To wrap up the first round of “20 Questions,” below are additional questions I received. In the first post, I addressed questions around our upcoming server platforms. The second post focused on virtualization and cloud computing. And the final post will answer questions related to future technology trends/adoption.
If you have additional questions or subjects you’d like me to address, let me know and we’ll play another round of “20 Questions.”
Are there any plans to support the HyperTransportTM Technology High Node Count (HNC) Specification in future CPUs?
HyperTransportTM technology is a key cornerstone of the AMD OpteronTM processor and is expected to be integrated into future AMD Opteron processors. HyperTransport High Node Count (HNC) is a very interesting new specification that supports the development of highly scalable systems. HyperTransport technology is an open industry standard and the HNC specification was developed in conjunction with various HyperTransport consortium members. While not integrated into our public roadmaps at this time, it is a technology in which we see potential.
Is there any news on Torrenza?
Torrenza was an umbrella for a wide range of programs, many of which continue today under our Accelerated Computing initiative. Accelerated Computing takes into account the hardware and software evolution necessary for new combinations of integrated and discrete products designed to deliver a superior user experience across a broad range of usage scenarios. Utilizing the GPU for certain computationally intensive workloads via ATI Stream is an example of that, as are new software development tools like OpenCL that makes it easier to take advantage of the CPU and GPU capabilities in a system. Many of the initial Torrenza technologies were based on the Socket F, so as we move to new sockets (G34 and C32) with Accelerated Computing, we may see different implementations, whether it is socket-based or not. Just like the rest of the market, AMD continues to evolve as we learn more about how customers want to solve computing problems.
Does AMD foresee convergence of desktop and server products/platforms in the future, perhaps when CPU power is no longer the limiting factor in software progress?
Actually, we are seeing the opposite. The biggest driver for change in servers that we are seeing is the need for lower power consumption, not higher power parts. As we look at future processors, we expect to continue to see the divergence of the desktop and server roadmaps. In a desktop, the impact of a higher power processor is less profound than in a server where multiple CPUs can be consuming much more electricity.
Are there plans to release the current Six-Core AMD OpteronTM processor in a quad-core variant in the future?
There are currently no plans, but there are plans for quad-core models of the C32 processor in the first half of 2010.
John Fruehe is the Director of Business Development for Server/Workstation products at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.