AMD to demonstrate dual-core chips
AMD on Tuesday will show off a Hewlett-Packard ProLiant server with four dual-core Opteron chips at a facility in Austen, Texas, bringing the functional number of chips in four-processor servers to eight. "When you load Microsoft (Server 2003), it shows up as eight processors," said Marty Seyer, vice president and general manager of the microprocessor business unit at AMD. The chip "taped out"--semiconductor shop talk meaning that the design was completed--in June, and AMD recently produced the samples that will be displayed in Austin, Seyer added.
The news comes a week before the Intel Developer Forum, where Intel is expected to discuss dual-core Itanium, Xeon and Pentium chips for servers and desktops, and demonstrate at least one of these chips at the event. Right now, it is difficult to determine which company is ahead in coming out with dual-core chips, which increase performance while conserving energy. Intel has said it will come out with a dual-core Itanium toward the middle of next year and desktop parts in the second half, roughly the same schedule AMD proposes. Both companies have also had to delay projects recently, so today's deadlines are likely fluid.
