Editing WinChip

{{short description|Series of CPUs}}
{{Infobox CPU
| name           = WinChip
| image          = KL_IDT_WinChip_Marketing_Sample.jpg
| image_size     = 200px
| caption        = IDT WinChip Marketing sample
| produced-start = {{start date and age|1997}}
| produced-end   = {{end date and age|1999}}
| slowest        = 180 | slow-unit      = Mhz
| fastest        = 266 | fast-unit      = Mhz
| fsb-slowest    =  60 | fsb-slow-unit  = [[Transfer (computing)|MT/s]]
| fsb-fastest    = 100 | fsb-fast-unit  = MT/s
| size-from      = 0.35 μm
| size-to        = 0.25 μm 
| soldby         = [[Integrated Device Technology|IDT]]
| designfirm     = [[Centaur Technology]] 
| manuf1         = 
| core1          = C6
| core2          = W2, C6+
| core3          = W2A
| core4          = W2B
| core5          = W3
| sock1          = [[Socket 5]]
| sock2          = [[Socket 7]]
| sock3          = [[Super Socket 7]]
| pack1          = [[Ceramic pin grid array|CPGA]] (C6, W2, W2A, W3)
| pack2          = [[Pin grid array|PPGA]] (W2B) 
| brand1         = WinChip
| arch           = [[x86-16]], [[IA-32]]
| microarch      = Single, 4-stage, [[Pipeline (computing)|pipeline]] [[in-order execution]]
| cpuid          = 0540h, 0541h, 0585h, 0587h, 058Ah, 0595h
| code           = 
| numcores       = 1
| l1cache        = 64 [[Kibibyte|KiB]] (C6, W2, W2A and W2B)<br />128 KiB (W3)
| l2cache        = Motherboard dependent
| l3cache        = none
| application    = 
| predecessor    = 
| successor      = [[Cyrix III]]
}}
The '''WinChip''' series is a discontinued [[CPU electrical consumption|low-power]] [[Socket 7]]-based [[x86]] [[central processing unit|processor]] that was designed by [[Centaur Technology]] and marketed by its parent company [[Integrated Device Technology|IDT]].

==Overview==
===Design===
The design of the WinChip was quite different from other processors of the time. Instead of a large [[gate count]] and [[die (integrated circuit)|die]] area, IDT, using its experience from the [[RISC]] processor market, created a small and electrically efficient processor similar to the [[Intel 80486|80486]], because of its single [[Pipeline (computing)|pipeline]] and [[Out of Order execution#In-order processors|in-order execution]] [[microarchitecture]]. It was of much simpler design than its Socket 7 competitors, such as [[AMD K5]]/[[AMD K6|K6]], which were [[superscalar]] and based on dynamic translation to buffered [[micro-operation]]s with advanced instruction reordering ([[Out of Order execution|out of order execution]]).

===Use===
WinChip was, in general, designed to perform well with popular applications that did few floating point calculations, if any. This included [[operating system]]s of the time and the majority of software used in businesses. It was also designed to be a drop-in replacement for the more complex, and thus more expensive, processors it was competing with. This allowed IDT/Centaur to take advantage of an established system platform (Intel's [[Socket 7]]).

===Later developments===
WinChip 2, an update of C6, retained the simple in-order execution pipeline of its predecessor, but added dual MMX/3DNow! processing units that could operate in superscalar execution.<ref name="WinChip2DataSheet" /> This made it the only non-AMD CPU on Socket 7 to support 3DNow! instructions. WinChip 2A added [[CPU multiplier|fractional multiplier]]s and adopted a 100&nbsp;MHz [[front side bus]] to improve memory access and L2 cache performance.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hare |first=Chris |url=http://users.erols.com/chare/cpuspeed.htm |title=Processor Speed Settings |accessdate=24 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070428051306/http://users.erols.com/chare/cpuspeed.htm |archivedate=28 April 2007 }}</ref> It also adopted a [[PR rating|performance rating]] nomenclature instead of reporting the real clock speed, similar to contemporary AMD and [[Cyrix]] processors.

Another revision, the WinChip 2B, was also planned. This featured a die shrink to 0.25 μm, but was only shipped in limited numbers.<ref name=WinChipSandpile>{{cite web |url=http://www.sandpile.org/impl/c2.htm |title=IA-32 implementation: Centaur WinChip 2 |work=SandPile.org |accessdate=29 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427100243/http://sandpile.org/impl/c2.htm |archivedate=27 April 2007 }}</ref>

A third model, the WinChip 3, was planned as well. This was meant to receive a doubled L1 cache, but the W3 CPU never made it to market.<ref name=WinChipSandpile />

