AMD Barcelona server chips released into channel

Distributors, system integrators, and OEMs are finally able to deliver AMD's quad-core Opteron processor-based server systems to small and medium businesses, enterprise customers, and high performance computing centers.

By Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor -- Electronic News, 4/9/2008

After suffering from the effects of a delayed launch for its Opteron server processors, Sunnyvale, Calif-based microprocessor maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) today announced availability and widespread shipping of its quad-core Barcelona processor-based server systems from its channel partners.

Ten platforms are being launched by AMD channel partners today, which the company said are meant to address customer demand for the business-focused advantages of systems based on quad-core AMD Opteron processors. The systems also leverage AMD’s direct connect architecture, which is meant to allow energy efficiency, performance, scalability, and virtualization performance.

To comment on this and the state of AMD, see "How will AMD reach profitability? Try going fabless."

AMD OEM Appro said it has observed the performance benefits with quad-core Opteron-based systems in major high-performance computing clusters such as the University of Tsukuba, Center of Computational Sciences, and the ING Renault Formula One Team Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Centre.

Also, distributor Supermicro said it is offering a number of Opteron-based solutions for high-performance servers and quiet workstations, and boosts the systems with 2P/4P SuperBlade compute density (up to 960 cores per rack), maximum I/O flexibility with Universal I/O (UIO), virtualization optimization (up to 32 DIMMs in a 1U, 2U or 4U server), and 1U Twin architecture (two independent nodes per 1U chassis) for scalability leadership.

Rackable Systems, SYNNEX Corp, CDW, Tyan, and Uniwide are also now shipping Opteron-based servers.

Separately, AMD said Hewlett-Packard is also shipping a range of Opteron-based servers, from blade to high-end servers.

HP recently launched its ProLiant G5 platforms based on the quad-core AMD Opteron processor.