AMD gives Opteron processor line-up a refresh

AMD TODAY ANNOUNCED five new low-power 45nm Quad-Core Opteron HE processors and two high-performance models for server systems including HP's, Dell's, Sun's and Rackable Systems.

The server processors are actually just updated versions of AMD's 45-nanometre Shanghai processor with 55-watt ACP and speeds ranging from 2.1GHz to 2.3GHz. AMD reckons the more power efficient processors will be useful for those in the server market who have to "maximize performance during peak hours while managing the energy costs during idle and low-utilisation hours".

AMD claims the new petite power processors can also offer up to 20 per cent lower idle power when compared to similarly configured competing systems, and come with improved power management capabilities to boot. Rackable Systems will purportedly have Quad-Core AMD Opteron HE processor-based servers ready for immediate release with other OEMs expected to follow suit later on in the quarter.

AMD's Patrick Patla, general manager of the firm's Server and Workstation Business, noted his firm also planned "to take energy-efficiency to the next level in introducing even lower ACP processors for the unique demands of cloud computing environments" sometime in the second quarter.

In addition to the low power offerings, AMD is also pulling its finger out and serving up a couple of High-performance SE processors, set to run at 2.8GHz for punters who like their datacenter workloads "performance-intensive". The high performance processors come in at the 105-watt ACP thermal envelope and will be imminently available in three new HP systems amongst others, according to an AMD release.

The release of these seven shiny new Opteron processors comes just as both AMD and Intel have admitted the credit crunch is forcing them to cut back on buying hardware such as PCs and server systems. OEMs have responded by slashing production, leaving the chipmakers with massive processor backlogs and gluts in their sales channels, which both are attempting to solve with well timed price cuts.

The newly released AMD processors will now fight it out head to head with Chipzilla's 5400 series Xeon processors. µ