AMD Launches Three New Opterons
Chipmaker AMD is delivering three new models in the dual-core Opteron line, targeting x86-based enterprise systems with improved performance and lower power consumption.
The new processors are available in three versions: the 885 for systems with up to eight processors, the 285 for systems with one or two processors, and the 185 for systems with one processor.
"We have integrated two AMD Opteron processor cores onto a single die, allowing them to communicate at full processor speed," said company spokesperson Phil Hughes. "With our Direct Connect architecture, the frequency speed and memory control both get a boost in these new products."
Saving Energy
Dual-core Opteron processors offer performance gains over their predecessors with a new top speed of 2.6 GHz while generating the same amount of heat as single-core Opteron chips, enabling fewer servers to handle the chores of many and reducing operating costs, Hughes said.
He added that customers using single-core chips can upgrade with a minimum of interruption, which means they can gain power savings as well as the advanced, multitasking capabilities of dual-core servers.
Hughes said the main difference between AMD's technology and that of its competitors is that AMD offers a "native" dual-core product that is designed specifically for x86 systems and is more efficient.
Opteron Gains Ground
Among those committing to the new Opteron products are IBM, which will feature the new processors in its servers and workstation product lines; Sun Microsystems, which is upgrading its x64 Opteron-based servers, workstations, and high-performance computing products; and Hewlett-Packard, which plans to add the new processors to its ProLiant servers and workstations.
AMD's Opteron chips appear to be holding their own in the server space, but still trail rival Intel's chips. IDC analysts recently noted that the market share for Opteron-based systems rose to 10 percent in the x86 market in 2005 from 4 percent in 2004.
The dual-core 885 is priced at $2,149, while the 285 lists for $1,051 in volume shipments. Pricing for the 185, scheduled to be released soon, with be set at its launch.
