PC Hardware in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Opteron

The Opteron is based on the variant of the K8 core codenamed Sledgehammer. Various Opteron models support 1-, 2-, 4-, and 8-way operation and are targeted at servers. AMD plans to produce at least three Opteron series. Opteron 100-series processors support only 1-way processing, and are due in September 2003. Opteron 200-series processors support 1- and 2-way processing, and shipped in April 2003. Opteron 400-series processors support 1-, 2-, 4-, and 8-way processing, and are to ship in September 2003 and into 2004.

Rather than the clock speed designations or QuantiSpeed model numbers AMD used for earlier processors, AMD assigns each Opteron model an arbitrary number to indicate relative performance. For example, the Opteron processor roadmap includes the 140, 240, and 840 models, which operate at 1.4 GHz; the 1.6 GHz 142, 242, and 842 models; and the 1.8 GHz 144, 244, and 844 models. AMD plans to release later Opteron models operating at 2.0 GHz (presumably the 146, 246, and 846 models), as well as models operating at 2.2 GHz (148, 248, and 848).

Opteron processors use 6.4 GB/s HyperTransport Technology (HTT) channels to provide a high-speed link between the processor components themselves and to the outside world. The Opteron has three HTT channels, which may be either of two types. Coherent HTT channels link the processor to other Opteron processors. Opteron 100-series, 200-series, and 800-series processors have zero, one, or three coherent HTT channels, respectively. Standard ...