Monday, June 1st 2009
AMD Launches Six-Core Istanbul Opteron Processor
AMD today announced availability of the world's first six-core server processor with Direct Connect Architecture for two-, four- and eight-socket servers. Six-Core AMD Opteron processors (code-named "Istanbul") extend AMD's commitment to offering server customers superior value at every price point with unmatched platform flexibility.
Across a single platform, AMD can address the need for more cores and greater scalability with the new Six-Core AMD Opteron processor and offer a cost- and power-efficient solution with Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors. Systems based on Six-Core AMD Opteron processors are expected to be available beginning this month from leading OEMs including Cray, Dell, HP, IBM and Sun Microsystems, along with support from motherboard and infrastructure partners. HE, SE and EE versions of the Six-Core AMD Opteron processor are planned for the second half of 2009.
Source:
AMD
Across a single platform, AMD can address the need for more cores and greater scalability with the new Six-Core AMD Opteron processor and offer a cost- and power-efficient solution with Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors. Systems based on Six-Core AMD Opteron processors are expected to be available beginning this month from leading OEMs including Cray, Dell, HP, IBM and Sun Microsystems, along with support from motherboard and infrastructure partners. HE, SE and EE versions of the Six-Core AMD Opteron processor are planned for the second half of 2009.
- Six-Core AMD Opteron processors leverage existing platform infrastructure and a low-cost, power-efficient DDR-2 memory architecture which can help lower system acquisition costs;
- HPC, virtualization and database workloads can benefit from increased 4P STREAM memory bandwidth of up to 60 percent enabled by HyperTransport technology HT Assist, which helps reduce processor to processor latency and traffic;
- AMD Virtualization (AMD-V) technology and the AMD-P suite of power management features are available across all performance and power bands, ensuring no-compromise choice;
- The new Six-Core AMD Opteron processor has up to 34 percent more performance-per-watt over the previous generation quad-core processors in the exact same platform. (AMD Opteron processor Model 2435 [SPECpower_ssj 2008 overall 1297 ssj_ops/watt, 501,246 ssj_ops at 287W @ 100% target load] compared to AMD Opteron processor Model 2382 [SPECpower_ssj 2008 overall 970 ssj_ops/watt,376,878 ssj_ops at 272W @ 100% target load])
41 Comments on AMD Launches Six-Core Istanbul Opteron Processor
arstechnica.com/hardware/news/2008/09/intel-launches-six-core-xeon-monster-chip.ars
so, calling it "the world’s first six-core server processor" is a bit ... strange. but i guess its like the deal with any other article on techpowerup. we just copy them from other sites that copy it from press kits :)
Anyways, good to see this stuff coming out. Though I feel like the amount of cores per die is gonna get obnoxious, and they are going to abandon creating new architectures. I hope I'm wrong :shadedshu
but 1.3v is bit on the higher side. would be nice to see it 1.1v and around 45w range.
is this native 6 core or sticky bubble gum thing?
A hexacore is a hexacore is a hexacore.
But I will give you one thing, if it works well enough to not make people go, "WTF?" then do it. Granted it would save money to wait until the die shrinks to pull off core increases, which both AMD and Intel do now. That old sandwich trick will never be implemented again.
Core 2 = P6
The Netburst architecture is what made it hot. You see the same thing in Core i7 (loaded stock temp can hit 85C on stock HSF) compared to Core 2 (never goes over 60C on stock HSF). It had absolutely nothing to do with MCM. If you double the number of cores, you usually see a 90% increase in power draw and thermal design requirements.
Core 2 Quad is about 90% hotter than Core 2 Duo because it has twice the number of cores. MCM or not, that's what happens when you add more transistors.
The "sandwich trick" is being used on Core i5 to add the integrated graphics chip. I do believe AMD is doing the same with Bulldozer. MCM, therefore, is likely to become more common than it was in the past.
The thermal threshold is what prevents 100+ cores MCM chips from being released now. You'd need a whole room of cooling equipment dedicated to pulling heat off it and dissipating it. 45nm looks primed for up to 8 cores but we probably won't see much more than that until 32nm.
Pentium 4 = not MCM
Pentium D = MCM
Core 2 Duo = not MCM
Core 2 Quad = MCM
Core i7 = not MCM
xtreview.com/images/core%202%20Quad%20q9100%20and%20Core%202%20Extreme%20QX9300.jpg
The heat is better distributed across the IHS (two smaller hotspots instead of one large one) and then the heatsink. It probably only results in 1-3C gain but, the more MCMs you have, the more it helps.
www.techpowerup.com/70356/China_to_Launch_its_Quad-Core_CPU_in_2009.html
I dont know if it is out yet, also I wounder if it comes with built in spyware.