Processors

CPU Specifications

Aspen Systems offers the most advanced processor architecture available today in its high-performance systems. If you would like to compare performance benchmarks for various processor architectures and system configurations, please see our SPECmarks page.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Second-Generation Opteron^™ Processor

The Second Generation AMD Opteron^™ processors with Direct Connect Architecture introduce several new features including quad-core upgradeability, AMD Virtualization^™ (AMD-V^™), and energy efficient DDR2 memory. In addition, Second-Generation AMD Opteron processors are designed to advance AMD's performance-per-watt capabilities and leverage the proven technologies introduced in 2003 with first-generation AMD Opteron processors.

Second-Generation AMD Opteron^™ processors are offered in three series: the 1000 Series (up to 1 Processor/2-core), the 2000 Series (up to 2 Pprocessors/4-core), and the 8000 Series (4 Processors/8-core to 8 Processors/16-core). The 1000 Series is built on AMD's new Socket AM2. The 2000 Series and 8000 Series are built on AMD's new Socket F (1207).

Second-Generation AMD Opteron^™ Processor Benefits

Second-Generation AMD Opteron^™ processors with DDR2 memory extend the industry-leading performance trajectory established by first-generation AMD Opteron processors while offering a seamless upgrade path to quad-core performance and leading-edge solutions to help run your business applications.

AMD Opteron processors feature a Common Core Architecture that is consistent across 1-way, 2-way, 4-way, and 8-way systems and is also consistent with previous AMD Opteron processors, helping minimize the cost of transition and maximize past investments in software optimization.

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 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
Maintain 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 in 2007 within existing thermal bands for significantly better performance-per-watt
AMD64 Technology
Direct Connect Architecture
Quad-Core Upgradeability
AMD Virtualization^™
Enhanced Performance-per-Watt

Dual-Core Intel^® Xeon^® Processor 5100 Series

The 64-bit Dual-Core Intel^® Xeon^® Processor 5100 series enables next-generation HPCC platforms that can drive energy-efficient infrastructures to optimize cluster density, reduce total cost of ownership (TCO), and improve business continuity, redefining what clustered systems should deliver to help laboratories, data centers and businesses be more efficient, dependable and agile.

The Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor 5100 series is ideally suited for intense HPC computing environments. Combined with the Intel^® 5000 chipset family and Fully Buffered DIMM (FBDIMM) technology, the new Dual-Core Intel Xeon Processors 5100 series-based platforms are expected to deliver up to 3 times the performance and over 3 times the performance/watt of previous-generation single-core Intel^® Xeon^® processors. The new Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor 5100 series-based platforms are expected to deliver up to 2 times the performance and over 2 times the performance/watt of previous -generation dual-core Intel Xeon processors.

Features	Benefits
Dual-core processing	Significant performance headroom, especially for multi-threaded applications, helps boost system utilization through virtualization and application responsiveness.
Intel^® Core^™ Microarchitecture	Better performance on multiple applications types and user environments at a substantially reduced power envelope.
Majority of SKUs at 65W Ultra-dense, ultra low-power SKUs at 40W	Significantly lower power (compared to previous generation) helps improve data center density and power/thermal operating costs. Low-voltage SKU available at reduced power envelopes will deliver even higher performance per watt - helps reduce power/thermal operating costs and improve data center density.
4MB shared L2 cache	Increased efficiency of L2 cache-to-processor data transfers, maximizing main memory to processor bandwidth and reducing latency. Entire L2 cache can be allocated to one core.
1066 and 1333 MHz System Bus	Faster system bus speeds than previous generations for increased throughput.
Intel^® Virtualization Technology	New processor hardware enhancements that support software-based virtualization, enables migration of more environments - Including 64-bit OS and applications - to virtual environments.
Intel^® Extended Memory 64 Technology (Intel^® EM64T)	Flexibility for 64-bit and 32-bit applications and operating systems.
Demand Based Switching (DBS) with Enhanced Intel SpeedStep^® technology	Helps reduce average system power consumption and potentially improves system acoustics.

For more information on the 64-bit Dual-Core Intel^® Xeon^® Processor 5100 please visit the following link: Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor 5100 series product brief

Quad-Core Intel^® Xeon^® Processor 5300 Series

Two-processor nodes based on the Quad-Core Intel^® Xeon^® Processor 5300 series and the Intel^® Core^™ microarchitecture help laboratories, institutions and corporations maximize HPCC performance and density, while reducing cooling challenges. Clustered systems based on Intel's new quad-core technology make it easier to deliver more compute power in less rack space, lowering total cost of ownership (TCO).

Two-processor platforms based on the Quad-Core Intel 5300 series deliver 8-thread, 32- and 64-bit processing capabilities with 8MB of L2 cache per processor, providing more computing for threaded applications in a variety of deployments. The Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor 5300 series is ideal for the densest of computing environments where best performance and performance per watt are key requirements. Supported by the Intel 5000 chipset family and Fully Buffered DIMM (FBDIMM) technology, Quad-Core Intel Xeon processors 5300 series-based clusters are expected to deliver breakthrough performance with better power efficiency, delivering up to 1/5 times the performance compared to leading Dual-Core Intel Xeon Processor 5100 series in the same power envelope.

Features	Benefits
Quad-core processing	Maximizes performance and performance/watt for greater performance per square foot for data center infrastructure and highly dense deployments. Increases performance and threading headroom for multi-threaded applications and heave multi-tasking scenarios, plus helps boost system utilization through virtualization and application responsiveness.
Intel^® Core^™ Microarchitecture	Better performance on multiple applications types and user environments at a substantially reduced power envelope.
Large 8MB of on-die L2 cache	Increased efficiency of L2 cache-to-core data transfers, maximizing main memory to processor bandwidth and reducing latency. Up to 4MB of L2 cache can be allocated to one core.
1066 and 1333 MHz System Bus	Fast, dedicated front-side buses for increased throughput.
Intel^® Virtualization Technology	New processor hardware enhancements that support software-based virtualization, enables migration of more environments - Including 64-bit OS and applications - to virtual environments.
Intel^® Extended Memory 64 Technology (Intel^® EM64T)	Flexibility for 64-bit and 32-bit applications and operating systems.
Demand Based Switching (DBS) with Enhanced Intel SpeedStep^® technology	Helps reduce average system power consumption and potentially improves system acoustics.

For more information on the 64-bit Quad-Core Intel^® Xeon^® Processor 5300 please visit the following link: Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor 5300 series product brief

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