AMD introduced
the Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor, the world’s most advanced x86
processor ever designed and manufactured and the first native x86 quad-core
microprocessor. Designed from inception for the most demanding datacenters,
Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-based servers from global OEMs and system
builders can deliver breakthrough capabilities to customers in a time of
dramatically escalating performance-per-watt emphasis.
Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors with AMD’s revolutionary Direct Connect
Architecture introduce innovations that go beyond four x86 processing cores on
a single die of silicon. Critical considerations for today’s most challenging
business requirements inspired Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor innovations:
energy efficiency with a 50 percent increase in integer and floating-point
performance,(1) enhanced virtualization performance, and investment protection
via a customer-centric approach enabling non-disruptive transitions from dual-
to quad-core within the same power and thermal envelopes to help keep
infrastructure costs down.
“Today marks one of the great milestones in microprocessor achievement as
AMD again raises expectations for industry-standard computing,” said Hector
Ruiz, chairman and chief executive officer, AMD. “We’ve worked closely with
our customers and partners to design a new generation of processing solutions
embodied by today’s Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor – a four-way winner in
performance, energy efficiency, virtualization and investment protection.
Early customer response has been extremely positive.”
Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-based systems from global OEM and
system-builder partners begin shipping this month and are expected to increase
in number through the remainder of the year. AMD Phenom processor
solutions, which will leverage many of the same benefits of this innovative,
next-generation architecture, are expected to be available for the desktop
market in December. Due in part to the industry’s most stable x86 server
platform, more than 50 socket compatible Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-ready
system choices are on the market today from tier one OEMs, all of whom are
publicly supporting today’s introduction.
“Today more customers choose ProLiant for their AMD processor-based
server blades than any other vendor by a factor of more than 2 to 1. HP offers
customers a broad portfolio built on innovative designs to address customer
needs in the areas of power, virtualization and cost,” said Paul Miller, vice
president, marketing, enterprise storage and servers, HP. “With today’s launch
of Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors, we can help customers bring new levels of
efficiency to their infrastructure as we broaden our AMD Opteron
processor-based family of servers.”
“Sun is thrilled about the introduction of Quad-Core AMD Opteron
processors. Incorporating Sun’s innovative design principles that enable
stunning scalability and industry-leading performance-per-watt, our upcoming
Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-based servers and workstations will only
accelerate the momentum Sun is experiencing in its x64 business,” said John
Fowler, executive vice president of Sun Microsystems’ Systems Group. “With so
much pent-up demand for the scalability of native quad-core processing, Sun
believes there will be rapid, widespread adoption of Quad-Core AMD Opteron
processor-based systems. We applaud AMD for yet another technological
breakthrough, and are excited to continue to grow our alliance.”
“Dell and AMD share a commitment to delivering industry-leading
performance, performance-per-watt, and the most energy-efficient product
designs to help our customers focus on driving their business forward,” said
Brad Anderson, senior vice president, Dell Product Group. “Dell’s ability to
seamlessly deliver the benefits of AMD’s Dual Dynamic Power Management
technology means our customers can get more today and for future growth in the
AMD processor-powered Dell PowerEdge 2970 and Energy Smart 2970.”
“IBM was the first global OEM to support AMD Opteron processors in 2003.
Today our relationship is delivering powerful and energy-efficient business
performance computing solutions” said James Gargan, vice president, Brand
Management System x & BladeCenter, IBM. “Our x86 systems feature IBM’s
X-Architecture innovation, such as Xcelerated Memory Technology, to help
optimize Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor capabilities for peak system
performance. We look forward to bringing new products to market with AMD later
this year to help strengthen IBM’s position as the world’s top server
vendor(2).”
Systems based on Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors are also being
announced today by a host of other manufacturers, including Appro, Egenera,
Gateway, Rackable Systems, Supermicro and Verari.
Additionally, AMD is providing the channel with a tremendous opportunity
to be able to offer their customers Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-based
solutions very soon after launch. AMD Validated Server Program platforms are
available today through distribution, empowering channel partners with the
opportunity to be early to market with solutions.
AMD introduces Average CPU Power (ACP)
AMD also introduced the Average CPU Power (ACP) metric, which
represents processor power usage, including cores, integrated memory
controller, and HyperTransport(TM) technology links, while running a suite of
typical and relevant commercially useful high utilization workloads to be more
indicative of the power consumption that end-users can expect. ACP is a useful
metric for data center operators when estimating power budgets to size their
datacenters. AMD will continue to provide thermal design power (TDP)
specifications to platform designers in AMD power and thermal datasheets.
AMD is introducing Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors today at the 55- and
75-watt ACP. For system designers, AMD will continue to state its TDP
specifications.
New Standard in Energy Efficiency
As datacenters in the U.S. face the potential of doubling their energy
consumption by 2011(3) , new Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors introduce the
world’s most energy-efficient x86 architecture, bolstered by a variety of new
power-saving technologies, including:
— AMD CoolCore(TM) Technology, for reducing energy consumption by
turning off unused parts of the processor;
— Independent Dynamic Core Technology, an enhancement to AMD
PowerNow!(TM) technology, allowing each core to vary its clock frequency
depending on the specific performance requirement of the applications it is
supporting; and
— Dual Dynamic Power Management (DDPM), which provides an independent
power supply to the cores and to the memory controller, allowing the cores and
memory controllers to operate on different voltages, determined by usage. DDPM
is available in most Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-based platforms being
introduced today.
“Microsoft and AMD are working together to drive innovation, performance
and energy efficiency across the datacenters and development environments,”
said Bill Laing, general manager of Windows Server Division at Microsoft Corp.
“With 64-bit multi-core technology, Direct Connect Architecture and built-in
virtualization, AMD Opteron processors continue to provide Microsoft Windows
customers with an innovative platform. Looking ahead, we believe Windows
Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 running with Quad-Core AMD
Opteron processors will provide a compelling development and deployment
platform to drive customers’ dynamic IT environments.”
Optimal Virtualization Performance
Datacenters depend on virtualization software as an essential tool to
consolidate server workloads, operate more securely, and enable disaster
recovery. Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors with Direct Connect Architecture
excel in virtualized environments because of the integrated memory
controller(4) for reduced memory latency, and Rapid Virtualization Indexing, a
new AMD innovation in AMD Virtualization(TM) technology designed to reduce the
overhead associated with software virtualization. Rapid Virtualization
Indexing takes functionality that was previously performed in software and
greatly accelerates it by performing those functions within the CPU to help
enable near-real time application performance
.
Investment Protection
Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors maintain compatibility with the socket
and thermal envelopes of Second-Generation AMD Opteron processors to enable a
seamless customer upgrade path. AMD’s common core strategy empowers customers
to scale with one AMD architecture to reduce platform management complexity
and increase datacenter uptime and productivity.
Outstanding Performance
Continuing the legacy of the AMD Opteron processor family, Quad-Core AMD
Opteron processors introduce several new ground-breaking technologies enabling
impressive results across a suite of benchmarks. Within comparable thermal
bands, Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors outperform the competition on several
industry-standard benchmarks including: SPECfp _rate2006, SPEC int_2006,
SPECompM(R)2001Base, STREAM, Fluent and LS-DYNA. For more details on the
performance of Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors, please visit
http://www.amd.com/opteronperformance
