Quad-Core AMD Opteronâ„¢ processors Deliver Breakthrough
Performance-Per-Watt
Sunnyvale, Calif. -- September 10, 2007
--AMD (NYSE: AMD) today introduced the Quad-Core AMD Opteronâ„¢ 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.â€
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 Phenomâ„¢ 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.â€
“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.â€
“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.â€
“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 vendor2.â€
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 today
introduced the Average CPU Power (ACP) metric, which represents processor power
usage, including cores, integrated memory controller, and HyperTransportâ„¢
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 20113, 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 CoolCoreâ„¢ Technology, for reducing energy consumption
by turning off unused parts of the processor;
- Independent Dynamic Core Technology, an enhancement to AMD PowerNow!â„¢ 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.â€
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 controller4 for reduced
memory latency, and Rapid Virtualization Indexing, a new AMD innovation in AMD
Virtualizationâ„¢ 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®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.
Visit AMD on the Web
For more information on the
Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor including FAQs, development tools, online press
kits and other general information, please visit http://multicore.amd.com. Quad-Core AMD
Opteron processor pricing can be found at http://www.amd.com/pricing.
About AMD
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is a leading
global provider of innovative processing solutions in the computing, graphics
and consumer electronics markets. AMD is dedicated to driving open innovation,
choice and industry growth by delivering superior customer-centric solutions
that empower consumers and businesses worldwide. For more information, visit www.amd.com.
Learn more
about what our partners are saying about the introduction of Quad-Core AMD
Opteron processors.
Cautionary
Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements concerning,
among other things, future and planned products, technologies, specifications,
features, performance and introductions schedules, and availability and number
of Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-based systems, which are made pursuant to the
safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements are commonly identified by words such as “would,â€
“may,†“expects,†“believes†“plans,†“intends,†“projects†and other terms with
similar meanings. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements in
this release are based on current beliefs, assumptions and expectations, speak
only as of the date of this release, and involve risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from the company’s current
expectations. Risks include the possibility that Intel Corporation’s pricing,
marketing and rebating programs, product bundling, standard setting, new product
introductions or other activities targeting AMD’s business will prevent
attainment of AMD’s current plans; AMD will require additional funding and may
not be able to raise funds on favorable terms or at all; customers stop buying
AMD’s products or materially reduce their operations or demand for its products;
AMD will be unable to develop, launch and ramp new products and technologies in
the volumes and mix required by the market and at mature yields on a timely
basis; global business and economic conditions will worsen; AMD will be unable
to transition to advanced manufacturing process technologies in a timely and
effective way; and AMD will be unable to maintain the requisite level of
investment in research and development and capacity, investors are urged to
review in detail the risks and uncertainties in AMD’s Securities and Exchange
Commission filings, including but not limited to the Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2007.
1 The comparison
presented above is based on SPECint_rate2006 and SPECfp_rate2006 tests of the
Dual-Core AMD Opteron processor Model 2222 against results for the Quad-Core AMD
Opteron processor Model 2350 under submission to SPEC as of Sep 6, 2007. For the
latest results, visit http://www.spec.org/cpu2006/results/. SPEC and the benchmark
names SPECint and SPECfp are registered trademarks of the Standard Performance
Evaluation Corporation. Competitive benchmark results stated above reflect
results published on www.spec.org
as of Sep 6, 2007.
2 Based on Q207 IDC worldwide server tracker
results
3 EPA report to Congress on Server and Data Center Energy
Efficiency - Aug 2, 2007 - http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/prod_development/downloads/EPA_Datacenter_Report_Congress_Final1.pdf
4 An AMD innovation first introduced to x86 processors with the
AMD Opteron processor in April 2003.
AMD, the AMD Arrow
logo, AMD Opteron, and combinations thereof, AMD PowerNow, AMD Virtualization
and AMD CoolCore are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. SPEC, SPECfp,
SPECint and SPECompM are registered trademarks of the Standard Performance
Evaluation Corporation. HyperTransport is a licensed trademark of the
HyperTransport Technology Consortium. Other names are for informational purposes
only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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