The world’s second-largest manufacturer of processing equipment has just introduced three new Opteron 2.6 GHz models, right at the time when all attention is focused on the Intel Developer Forum (IDF), taking place this week in San Francisco, USA. 
The Opteron 185, 285, and 885 enhance performance by approximately 4% – 15% compared to AMD’s high-end 2.4 GHz product line. While the price for the 185 has not yet been announced, the Opteron 285 is priced at $1,051, and the 885 model is priced at $2,149. These chips consume a maximum power of 95 watts.
AMD’s announcement of the new clock speed for their dual-core chip line just one day before Intel unveiled their key products is no coincidence. This move serves as a subtle reminder that AMD, with their Opteron line, has significantly impacted the market share of the world’s leading chip manufacturer in recent months. Server revenue using AMD’s processing equipment also increased from 6% in Q4/2004 to 14.3% at the end of last year.
In the next 3 – 5 months, AMD will launch a high-efficiency (HE) 55-watt energy-saving version. By the end of this year, AMD plans to release an entirely new Opteron line, codenamed Santa Rosa. This chip line includes two main components: Pacifica virtualization technology, which allows for the simultaneous operation of multiple operating systems on different units (virtual machines), and the improved security technology known as Presidio.
Rev F will also support the new DDR2 technology. Intel has transitioned to DDR2 quite some time ago and is upgrading to another technology called FB-DIMM.
Meanwhile, Intel spokesperson Scott McLaughlin stated that in June, they will release dual-core Xeon processors for servers, codenamed Dempsey (DP) and Woodcrest, to replace the current Paxville line.
These chip models are eagerly anticipated by the tech community, as Paxville has disappointed users. Gordon Haff, an analyst at the American research firm Illuminata, affirmed: “If it weren’t for AMD, Paxville DP would never have seen the light of day. Intel has heavily invested in Dempsey and Woodcrest. Despite ongoing discrepancies in comparison to AMD’s products, they clearly perform better than Paxville“.
