AMD launches 'next generation' Opterons

 

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By Steve Malone

Posted on 16 Aug 2006 at 11:07

AMD has announced a new range of what it is calling 'Next-Generation' Opteron processors. The company has announced three models in the range with a top clock speed of 2.6GHz.

With an eye to the blade market, and perhaps the much praised energy efficiency of the new Intel dual core range, AMD says the Next-Generation AMD Opteron processors offer improved AMD-V virtualisation technology, power management with DDR2 memory support, within a maximum 95-watt thermal design.

AMD has also announced the completion of the upcoming four core designs. The company says the design of the new four core chips is complete and development has now been passed to manufacturing. The Quad-Core AMD Opteron is expected to appear in a year's time in August 2007. However, Intel is expected to roll out its four core Xeons later this year, putting AMD behind in the production of multicore technology for the first time.

The company has also announced a new naming system for its Opteron family starting with the new range. Henceforth, AMD will use a new 4-digit model numbering system.

The company says that the new model numbers will continue to feature a 1, 2 or 8 in the first position to represent the scalability of each processor while adding a 2 in the second position, representing the second socket generation. The nomenclature will operate thus:

• Up to 1P = 12xx. Socket AM2


• Up to 2P = 22xx. Socket F (1207)


• Up to 8P = 82xx. Socket F (1207)

The 1207 refers to the Socket F higher pin count of 1,207 connectors, versus 940 pins in previous chips, which is expected to form the basis of AMD's Opteron range for the rest of the decade. The use of Socket F will also mean that companies and OEMs will be able to swap out the Next Generation chips for the Quad designs when they appear next year.

AMD has also released the prices for the new range. The Opteron Model 8218 is priced at $2,149 for 1,000-unit quantities, while the Model 2218 is $873, the Model 1218 $749, the Model 8220 SE $2,649, the Model 2220 SE $1,165, and finally the Model 1220 SE is $899.