===Performance===
Although the small die size and low power-usage made the processor notably inexpensive to manufacture, it never gained much market share. WinChip C6 was a competitor to the [[Intel P5|Intel Pentium]] and [[Pentium MMX]], [[Cyrix 6x86]], and AMD K5/K6. It performed adequately, but only in applications that used little [[floating point]] math. Its floating point performance was simply well below that of the Pentium and K6, being even slower than the Cyrix 6x86.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pabst |first=Thomas |url=http://www.tomshardware.com/1997/10/09/the_idt_winchip_c6_cpu/ |title=The IDT WinChip C6 CPU |work=Tom's Hardware |date=9 October 1997 |accessdate=29 April 2007}}</ref>

==Decline==
The industry's move away from [[Socket 7]] and the release of the [[Intel]] [[Celeron]] processor signalled the end of the WinChip. In 1999, the [[Centaur Technology]] division of IDT was sold to [[VIA Technologies|VIA]]. Although VIA branded the processors as "Cyrix", the company initially used technology similar to the WinChip in its [[Cyrix III]] line.<ref>{{cite web |last=Witheiler |first=Matthew |url=http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1396 |title=The New VIA Cyrix III: The Worlds First 0.15 Micron x86 CPU |work=AnandTech |date=5 January 2001 |accessdate=29 April 2007}}</ref>

== Data ==
===Winchip C6 (0.35 μm)===
[[File:KL IDT WinChip C6.jpg|thumb|IDT WinChip C6]]
[[File:IDT WinChip C6 die.JPG|thumb|IDT WinChip C6 [[die shot]]]]
* All models supported [[MMX (instruction set)|MMX]]<ref name=SandpileWinChipC6>{{cite web |url=http://www.sandpile.org/impl/c6.htm |title=IA-32 implementation: Centaur WinChip |work=Sandpile |accessdate=13 May 2007}}</ref>
* The 88&nbsp;mm{{sup|2}} die was made using a 0.35 micron 4-layer metal CMOS technology.<ref name=SandpileWinChipC6 />
* The 64 Kib L1 Cache of the WinChip C6 used a 32 KB 2-way set associative code cache and a 32 KB 2-way set associative data cache.<ref name=SandpileWinChipC6 />
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Processor<br />model !! Frequency !! [[front side bus|FSB]] !! [[CPU multiplier|Mult.]] !! [[CPU Cache|L1 cache]] !! [[Thermal Design Power|TDP]] !! [[CPU core voltage]] !! [[CPU socket|Socket]] !! Release date !! Part number(s) !! Introduction price
|-
| WinChip 180 || 180&nbsp;MHz || 60 [[Transfer (computing)|MT/s]] || 3 || 64 [[Kibibyte|KiB]] || 9.4 W || 3.45—3.6 V || {{ubl|[[Socket 5]]|[[Socket 7]]|[[Super Socket 7]]|[[Ceramic pin grid array|CPGA]] 296}} || 13 October 1997 || DS180GAEM || $90
|-
| WinChip 200 || 200&nbsp;MHz || 66 MT/s || 3 || 64 KiB || 10.4 W || 3.45—3.6 V || {{ubl|Socket 5|Socket 7|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} || 13 October 1997 || DS200GAEM || $135
|-
| WinChip 225 || 225&nbsp;MHz || 75 MT/s || 3 || 64 KiB || 12.3 W || 3.45—3.6 V || {{ubl|Socket 7|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} || 13 October 1997 || PSME225GA ||
|-
| WinChip 240 || 240&nbsp;MHz || 60 MT/s || 4 || 64 KiB || 13.1 W || 3.45—3.6 V || {{ubl|Socket 5|Socket 7|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} || November 1997? || PSME240GA ||
|}

===WinChip 2 (0.35 μm)===
[[File:KL IDT WinChip2.jpg|thumb|IDT WinChip2]]
* All models supported [[MMX (instruction set)|MMX]]<ref name=WinChipSandpile /> and [[3DNow!]]<ref name=WinChipSandpile />
* The 95&nbsp;mm{{sup|2}} die was made using a 0.35 micron 5-layer metal CMOS technology.<ref name=WinChipSandpile />
* The 64 Kib L1 Cache of the WinChip 2 used a 32 KB 2-way set associative code cache and a 32 KB 4-way set associative data cache.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Processor<br />model !! Frequency !! [[front side bus|FSB]] !! [[CPU multiplier|Mult.]] !! [[CPU cache|L1 cache]] !! [[Thermal Design Power|TDP]] !! [[CPU core voltage]] !! [[CPU socket|Socket]] !! Release date !! Part number(s) !! Introduction price
|-
| WinChip 2-200 || 200&nbsp;MHz || 66 [[Transfer (computing)|MT/s]] || 3 || 64 [[Kibibyte|KiB]] || 8.8 W || 3.45—3.6 V || {{ubl|[[Socket 5]]|[[Socket 7]]|[[Super Socket 7]]|[[Ceramic pin grid array|CPGA]] 296}} ||  || 3DEE200GSA<br />3DFF200GSA ||
|-
| WinChip 2-225 || 225&nbsp;MHz || 75 MT/s || 3 || 64 KiB || 10.0 W || 3.45—3.6 V || {{ubl|Socket 7|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} ||  || 3DEE225GSA ||
|-
| WinChip 2-240 || 240&nbsp;MHz || 60 MT/s || 4 || 64 KiB || 10.5 W || 3.45—3.6 V || {{ubl|Socket 5|Socket 7|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} ||  || 3DEE240GSA || 
|-
| WinChip 2-250 || 250&nbsp;MHz || 83 MT/s || 3 || 64 KiB || 10.9 W || 3.45—3.6 V || {{ubl|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} || ? ||  ||
|}

