AMD has started shipping dual-core models of its 64-bit Opteron processor for four- and eight-way servers, and will offer dual-core chips for desktop and desktop-replacement notebook users as well. The dual-core Opteron and Athlon64 chips can be used to upgrade 90nm-ready systems with only a BIOS change, the company says.

AMD did not announce plans for multi-core models of its Mobile Athlon series, cores from which are repurposed in some models of the company's Geode embedded chips (Intel also offers embedded chips based on its mobile processor cores). However, as in the server and desktop markets, multicore chips are proliferating in embedded, due to heat and power advantages in certain applications. Embedded chip vendors working on or shipping chips with multiple processor cores include Sony/IBM/Toshiba (Power), Broadcom (MIPS), PMC-Sierra (MIPS), Freescale (PowerPC), Cavium (MIPS), TI (ARM11/DSP), ARM Ltd. (ARM), NEC (ARM), and Centrality (ARM9/DSP).

Like the dual-core processors Intel said it shipped last week, AMD's dual-core chips have separate caches for each processor, a design that reduces design complexity at the expense of optimized hardware performance, according to an article about the new chips at eWEEK.

The first of AMD's dual-core chips to ship are its 8xx series, intended for use in boards with four to eight processor slots. The 2xx series, for dual-slot boards, is due in late May, while the 1xx series, for single-slot boards, is expected sometime after that. All three product families will comprise 1.8, 2.0, and 2.2 GHz parts, named x65, x70, and x75, respectively. The shipping 8xx series is priced from $1,514 to $2,649 in 1,000-unit quantities.

Further details about AMD's dual-core chips are available at eWEEK and at PCMagazine.

 
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