AMD answers Intel with six-core processor

AMD launched its first six-core processor, which will compete against Intel's "Dunnington" chip.

The Cray XT5m supercomputer will use the Istanbul chip

(Credit: Cray)

The "Istanbul" Opteron processor is for high-end server computers that use two, four, and eight processors or "sockets." Intel has been shipping a six-core processor for this market since September of last year and will bring out a processor based on its new Nehalem architecture for this segment later this year.

Among other new features, AMD is touting an Istanbul technology called HT Assist. The previous way of retrieving data from the processor's memory was "like checking every room in your house for your car keys," said Pat Patla, AMD's general manager of the server workstation group, in a phone interview last week. With HT Assist, "You know where your car keys are," he said. "It's much more efficient and takes out a lot of traffic," Patla added.

Patla also said that AMD is ahead of schedule with this chip, in stark contrast with the company's ill-fated quad-core Barcelona processor, which saw repeated delays. "Within almost a 15-month period of time we were able to design the product, tape out the product (final stage before production), verify the product and launch," Patla said about Istanbul.

Systems based on six-core AMD Opteron processors are expected to be available beginning this month from server suppliers including Cray, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Sun Microsystems, AMD said Monday.

Istanbul boasts up to 34 percent more performance-per-watt over the previous-generation quad-core processors.

[slickuser]

why would someone buy this instead of xeon 55xx series?

[pithenumber]

upgrade for current Opty servers
until recently AMD dominated the high end server market so many servers still use Opteron processors

[tipoo_]

This is a great drop-in upgrade for existing servers (and with the power savings it would be well worth it) but its a tougher sell for new systems.

[estienne2]

I can't wait to have one like that on my PC :)

[pmfjoe]

As much as I love AMD, I have been very disappointed in the performance of their current generation of low end Opterons vs low end Xeons. The Xeons blow them away at the same price point.

[inachu]

Is this World of Warcraft compatible?

[slickuser]

no

[NWLB]

Or for those who can read at a 4th grade level or above, Lord of the Rings Online.

[sythara]

@NWLB

LOL

[LordSnotrag]

LOTRO: WoW with added snobbery. :P

[DISCLAIMER: Played and enjoyed both. Just having fun with the LotRO comment above. Don't get your panties in a bunch. :) ]

[GDK2008UK]

This core will be twice to three times as fast as a Phenom I Tollimen chip which should put the wind up Intel.

[neocambell]

I tried Six-Core AMD Opteron? Processor and it is fantastic. Best of all it is far more less than Intel i7.
Fantastic performance as always the promise of the AMD.

Neo
http://www.expertcore.org