===WinChip 2A (0.35 μm)===
[[File:KL IDT WinChip2A.jpg|thumb|IDT WinChip2A]]
[[File:IDT_WinChip_2A_die.JPG|thumb|IDT WinChip2A die shot]] 
* All models supported [[MMX (instruction set)|MMX]]<ref name="WinChip2DataSheet">{{cite web |title=PROCESSOR Version A Data Sheet|url=http://www.centtech.com/wc_2_datasheet_a2.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030322001250/http://www.centtech.com/wc_2_datasheet_a2.pdf |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 22, 2003 |date=January 1999 |accessdate=2 November 2011}}</ref> and [[3DNow!]]<ref name="WinChip2DataSheet" />
* The 95&nbsp;mm{{sup|2}} die was made using a 0.35 micron 5-layer metal CMOS technology.<ref name=WinChipSandpile />
* The 64 Kib L1 Cache of the WinChip 2A used a 32 KB 2-way set associative code cache and a 32 KB 4-way set associative data cache.<ref name="WinChip2DataSheet" />
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Processor<br />model !! Frequency !! [[front side bus|FSB]] !! [[CPU multiplier|Mult.]] !! [[CPU cache|L1 cache]] !! [[Thermal Design Power|TDP]] !! [[CPU core voltage]] !! [[CPU socket|Socket]] !! Release date !! Part number(s) !! Introduction price
|-
| WinChip 2A-200 || 200&nbsp;MHz || 66 [[Transfer (computing)|MT/s]] || 3 || 64 [[Kibibyte|KiB]] || 12.0 W || 3.45—3.6 V || {{ubl|[[Socket 5]]|[[Socket 7]]|[[Super Socket 7]]|[[Ceramic pin grid array|CPGA]] 296}} || March 1999? || 3DEE200GTA ||
|-
| WinChip 2A-233 || 233&nbsp;MHz || 66 MT/s || 3.5 || 64 KiB || 13.0 W || 3.45—3.6 V || {{ubl|Socket 5|Socket 7|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} || March 1999? || 3DEE233GTA ||
|- align="center"
| WinChip 2A-266 || 233&nbsp;MHz || 100 MT/s || 2.33 || 64 KiB || 14.0 W || 3.45—3.6 V || {{ubl|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} || March 1999? || 3DEE266GSA ||
|-
| WinChip 2A-300 || 250&nbsp;MHz || 100 MT/s || 2.5 || 64 KiB || 16.0 W || 3.45—3.6 V || {{ubl|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} ||  || 3DEE300GSA ||
|}

===WinChip 2B (0.25 μm)===
[[File:KL IDT WinChip2 W2B.jpg|thumb|IDT WinChip2 W2B]]
* All models supported [[MMX (instruction set)|MMX]]<ref name="WinChip2bDataSheet">{{cite web |title=PROCESSOR Data Sheet for WinChip 2 version B |url=http://www.centtech.com/w2b_datasheet.pdf |archive-url=http://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20111013013103/http://www.centtech.com/w2b_datasheet.pdf |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 13, 2011 |date=April 1999 |accessdate=2 November 2011}}</ref> and [[3DNow!]]<ref name="WinChip2bDataSheet" />
* The 58&nbsp;mm{{sup|2}} die was made using a 0.25 micron 5-layer metal CMOS technology.<ref name=WinChipSandpile />
* The 64&nbsp;Kib L1 Cache of the WinChip 2B used a 32&nbsp;KB 2-way set associative code cache and a 32 KB 4-way set associative data cache.<ref name="WinChip2bDataSheet" />
* [[Dual-voltage CPU]]: while the processor core operates at 2.8&nbsp;V, the external [[input/output]] ('''I/O''') voltages remain 3.3&nbsp;V for backwards compatibility.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Processor<br />model !! Frequency !! [[front side bus|FSB]] !! [[CPU multiplier|Mult.]] !! [[CPU cache|L1 cache]] !! [[Thermal Design Power|TDP]] !! [[CPU core voltage]] !! [[CPU socket|Socket]] !! Release date !! Part number(s) !! Introduction price
|-
|WinChip 2B-200 || 200&nbsp;MHz || 66 [[Transfer (computing)|MT/s]] || 3 || 64 [[Kibibyte|KiB]] || 6.3 W || 2.7—2.9 V || {{ubl|[[Socket 7]]|[[Super Socket 7]]|PPGA 296}} || || 3DFK200BTA ||
|-
|WinChip 2B-233 || 200&nbsp;MHz || 100 MT/s || 2 || 64 KiB || 6.3 W || 2.7—2.9 V || {{ubl|Super Socket 7|PPGA 296}} || || ||
|}

