AMD Details Native Quad-core Design Features for Breakthrough Performance and Advanced Power Efficiencies.Quad-Core AMD (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, www.amd.com) A major manufacturer of semiconductor devices including x86-compatible CPUs, embedded processors, flash memories, programmable logic devices and networking chips. Opteron[TM] Processors Designed for Automatic Adjustment of Individual Core Frequencies for Improving Power Efficiency in the Datacenter SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden -- AMD (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : AMD) today unveiled more industry-defining architectural features for its upcoming native Quad-Core AMD Opteron[TM] processors (codenamed "Barcelona") during a presentation to the International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC ISSCC International Solid State Circuits Conference ISSCC International Student Services Center Corporation Limited ). In addition to the estimated 40-percent performance advantage native Quad-Core AMD Opteron[TM] processors can offer over the competition in benchmark testing, AMD's redesigned microarchitecture will enable new power- and thermal-management techniques, strengthening the industry-leading performance-per-watt AMD Opteron processors currently deliver today. Among the new features are enhancements to AMD PowerNow![TM] technology for dynamic adjustment of individual core frequencies. "AMD has always focused on delivering increased levels of performance without making compromises in power efficiency," said Randy Allen James Randall (Randy) Allen (born January 26, 1965 in Milton, Florida) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'8" forward from Florida State University, Allen was never drafted by an NBA team but did manage to play two years in the NBA form 1988 to 1990 for the , corporate vice president, Server and Workstation Division, AMD. "'Barcelona' will build on this value proposition while delivering industry-changing dynamics to the x86 server market, much like the original AMD Opteron processor did in 2003. New power management features, unique to the x86 market, combined with industry-leading performance and stability, make it clear why AMD remains the smarter choice for enterprises." Optimum Power Consumption AMD is taking a multi-pronged approach to enabling reduced system-level power consumption for exceptional performance and low energy costs. Enhancements to AMD PowerNow![TM] technology will enable systems based on native Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors to dynamically adjust frequencies at the individual core level for further power consumption reductions. Another new power management enhancement leverages AMD's Direct Connect Architecture and integrated memory controller by enabling "Barcelona" processor cores to reduce voltage levels even while the memory controller runs at full speed. This enables the memory controller to service external memory requests independent from core p-state transitions, thus enabling p-state opportunities which can lead to additional power savings. The system memory interface also includes a feature that powers down memory logic when not in use. AMD has also made extensive use of "clock gating" in the "Barcelona" design to enable automatic shut-down of areas of logic not being utilized for further power savings. "Today's IT system purchasers must weigh performance-per-watt as well as raw performance as they make their buying decisions," noted Nathan Brookwood, Research Fellow at Insight 64. "By doubling the number of cores, adding a shared third level cache and applying a variety of other extensive CPU design CPU design is the design engineering task of producing a CPU, a component of computer hardware. It is a subfield of electronics engineering and computer engineering. Overview CPU design focuses on these areas:
the upper part of a fraction. numerator relationship see additive genetic relationship. numerator Epidemiology The upper part of a fraction in the performance-per-watt equation. Today's ISSCC disclosures reveal 'Barcelona' also includes innovations such as the ability to vary each CPU CPU in full central processing unit Principal component of a digital computer, composed of a control unit, an instruction-decoding unit, and an arithmetic-logic unit. core's frequency independently, along with a number of proven energy-saving techniques like 'clock-gating' that address the denominator in the equation. The combination of these new performance and power-saving features should drive a dramatic improvement in the already strong performance-per-watt AMD Opteron processor-based systems offer today." Upcoming native Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors are designed for the same power infrastructure AMD customers depend on today - 68, 95 and 120 Watt thermal envelopes. Optimum Performance Levels While special attention was paid to the power-saving design features in native Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors, equal emphasis was placed on delivering industry-leading performance. Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors are packed with core and cache enhancements designed to improve performance on a range of server and workstation applications. Cache-sensitive transactional applications such as Web, database and email servers can benefit from the addition of a 2MB shared L3 cache (Level 3 cache) A memory bank built onto the motherboard or within the CPU module. The L3 cache feeds the L2 cache, and its memory is typically slower than the L2 memory, but faster than main memory. . Simulations conducted in AMD laboratories indicate that certain database applications will see performance improvements up to 70 percent and certain floating point applications will experience performance gains of up to 40 percent over platforms powered by current dual-core AMD Opteron processors. High-performance computing High-speed computing, which typically refers to supercomputers used in scientific research. (HPC (Handheld PC) A palmtop computer that weighs less than one pound and runs specialized versions of popular applications. Microsoft coined the term for its Windows CE operating system, which is an abbreviated version of Windows. See Pocket PC. ) applications can benefit tremendously from a doubling of Barcelona's floating-point execution pipeline to 128-bit width, which includes an AMD-only doubling of instruction and data delivery capabilities. Finally, through enhancements to AMD Virtualization[TM] (AMD-V[TM]), including Nested Paging, virtualization An umbrella term for enhancing a computer's ability to do work. Following are the ways virtualization is used. Hardware Virtualization Partitioning the computer's memory into separate and isolated "virtual machines" simulates multiple machines within one physical computer. customers can enjoy additional application performance improvements over non AMD-V driven applications. Availability Quad-Core AMD Opteron Processors are expected to be available in mid-2007. About AMD Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is a leading global provider of innovative processing solutions in the computing, graphics and consumer electronics markets. AMD is dedicated to driving open innovation, choice and industry growth by delivering superior customer-centric solutions that empower consumers and businesses worldwide. For more information, visit www.amd.com. Cautionary Statement This release contains forward-looking statements regarding AMD's product introduction schedule and the features and specifications of future quad-core processor products, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements in this release involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the company's current expectations. Risks include the possibility that the company will not achieve its current product introduction schedule and that customer adoption and infrastructure support of quad-core AMD64 processors will not occur as expected. We urge investors to review in detail the risks and uncertainties in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to the Annual Report on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. for the year ended December 25, 2005 and AMD's quarterly report on Form 10-Q Form 10-Q See 10-Q. for the quarter ended October 1, 2006. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Opteron, AMD PowerNow! and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. |
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