AMD ha annunciato ufficialmente, mediante il comunicato stampa di seguito allegato, la disponibilità di nuovi processori di classe Opteron, suddivisi in un set di modelli altamente efficienti dal punto di vista del consumo di potenza con soli 68W di TDP (Maximum Thermal Design Power) ed in un secondo insieme che racchiude i chip con TDP uguale a 95W.

Alla prima categoria appartengono le cpu siglate 1218 HE, 2218 HE e 8218 HE, dove l'acronimo HE sta per High Efficient, proprio in virtù della ridotta dissipazione di potenza elettrica. La caratteristica principale dei processori con TDP pari a 95W è invece l'elevata potenza di calcolo: i dual-core 2220 e 8220 (quest'ultimo prevede una frequenza operativa di 2.8GHz/core, ndr) si fanno notare per la capacità di performare "al top della categoria", come afferma il chip-maker americano, e sono destinati a conservare un ruolo di primo piano fino alla "metà del 2007", quando arriveranno i primi quad-core di AMD, il cui nome in codice è "Barcelona".

In accordo al produttore, i prossimi chip a quattro core saranno in grado di offrire un vantaggio prestazionale di circa il 40% rispetto alle soluzioni omologhe del competitor Intel.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- February 7, 2007 --Delivering on its commitment to industry-leading datacenter performance and performance-per-watt, AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced availability of new AMD Opteron processor models in both highly efficient (68 watt) and mainstream (95 watt) thermal envelopes.

Highest Energy Efficiency
AMD has expanded the breadth of its low-power solutions with AMD Opteron processor Models 1218 HE, 2218 HE and 8218 HE. Designed to offer industry-leading performance-per-watt at only 68-watt maximum thermal design power, these processors are ideal for energy-conscious customers looking to reduce power and cooling bills and to achieve greater density in the datacenter. AMD Opteron HE processor models now include three 1000 Series models, bringing the benefits of reduced thermals over previous AMD Opteron 1000 Series processors to entry-level server customers while preserving the enterprise reliability they value.

All of the new processors feature AMD PowerNow! technology which is designed for reduced system level energy consumption, with multiple levels of lower clock speed and voltage states that can reduce processor power consumption by as much as 75 percent during idle times.

“Datacenter managers often tell me how important power management technology is for staying within their energy budgets,” said Jonathan Koomey, consulting professor at Stanford University and one of the world's foremost experts on electricity use in datacenters. “Having the ability to significantly reduce power at idle times is increasingly critical, particularly for datacenters that have extreme fluctuations in workloads from peak to off-peak times.”

Industry-leading Performance in a Non-disruptive Platform
The scalability and efficiency of the unique AMD Direct Connect Architecture deliver an overall performance advantage over the competition’s dual-core two- and four-socket offerings and enable systems to draw less power. Top-performing AMD Opteron processor Models 2220 and 8220 (2.8 GHz) are now immediately available in the 95-watt maximum thermal design power. These new processors, along with AMD Opteron processor Model 1220, are designed to offer leading-edge performance-per-watt and price-performance for mainstream server and workstation customers.

The latest AMD Opteron processors, part of the industry’s most stable roadmap, will complement and are designed to enable a seamless upgrade path to AMD’s native quad-core processors, codenamed “Barcelona.” These processors are expected to feature substantial core enhancements in mid-2007 and to offer a 40-percent performance advantage over the competition’s quad-core offerings, all based on the same infrastructure and thermal envelopes customers depend on today.

“With our design leadership focused on performance and performance-per-watt, it is clear that AMD is the smart choice for IT professionals and datacenter managers today and tomorrow,” said Randy Allen, corporate vice president, Server and Workstation Division, AMD. “This long-term approach means our OEM and system builder partners benefit from a consistent and common architecture that scales to meet changing customer needs and escalating demands on quad-core ready platforms today. AMD can provide IT professionals what they truly need: reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) and platform stability that is second to none.”

STRATO AG, one of the market leaders among European Internet service providers, recognizes the TCO and performance-per-watt advantages offered by AMD and has standardized its high-performance computing centers for hosting and other Web services on the AMD Opteron HE processors.

“As one of Europe’s leading Web hosting providers, STRATO relies on AMD Opteron HE processors to deliver optimal energy-efficiency and unbeatable performance-per-watt. The latest high-performance, yet energy-efficient dual-core processors from AMD can significantly improve the price-performance ratio of STRATO’s servers,” explains Markus Schrodt, member of the STRATO AG Managing Board. “With more than 20,000 rental servers for small- and medium-sized businesses, STRATO with the help of AMD, is able to successfully combine reduction of energy costs - a critical survival factor for businesses - with environmental responsibility.”

Widespread Hardware Partner Support
Global tier one server providers Dell, Inc., Fujitsu Siemens Computers, HP, IBM and Sun Microsystems plan to incorporate the new AMD Opteron processors into their platforms, along with leading platform providers such as Appro International, Cray, Rackable Systems and Verari Systems.

Pricing
For pricing information, visit www.amd.com/pricing.

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