AMD has released two Opteron-X quad-core server microprocessors, codenamed Kyoto, which will compete squarely against Intel's Atom offerings.
The processors are intended for the burgeoning microserver market and will enable AMD to offer both x86, as well as ARM microprocessors - which it is currently developing - for that market.
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The Opteron-X share the same Jaguar microarchitecture as the eight-core microprocessors at the heart of the new Sony Playstation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One games consoles, but can support more memory.
The two Opteron-X microprocessors - the X1150 and the X2150 - will clock in at up to 2 gigahertz (GHz) and 1.9GHz respectively, with respective power consumption of "as low as" 9W and 11W. Both will offer 2MB of level-2 cache and support up to 32GB of 64-bit, DDR3 memory. They will also use BGA (ball-grid array) packaging.
The X2150 will have a 128 AMD Radeon HD 8000 graphics processing unit, which supports OpenCL, for more power.
The X1150 will cost $64 and the X2150 $99 in quantities of 1,000.
Andrew Feldman, general manager of AMD's server business, compared the new X-series microprocessors to Intel's current Centeron and forthcoming Avoton processors, but stressed its performance and the fact that they will be available immediately.
Both microprocessors are intended for microservers, server appliances in which the hardware and software has been preconfigured by the manufacturer, making them quick and easy to deploy - at least in theory.
Microservers are expected to take some 15-20 per cent of the overall server market within the next five years, hence AMD's decision to focus resources on producing bespoke x86 and ARM microprocessors for this market.
