AMD May Release First Opteron Abu Dhabi Server Chips Next Month

From X-bit Labs: Sometimes more means less. The first multi-core central processing units based on Piledriver micro-architecture will be reportedly released next month and will even have sixteen x86 cores. What should be noted is that the chip will be aimed at high-performance servers and will have low clock-speed.

Piledriver micro-architecture that many pinned a lot of hopes on as on a breakthrough for Advanced Micro Devices when it comes to x86 performance has so far failed to impress with the low-power mobile accelerated processing units (APUs) code-named Trinity. Moreover, it will take some time before code-named Vishera chips with Piledriver cores reach desktops as the first high-performance multi-core processors with Piledriver cores to be released will be aimed at servers, which do not exactly require extreme performance demanded by the high-end desktops, reports VR-Zone web-site.

Although Advanced Micro Devices clearly knows how to build energy-efficient microprocessors for mobile computers, in the recent years the company has failed to release high-performance chips for desktops. Apparently, Piledriver micro-architecture will hardly become AMD's "saviour" when it comes to per-core x86 performance. Trinity may offer decent speed for mainstream PCs, but the eight-core and six-core FX-series processors will barely offer much better performance than existing models, which is why AMD is concentrating on multi-core offerings for servers.

In case Piledriver does not provide truly high per-core performance, then AMD will essentially be two years behind Intel in terms of speed for another year. Therefore, all the hopes will be put on the next-generation AMD cores code-named Steamroller, which are due in late 2013 or even early 2014, according to AMD's roadmaps.

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