===WinChip 3 (0.25 μm)===
* All models supported [[MMX (instruction set)|MMX]]<ref name="WinChip3DataSheet">{{cite web |title=PROCESSOR Data Sheet |url=http://www.centtech.com/winchip_3_datasheet.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010614031153/http://www.centtech.com/winchip_3_datasheet.pdf |url-status=usurped |archive-date=June 14, 2001 |date=April 1999 |accessdate=2 November 2011}}</ref> and [[3DNow!]]<ref name="WinChip3DataSheet" />
* The 75&nbsp;mm{{sup|2}} die was made using a 0.25 micron 5-layer metal CMOS technology.<ref name=WinChipSandpile />
* The 128 Kib L1 Cache of the WinChip 3 used a 64 KB 2-way set associative code cache and a 64 KB 4-way set associative data cache.<ref name="WinChip3DataSheet" />
* [[Dual-voltage CPU]]: while the processor core operates at 2.8 volts, the external [[input/output]] (I/O) voltages remain 3.3 volts for backwards compatibility.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Processor<br />model !! Frequency !! [[front side bus|FSB]] !! [[CPU multiplier|Mult.]] !! [[CPU Cache|L1 cache]] !! [[Thermal Design Power|TDP]] !! [[CPU core voltage]] !! [[CPU socket|Socket]] !! Release date !! Part number(s) !! Introduction price
|-
| WinChip 3-233 || 200&nbsp;MHz || 66 [[Transfer (computing)|MT/s]] || 3 || 128 [[Kibibyte|KiB]] || ? W || 2.7—2.9 V || {{ubl|[[Socket 7]]|[[Super Socket 7]]|[[Ceramic pin grid array|CPGA]] 296}} ||  ||  ||
|-
| WinChip 3-266 || 233&nbsp;MHz || 66 MT/s || 3.5  || 128  KiB || 8.4 W || 2.7—2.9 V || {{ubl|Socket 7|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} || Samples only || FK233GDA ||
|-
| WinChip 3-300 || 233&nbsp;MHz || 100 MT/s || 2.33 || 128  KiB || 8.4 W || 2.7—2.9 V || {{ubl|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} || Samples only || FK300GDA ||
|-
| WinChip 3-300 || 266&nbsp;MHz || 66 MT/s || 4 || 128  KiB || 9.3 W || 2.7—2.9 V || {{ubl|Socket 7|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} ||  ||  ||
|-
| WinChip 3-333 || 250&nbsp;MHz || 100 MT/s || 2.5 || 128  KiB || 8.8 W || 2.7—2.9 V || {{ubl|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} ||  ||  ||
|-
| WinChip 3-333 || 266&nbsp;MHz || 100 MT/s || 2.66 || 128  KiB || 9.3 W || 2.7—2.9 V || {{ubl|Super Socket 7|CPGA 296}} ||  ||  ||
|}

== See also ==
* [[List of VIA microprocessors]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons category|WinChip}}
* {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981111184838/http://www.centtech.com/|title=Official website}}
* [http://www.cpu-info.com/index2.php?mainid=html/cpu/IDTC6.php CPU-INFO: IDT C6, in-depth processor history]
* [http://www.cpushack.com/VIA.html VIA CPU Overview at CPUShack]
* [http://www.sandpile.org/impl/c6.htm WinChip architecture at Sandpile.org]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070427100243/http://sandpile.org/impl/c2.htm WinChip2 architecture at Sandpile.org]
* [http://www.cpupages.com/store/index.php?id_item=1341 CPUPages W2B]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080907144913/http://www.ukcpu.net/Collection/Processors/IDT/Winchip2/Winchip2.asp Winchip W2, W2A, W2B UKcpu]}}
* [http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?tt=url&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pc-atrium.de%2FZu_den_CPUs%2FIDT%2FIDT-W2B%2Fidt-w2b.html&lp=de_en&.intl=us&fr=yfp-t-501 Winchip2B]

{{VIA}}

[[Category:X86 microprocessors|IDT]]
[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1997]]