AMD Releases Opteron Series Capable of Handling 16 Processor Cores

Number two semiconductor processor maker Advanced Micro Devices (News - Alert) has released AMD Opteron 6200 and 4200 series processors, formerly code-named Interlagos and Valencia. With the ability to scale from 4 to 16 processor cores, the new AMD (News - Alert) Opteron processors are designed to give enterprises up to 84 percent higher performance, increased scalability for virtualization with up to 73 percent more memory bandwidth at 2/3 less floor space and up to 2/3 lower platform price, claimed AMD.

According to AMD, the new Opteron 6200 series is the world’s first and only 16-core x86 server processor with the highest core density for incredible scalability to handle demanding multi-threaded workloads such as cloud computing, virtualization, high-performance computing (HPC), databases and business applications.

AMD said that the innovative modular architecture helps pack in more cores, making it the natural choice for heavy-threaded cloud computing environments and enterprise applications that demand outstanding performance and scalability.

In a statement, Paul Struhsaker, corporate vice president and general manager of Commercial Business at AMD said, “Our industry is at a new juncture; virtualization has provided a new level of reliable consolidation and businesses are now looking to the cloud for even more agility and efficiency. We designed the new AMD Opteron processor for this precise moment.”

“The wait for the most anticipated new product and architecture for servers is over. Leading OEMs are now offering cloud, enterprise and HPC customers a full suite of solutions based on the industry’s most comprehensive server processor portfolio, the new AMD Opteron family of processors which deliver an inspired balance of performance, scalability and efficiency,” noted  Struhsaker.

Additionally, the company also released Opteron 3000 series platform targeted at the ultra-dense, ultra-low power 1P Web Hosting/Web Serving and Microserver markets. According to AMD, the first processor will be the 4-8 core CPU code named Zurich, expected to ship in the first half of 2012.  AMD said that Zurich is based on the Bulldozer architecture and leverages the new Socket AM3+.