Multiprocessor AMD AMD demonstrates a multiprocessor system at the Microprocessor Forum
October 10, 2000 by Eric Svetcov This is a turning point for AMD. They have finally shown that they too can produce a multiprocessor computer built to run x86 applications. Until now, only Intel had a multiprocessor solution; however, in the next few months we will most likely see AMD servers and workstations making their way into corporate America. Now for a little discussion about the platform. AMD didn’t only announce their first 2P (dual processor) solution, they also demonstrated a computer that uses DDR (Double Data Rate) memory. This will double memory bandwidth without the latency problems of RDRAM (Intel’s sole memory choice for the upcoming Pentium 4). Additionally, according to previous announcement the system bus should also be increasing to 266 MHz with the shipment of this chipset. It is also my understanding that the architecture of the motherboard will differ from the current multiprocessor architecture from Intel in another significant way that will improve performance. The EV6 system bus architecture features a point-to-point topology while Intel is still using a shared topology. This becomes more significant as you increase the number of processors. You might recall that a 4 processor system is only about 2.5 times faster than a 1 processor system (in general that was a good rule of thumb). AMD’s new solution will significantly increase the effectiveness of each additional processor. I am very excited about the prospect of this new system. I suggest that you closely follow the developments. I can see in the near future where there will be no reason to buy a 1P system any longer. When you can buy a dual processor Duron on a fantastically fast AMD 760 Motherboard, why wouldn’t you spend the extra $70 for the processor? And if you need the performance, a dual processor Athlon could be just what the doctor ordered. |