The AMD Opteron^TM Processor

Second-Generation AMD Opteron^™ processors add important new features like quad-core upgradeability, AMD Virtualization^™ (AMD-V^™), and energy-efficient DDR2 memory to the proven technologies introduced in 2003 with first-generation AMD Opteron processors.

AMD64 technology

• Runs existing installed base of 32-bit applications and operating systems at peak performance, while providing a 64-bit capable migration path
• Designed to enable 64-bit computing while remaining compatible with the vast x86 software infrastructure
• Enables a single architecture across 32- and 64-bit environments

Direct Connect Architecture

• AMD's revolutionary Direct Connect Architecture helps eliminate the bottlenecks inherent in traditional front-side bus architectures
• Direct Connect Architecture connects the processors, integrated memory controller, and I/O directly to the CPU and communicates at CPU speed
• HyperTransport^™ technology provides a scalable bandwidth interconnect between processors, I/O subsystems, and other chipsets, with up to three coherent HyperTransport technology links providing up to 24.0 GB/s peak bandwidth per processor
• Integrated Memory Controller - Integrated on-die DDR2 DRAM memory controller offers available memory bandwidth up to 10.7 GB/s (with DDR2-667) per processor

Quad-Core Upgradeability

• AMD Opteron^™ processors with DDR2 memory are designed to offer a seamless upgrade path from dual-core to quad-core when they are available in 2007 in the same thermal envelope to help leverage existing investments
• Offers a significant performance improvement while maintaining the same platform at the same power efficiency

AMD Virtualization^™ (AMD-V^™)

• Hardware assisted AMD Virtualization^™ and Direct Connect Architecture provide a balanced approach to help improve virtualization performance, enabling more virtual machines to run per server
• AMD-V^™ reduces overhead by selectively intercepting instructions destined for guest environments
• Direct Connect Architecture helps guests run at near native speed
• Virtualization-aware integrated memory controller provides efficient isolation of virtual machine memory

Enhanced Performance-per-Watt

• Energy-efficient DDR2 memory uses up to 30% less power than DDR1 and up to 58% less power than FBDIMM
• AMD PowerNow!^™ technology with Optimized Power Management can deliver performance on demand while minimizing power consumption
• Consistent standard power roadmap with low-power options
• DDR2 platforms can upgrade to Quad-Core AMD Opteron^™ processors when they are available in 2007 within existing thermal bands for significantly better performance-per-watt

E-commerce applications, ERP, CRM and other highly transactional database applications will benefit from the AMD Opteron processor's larger cache and big workload features that make manipulating larger data sets faster. Other large data set applications that will benefit from the AMD Opteron processor include CAD and DCC type applications, as well as financial and scientific modeling applications.

• Request A Beowulf Cluster Quote - for an Opteron-based parallel processing cluster
• Request A System Price Quote - if you're interested in a high-performance system built with dual to quad AMD Opteron processors
• Request Benchmark Testing on an AMD Opteron System