CPU roadmap: server processors

Alan Stevens ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 16 Jun 2008

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In the AMD corner...
Like its Intel rival, AMD divides up its portfolio of 64-bit Opteron server processors according to the type of host system they're designed for. Broadly speaking, the Opteron 1000 Series is for single-socket servers and workstations, while the 2000 Series is for 2-way systems and the 8000 Series can be deployed in servers with up to eight sockets.

Support for AMD's virtualisation technology (AMD-V) is now standard on all Opterons but, as with Intel's Xeons, it's not always easy working out the current state of play. In general, however, second-generation dual-core Opterons have been available for some time in each series, as are third generation quad-cores (Barcelona) — although due to the late discovery of a major bug the quads only started to ship in March/April 2008. That was over six months later than planned and well behind rival Intel. AMD also lags behind Intel when it comes to low-energy implementations, only releasing the 55-Watt HE (High Efficiency) version of the new Opteron in May 2008.

The company has quietly dropped plans for an 8-core processor and no more new Opterons are expected until later in the year when the 65nm Barcelona product will be replaced by a slimmer 45nm implementation (Shanghai). Still a quad-core chip, Shanghai will also feature an update to AMDs inter-processor communication technology (coherent HyperTransport 3.0) and a tripling of the on-board L3 cache to 6MB.

Later this year, AMD's 45nm quad-core 'Shanghai' processor will replace the current generation of 65nm 'Barcelona' chips.

In a recent revamp of its roadmap, AMD also announced plans to ship a 6-core Opteron in the second half of 2009, possibly a year after the expected Dunnington ship date from Intel. Codenamed Istanbul, the 6-core AMD chip will be 45nm implementation that will be plug-compatible with existing Socket F quad-cores, making it easy for customers to upgrade.

Come 2010, however, AMD is planning to introduce a new socket platform (Socket G34, previously codenamed Maranello) with, among other enhancements, support for DDR3 memory and an additional (fourth) HyperTransport link. Two new processors are in development to fit this socket and both are 45nm designs, with estimated ship dates in the first half of 2010. One is slated to be a 6-core product (Sao Paulo), while the other (Magny-Cours) is set to have 12 cores to play with.

AMD's server/workstation roadmap has recently been revamped to include 6-core processors and a new Socket G34 (Maranello) platform, due in 2010.

 

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