AMD goes to Shanghai, searching for Dragons!

Tony Austin
Monday, 17 November 2008 11:12

Opinion and Analysis

45nm Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors continue AMD’s leadership, they say, as the only x86 server microprocessor manufacturer to serve 2P to 8P servers with a single architecture, while maintaining socket and thermal compatibility with the previous generation of Quad-Core and Dual-Core AMD Opteron processors.

This helps customers reduce platform management complexity and costs and increase data center uptime and productivity. These new processors fit into the existing Socket 1207 architecture and are also planned for use in the upcoming "Istanbul" processor, the next generation of AMD Opteron processors.

In terms of energy efficiency, AMD is well known for providing excellent x86 server processor performance-per-watt. The new 45nm Quad-Core Opteron processors, says AMD, draw up to 35 percent less power at idle compared to the previous generation while delivering up to 35 percent more performance.

They also feature a number of new power-saving technologies. One of these is AMD Smart Fetch technology, which can help reduce power consumption by allowing cores to enter a “halt” state during processing idle times with zero impact on application performance.

They say it complements AMD CoolCore technology, which reduces power to unused sections of each processor to further reduce power consumption.

In similarly configured platforms, the enhanced Quad-Core AMD Opteron 75W processor-based platform offers up to a 30 percent performance to power ratio advantage over the 50W processor-based competitive platform. For these platforms, the Quad-Core AMD Opteron Model 2380 processor-based platform only used 138W at Active Idle compared to the Quad-Core Intel processor-based platform using 179W at Active Idle.

AMD also offered details of the upcoming platform codenamed "Dragon", its second generation enthusiast-class desktop PC platform. AMD confirmed that Dragon is set to launch in the first quarter of 2009 and feature its upcoming 45nm AMD Phenom) II X4 quad-core processors, codenamed "Deneb."

The AMD Phenom II brand will be introduced with the Dragon platform to signal enhanced processor performance and efficiency. At launch the high-performance platform will also consist of acclaimed AMD 790 Series chipsets and award-winning ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series graphics.

Optimized for gaming, digital media and video processing, the platform also includes DirectX10.1 graphics, ATI Stream, AMD OverDrive(tm)software, and the AMD Fusion for Gaming Utility.

"Kodiak" is scheduled to enhance AMD Business Class platforms later in 2009, with enhanced manageability, power efficiency, and built upon AMD's 45nm generation of AMD Phenom processors.

Extending the AMD lead in HD computing on consumer PCs, due in the second half of 2009 is the "Pisces" mainstream desktop platform, designed to provide a superior experience for consumers. It will combine AMD Phenom II quad- and triple-core processors with DDR3 memory and upcoming RS880 chipsets.

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