AMD: We Will Not Cut-Down Feature-Set of Opteron “Magny-Cours” Chips

Advanced Micro Devices said this week that it would not cut-down feature set of its forthcoming AMD Opteron processors code-named Magny-Cours with eight or twelve processing engines. This means that all next-generation multi-core chips from AMD will have the same functionality and features and will only differ in terms of performance, which is supposed to improve value of the microprocessors to customers.

“When you look at our existing AMD Opteron processors as well as our upcoming new products (Magny-Cours), you see two big themes: we don’t compromise on features and we are going to deliver the feature customers care most about: value. As you look at our products, you’ll see that as you move down the stack, from those fastest processors that everyone lusts after (but few buy) down to the value-priced processors, you’ll see the same set of features. You won’t see AMD artificially limiting the capabilities or punishing a focus on low power,” said John Fruehe is the director of product marketing for server/workstation products at AMD.

Although making promises like those that AMD does at present hardly makes a lot of sense when performance, price and power consumption of the chips are not clear, it looks like the company wants to make it clear that all of its chips will work equally efficiently. By contrast, AMD’s arch-rival Intel Corp. from time to time cuts down certain features from less expensive desktop or server central processing units (CPUs) for marketing or power consumption reasons.