Advanced Micro Devices has demonstrated the company's first dual-core microprocessors at its Austin, Texas, office, the company says.
Dual-core processors, set to hit the market next year, offer improved performance over single-core chips, especially in multithreaded applications.
AMD's demonstration included a Hewlett-Packard Proliant DL585 server running four dual-core Opteron processors, the company says in a statement. An updated BIOS (Basic Input Output System)--the interface between a computer's hardware and operating system--was all that was required to get the 4-way server up and running with the dual-core chips, it says.
The company did not provide further details of the demonstration.
Technical Details
The chips--which contain two processor cores and 1MB of Level 2 cache for each core--use the same 940-pin socket used by AMD's single-core Opteron processors manufactured with a 90-nanometer process, according to information posted on the AMD's Web site.
This compatibility will allow HP, Sun Microsystems, and IBM to incorporate dual-core Opterons in existing systems that are designed for the Opteron, AMD says.
In addition, users will be able to upgrade existing systems that are compatible with the 90-nanometer single-core processors to dual-core chips, it says.
The dual-core Opteron chips, which were produced using a 90-nanometer process, are expected to be available commercially by the middle of next year, AMD says. The company plans to make available dual-core chips that are designed to be used in servers running from one to eight processors, it says. The company did not disclose pricing information for the chips.
Dual-core processors designed for desktop PCs will be made available during the second half of 2005, AMD says.
AMD rival Intel also plans to make available a full range of dual-core processors in 2005.
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