AMD intros new players to the high-performance 32- and 64-bit AMD Opteron processor lineup.

AMD Opteron processor Model 248 delivers leading 32-bit performance for 2-way servers

AMD has announced new additions to the AMD Opteron processor family--Models 148, 248 and 848--enabling servers and workstations to simultaneously provide cutting-edge 32-bit performance and 64-bit capability.

"With the AMD Opteron processor, we're giving the server and workstation industry an opportunity to hit a grand slam with its purchasing decisions," said Marty Seyer, vice president and general manager of AMD's Microprocessor Business Unit. "IT managers, small and medium businesses and workstation users are increasingly interested in products that meet their immediate needs for 32-bit processing power and protect their investments as they move to the next phase of computing with 64-bit applications."

"CIO's may be finding themselves at a crossroads of technology options right now," said Vernon Turner, group vice president of IDC's Global Enterprise Server Solutions. "The AMD Opteron processor can offer a unified platform for servers at every position in the data center, from print servers to database management, and can do so with both price and performance leadership."

High-end research institutions have already recognized the breakthrough capabilities offered by AMD64 technology. Organizations such as AIST in Japan, Los Alamos National Labs, Texas A&M University and The University of Utah are employing high performance cluster systems based on the AMD Opteron processor.

"With all of the advantages of AMD64 technology, including leading 32-bit performance, and none of the risks of a proprietary 64-bit option, IT teams deploying AMD Opteron processor-based servers and workstations can be the heroes of their enterprise," said Seyer. "It is energizing to see the creative ways business and researchers are thinking about this technology."

The AMD Opteron processor Model 148, for single processing workstations and entry-level servers, will be available in December of this year from leading system builders in North America.

The AMD Opteron processor Model 248, designed for dual processing servers and workstations, is immediately available worldwide. Industry-standard benchmarks show the AMD Opteron processor Model 248 is the world leader in 32-bit processing performance for 2-way servers and its 64-bit capabilities can provide system builders with a unique platform to customize according to their customers' needs.

"The OctigaBay 12K platform takes full advantage of the AMD Opteron processor's dramatic memory bandwidth," said John Seminerio, president and CEO of OctigaBay. "With our Direct Connected Processor architecture and AMD64 technology and the superior I/O of the AMD Opteron processor, we have been able to directly link a larger number of processors at memory speed, reducing memory and interconnect bottlenecks and significantly increasing application performance."

The AMD Opteron processor Model 848, for enterprise-class servers, will also be available from North American system builders in December. A listing of companies offering AMD Opteron processor-based products can be found at AMD server partners and AMD workstation partners.

Workstation applications can benefit from the AMD Opteron processor's newly added support for registered PC3200 memory speeds, which is DDR-1 memory operating at 400 Mhz. The Sciencemark 2.0 Stream benchmark, designed to measure 1P workstation performance on advanced scientific calculations, shows an improvement in performance of up to 28% when registered PC3200 memory is utilized. All AMD Opteron processors with model numbers ending in 46 and higher will soon be available with the additional memory support.

"Samsung worked closely with AMD and JEDEC to develop an industry standard memory solution designed to help server and workstation manufacturers successfully navigate the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit computing," said Tom Quinn, Samsung's US vice president of memory sales and marketing. "The AMD Opteron processor's integrated memory controller and Samsung's registered PC3200 memory solution together offer users a significant boost in overall system performance."

The AMD Opteron processor Model 848 will be priced at $3199 in 1,000-unit quantities. The AMD Opteron processor Model 248 is priced at $913 in 1,000-unit quantities and the AMD Opteron processor Model 148 will be priced at $733 in 1,000-unit quantities.