AMD Readies Opteron 4200 ''Valencia'' Line for 1P/2P Servers

[btarunr]

In early September, AMD announced that it started shipping the first processors based on the "Bulldozer" architecture, in the enterprise-centric Opteron 6100 "Interlagos" family. Opteron 6100 chips are capable of 4P (four-socket) servers, and feature up to 12 cores. AMD isn't stopping at the Opteron 6100 series, it has a new line of Opteron processors based on the same "Bulldozer" architecture, that targets small and medium enterprises. The line is codenamed "Valencia", its parts are filed under the Opteron 4200 series.

Opteron 4200 "Valencia" consists of 6-core and 8-core parts in the s1207 package. These chips are capable of single socket and two socket (2P) server setups, because while Opteron 6100 "Interlagos" has four HyperTransport links, Opteron 4200 has just two, so a processor can use its two links to connect to the SR56x0 I/O hub and the other processor. Opteron 4200 series consists of four 8-core models: Opteron 4284, Opteron 4280, Opteron 4274HE, and Opteron 4256EE; and four 6-core models: Opteron 4238, Opteron 4234, Opteron 4228HE, and Opteron 4226.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[HalfAHertz]

I think you should add 20-25% to the ACP to get intel's TDP

 

[naoan]

I think you should add 20-25% to the ACP to get intel's TDP

How do you derive to AMD's TDP?

 

[HalfAHertz]

I mean you should add 25% to get AMD's TDP that would derive to intel s TDP

 

[BorgOvermind]

8-core, 3GHz only at 75W ? It's quite something.

 

[shrivan]

I am confused:

6100 Opterons feature up to 12 cores - yes
6200 Opterons will be Interlagos - yes?
so 6100 is a) not Interlagos or b) does have up to 16 cores

Please correct the article if I might have found a source of misunderstanding. Thanks!

(http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Bulldozer/TYPE-Opteron 6200 series.html)

 

[naoan]

I mean you should add 25% to get AMD's TDP that would derive to intel s TDP

I wonder which one is more accurate (ACP, AMD TDP or Intel TDP) ?

 

[Thefumigator]

I wonder which one is more accurate (ACP, AMD TDP or Intel TDP) ?

I would just plug the server to a wattmetter in the powerline and take power consumption from there... And I only take a look at CPU TDP just to estimate a cooling solution.

But both actual AMD and Intel CPUs are quite cold to the touch, except perhaps llano, I found it to release much more heat than the rest, but it's surely because of its GPU core.

 

[btarunr]

There is no equation between Intel TDP and AMD TDP. They're both calculated on entirely different factors.

 

[TheLaughingMan]

I am confused:

6100 Opterons feature up to 12 cores - yes
6200 Opterons will be Interlagos - yes?
so 6100 is a) not Interlagos or b) does have up to 16 cores

Please correct the article if I might have found a source of misunderstanding. Thanks!

(http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Bulldozer/TYPE-Opteron 6200 series.html)

Simple. Old design is 6100 which was up to 12 cores. It is being displaced by the Interlagos (Bulldozer design core) which is the 6200 and up to 16 cores.

They are using it as a reference to say, "hey remember when we announced the top of the line Interlagos. Well here is their mid to low range parts for the same lineup."

 

[cadaveca]

There is no equation between Intel TDP and AMD TDP. They're both calculated on entirely different factors.

+1.

Read AMd whitepapers; AMD rates for average high loading scenario, what cooling is needed(125w for high-end CPUs), and not maximum power draw.

Intel rates maximum power draw, with cooling not really considered...I mean it IS there for cooling needed, but by nearly completely different factors considered.


Anyway, 8 cores @ 3GHz, and 75w, is KILLER. Wish they would OC...

 

[TheLaughingMan]

+1.

Read AMd whitepapers; AMD rates for average high loading scenario, what cooling is needed(125w for high-end CPUs), and not maximum power draw.

Intel rates maximum power draw, with cooling not really considered...I mean it IS there for cooling needed, but by nearly completely different factors considered.


Anyway, 8 cores @ 3GHz, and 75w, is KILLER. Wish they would OC...

That explains so many arguments I had about what TDP stood for. I knew they were different factors taking into account, but I didn't realize it was the argument of power draw vs. heat. Thank you Dave.

And I like the 8 cores @ 2.5 GHz for 35W. That too was quiet awesome. Home Server with passive cooler, SSD OS drive, and a low RPM HDD with damping rubber grommets. You could build an 8 core, nearly silent HS.

 

[cadaveca]

I knew they were different factors taking into account, but I didn't realize it was the argument of power draw vs. heat. Thank you Dave.

It's right in the whitepapers for any given CPU, what TDP relates to. AMD specifically states that ACP is NOT maximum power draw, but merely Average CPU Power, and they do list the specific workload used for this number. ACP also only applies to Opteron processors.

Intel:

Thermal Design Power should be used for thermal solution design targets. TDP is not the maximum power that the processor can dissipate. TDP is measured at maximum Tcase.

AMD:

The thermal design power is the maximum the processor can draw for a thermally signifigant period while running commercially useful software.

Both of these are used to design thermla solutions, with AMD providing ACP so that server builders can properly estimate POWER REQUIREMENTS, which is much different than THERMAL REQUIREMENTS.


Intel says to consider TDP from both, as they both agree, generally, on those values. HOWEVER, NEITHER HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH MAXIMUM CONSUMED POWER of a PROCESSOR; BOTH ARE THERMAL DESIGN FIGURES <AND NOTHING ELSE>. They are statistically un-important to the end user.

http://www.intel.com/performance/resources/briefs/tdpvacp.pdf

Here is a table converting ACP to TDP:

Again, both are USELESS NUMBERS to the end consumer, like us. ACP is for server builders ONLY, and has NO direct RELATION to TDP, as ACP is power consumed, while TDP is thermal dissipation.

 

[shrivan]

Simple. Old design is 6100 which was up to 12 cores. It is being displaced by the Interlagos (Bulldozer design core) which is the 6200 and up to 16 cores.

They are using it as a reference to say, "hey remember when we announced the top of the line Interlagos. Well here is their mid to low range parts for the same lineup."

Hi, I know. But check the article we have all been commenting out as it (at the time of writing) still states ". . . because while Opteron 6100 "Interlagos" has . . ." as thus would imply the 6100 series to be Bulldozer-based... which it isn't...

 

[TheLaughingMan]

I know. That was always my side of the argument. It was everyone else who was telling me I was wrong and TDP was maximum power draw. I guess they were running Intel in hind sight.

Thanks teach, but I was good on this one

 

[[H]@RD5TUFF]

Meh.