For the third quarter of the following year, AMD seems to prepare the introduction of its next-generation FX-Series processor, code named Vishera, which is expected to make the transition to the Piledriver cores.

When compared with the first-generation Bulldozer cores, that are used for the current FX-Series processors, Piledriver is expected to bring a 10-15 percent increase in performance/Watt, as AMD revealed right after the launch of the FX-8150 & Co.

The added performance will come from IPC improvements like structure size increases (about one third of the total performance), and power optimizations that reduce the overall consumption of the CPU.

The latter will also enable AMD's Piledriver core to reach higher frequencies at a constant TDP.

As Fudzilla reports, Vishera CPUs will continue to be manufactured by GloFo using the 32nm process and will include 4 Piledriver modules for a total of eight processing cores, which is less than the 10-core that were expected from the now canceled Komodo chips.

The good news is that Vishera will use the same AM3+ socket as AMD’s FX-Series processors available right now, which means that current motherboards should be compatible with these chips, after a BIOS update.

Those on the lookout for a new motherboard, will also have the option of pairing Vishera with the upcoming AMD 1090FX chipset that will gain native USB 3.0 support.

Other details about these chips are not available at this point in time, but AMD has revealed previously that after Piledriver it will continue to update the performance of Bulldozer on a yearly basis.

This means that the 2013 Steamroller is expected to deliver between 10 to 15 percent better performance per Watt than Piledriver, while the 2014 Excavator will increase this advantage even more. While this definitely sounds good, we’ll have to wait and see how well can AMD keep up to its promise.