Quad-core processor is faster, lower power

The Quad-Core Opteron processor for servers is said to be the first such device with four cores on a single die. Nine versions have 1.7 to 2.0-GHz clock speeds and are either 2- or 8-way scalable.

The chips use a 65-nm process and are said to be 57% faster in SPECint_rate2006 rating than dual-core models, while using the same power. The two-way 2350 model runs at 2.0 GHz and takes 75 W average power, with a thermal design power of 95 W. Energy efficiency is heightened by technology that turns off unused parts of the processor, by Independent Dynamic Core Technology that enables each core to vary its clock frequency depending on the performance load, and by Dual Dynamic Power Management, which provides an independent power supply to each core and to the memory controller. (Model 2350, $389—available now.)

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