Pentium 4	Socket 478
Prescott	0.09µm Pentium 4 with HyperThreading, Celeron D (Sockett 478), Celeron D (socket 775)	Socket 775
Smithfield	Pentium D, Pentium Extreme Edition	Socket 775
Presler	0.065µm Pentium D
Conroe	0.065µm Pentium D (with reduced power consumption)
Banias	130nm Pentium M with 1MB L2 cache
Yonah	Dual Core Pentium M and Single Core Celeron M
Merom	64bit version of the Yonah
Foster	Xeon DP	Socket 603
Foster MP	Xeon MP	Socket 603
Prestonia	0.13µm Xeon DP	Socket 603
Gallatin	0.13µm Xeon MP	Socket 603
Nocona	0.09µm Xeon (Socket 603) and Pentium 4 Extreme Edition (Socket 478 and Socket 775
Dothan	90nm Pentium M with 2MB L2 cache
P7	Previously Merced (Itanium)
Merced	Itanium	PAC 418
McKinley	Itanium 2 with 3MB on-die L3 cache	PAC 418
Madison	0.13µm Itanium 2
Deerfield	Low cost Madison
Montecito	0.09µm Madison
Shavano	Future Itanium family chip (Itanium 3?)
Dimona	Future Itanium family chip (Itanium 3?)
Tukwila	Future Itanium family chip (Itanium 3?)