14 DAY TRIAL // Advanced Micro Devices is getting ready to launch its newest 45nm server processor code-named Shanghai. The chip is expected to hit the market in less than two weeks, and the company already stated that all is going according to plans. This means that we'll soon be able to put our hands on the most powerful server chip AMD ever launched. Recently leaked information from the chipmaker shows that AMD also has high hopes for the chip. To put it in better words, the Sunnyvale company sees Shanghai as “the industry's price/performance-per-watt leader for x86 servers”.
A memo from Randy Allen, Senior Vice President, Computing Solutions, about Shanghai has leaked to the Web, and it presents a more than optimistic view AMD has on the chip. According to the memo, the chipmaker sees Shanghai as a leading product considering the extensive testing it performed, as well as the testing performed by partners. The conclusion is that the processor is able to deliver “dominant performance in workloads that matter: virtualization, web serving, and database”.
The new server CPU is expected to outperform current products on the market. Besides, the company has a great time advantage against its competitors, as it’s a known fact that Intel plans server Nehalem-based processors only one or two quarters later. This means that the chip has a lot of time at disposal to prove what it is capable of. And all points towards great performance.
The memo reveals that Shanghai has managed so far to surpass the expectation of many industry players. It came one quarter earlier than originally predicted, and the validation of the chip is almost completed at partners. Randy Allen states that “This is almost unheard of in the server business. Raghuram Tupuri and his design team have officially helped put us back on path to flawless execution and developed an evolutionary product with revolutionary performance characteristics”.
According to the memo, a great credit for the chip’s capabilities and fast appearance goes to the technology and manufacturing team. Shanghai is seen as “the fastest AMD Opteron processor that has gone from first wafer to production parts”. The performance and performance-per-watt are leveraged due to the manufacturer's leading-edge immersion lithography technology. While the processor was originally planned to feature 2.4GHz in the 75-watt ACP thermal band, its speed has been greatly enhanced, while the power needs are much lower both under heavy load and when idling. The chip should make a pleasant surprise to many industry watchers, says Randy Allen.
The chip is reported to come at a great price considering the amount of performance it is capable of delivering. It is expected to go in high-volume on the 2P server market and also prove a great addition for the 4P and 8P market. The memo also reveals that “Shanghai is planned to deliver enterprises unparalleled price/performance and set new performance records for the most critical and demanding server workloads. And just like AMD set the standard for power-efficiency in the datacenter starting in 2003 with the launch of the original AMD Opteron processor, we should do the same with what is driving much of the server growth today -- virtualization”.
Randy Allen added that the chip would probably “create new competitive dynamics in the x86 server business”. He also stated that AMD plans to launch the Fiorano platform later in 2009, which would include virtualization innovations. Besides, the already spotted Istanbul processor will be launched in the second quarter of the next year. The Sunnyvale company is said to have made great advances in the 45nm technology, allowing it the hope for a strong 2009 roadmap. The company expects to turn “back to sustainable profitability” courtesy of new products and focus on execution and aggressively reducing expenses.
At the end of the memo, Randy Allen expressed AMD's belief that it can once again take the lead in the server market and that it plans on making its partners and customers believe the same. The entire memo can be read on the Polish site PC Lab.