Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/26/amd_opteron_vs_xeon_claim/
AMD's 'Barcelona' 65nm quad-core server processors will lick Intel's four-core Xeon 5300 series, out-performing its rival by up to 40 per cent, the chip maker claimed this week, according to a variety of websites briefed by the company.
Maybe, but since no one can actually buy a Barcelona-based machine, the point's moot. By the same token, AMD's rival could claim it will ship a chip that outperforms Barcelona by a similar margin, and we're sure it will. Still, AMD can at least put a time frame on Barcelona's release: it's due mid-2007.
However, that launch schedule is giving Intel time to sell processors to folk who want quad-core chips now. According to Mercury Research analyst Dean McCarron, cited (http://www.dailytech.com/AMD+Expects+QuadCore+Barcelona+to+Outperform+Clovertown+by+40/article5863.htm?www.reghardware.co.uk) by DailyTech, the quad-core Xeons are putting a "meaningful" amount of business Intel's way. Some of those sales would surely have gone to AMD had it a quad-core CPU on the market.
AMD's big pitch for Barcelona is that its four cores are integrated on one die, connected to 2MB of shared L3 cache. The Xeon 5300s, by contrast, are dual-core dies bonded together in a single chip package. Intel's plans for 45nm quad-core Xeons, expected to be launched in the second half of the year, continue to be based on this one chip, two dies approach.
AMD workstation market share plunges (14 June 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/06/14/xeon_vs_opteron/
AMD praying ‘Barcelona’ makes up for four-core mistake (17 March 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/03/17/amd_rivas_barcelona/
Intel's anti-trust memos started vanishing from the top (11 March 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/11/intel_tortellini_episode/
AMD's 'Barcelona' cuts power one core at a time (11 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/11/amd_enhanced_powernow/
Big box, little box - IBM will slice it (10 February 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/10/ibm_hypervisors/
AMD rolls out top-of-the-line Opterons (7 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/07/amd_opteron_price_cuts/
AMD counters Intel with Opterons in all sizes (7 February 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/07/variety_amd_opteron/
World chip sales break record but miss industry forecast (5 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/05/world_chip_sales_06/
Intel, AMD jostled for market share in 2006 (31 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/31/mercury_x86_marketshare_2006/
AMD dual-core Athlon 6000+ slips out early (29 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/29/amd_athlon_6000_slips_out/
Intel teaches IBM how to reveal chip breakthroughs (28 January 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/28/intel_ibm_highk/
Intel ships low-end Core 2 Duo (22 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/22/intel_ships_core2duo_e4300/
Intel completes 45nm 'Wolfdale', 'Yorkfield' architecture (17 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/17/intel_tapes_out_penryn/
Intel releases workstation-friendly quad-core Xeons (8 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/08/intel_ships_four-core_xeons/
Intel adds 'Wolfdale', 'Yorkfield' to desktop roadmap (5 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/05/intel_wolfdale_yorkfield_roadmap/
AMD to ship Athlon 64 X2 6000+ 'next quarter' (27 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/27/amd_desktop_roadmap_update/
AMD reportedly revising CPU performance ratings (21 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/21/amd_processor_nomenclature/
AMD readies second-generation quad-core Opteron (15 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/15/amd_server_roadmap/
AMD flies in Hawk, Griffin notebook CPUs (15 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/15/amd_mobile_roadmap/
AMD maps out path to HT 3, DDR 3, DirectX 10 (15 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/15/amd_desktop_roadmap/