AMD rolls out faster MPU for servers

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Hoping to expand its presence in the high-end computer market, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. here on Tuesday announced its fastest microprocessor for the server/workstation space.

The new processor, dubbed the Athlon MP 2100+, is a 1.73-GHz chip geared for dual-processor workstations and servers, said Paige Greene, product manager for the Sunnyvale-based company. “It is also capable for single-processor systems,” Greene told SBN in a briefing on Monday.

The processor is part of the company's ongoing efforts to boost its presence in the high-end workstation/server space--all at the expense of archrival Intel Corp.

And AMD is beginning to make some inroads in the market. The company's market share in server/workstation arena for small businesses in North America has jumped from zero a year ago, to 14% in the first quarter of 2002, according to Dataquest Inc. of San Jose.

AMD also claims to have garnered about 8.3% market share in the worldwide workstation/server market, up from zero in the like period a year ago.

“The majority of our growth is in North America,” said Kevin Graf, product manager at AMD. “We also see growth in Japan and Asia-Pacific,” he told SBN.

The company also hopes to bolster its share with the introduction of its 64-bit microprocessor line, dubbed Opteron, which is due out in 2003. Earlier this year, AMD demonstrated the processor, which is geared to run both 32- and 64-bit software (see Feb. 2 story ).

The Athlon MP and Opteron are complementary, Graf said. While the Athlon MP is geared for the “volume server market,” Opteron is aimed for the higher-end computer market, he said.

Meanwhile, AMD is shipping the MP 2100+. The processor works in conjunction with the company's 760MP and 760MPX chip sets to support higher-end servers and workstations.

Built around the Socket A platform, the processor also makes use of the company's Smart MP technology. With split transaction-based protocol, Smart MP technology allows a dedicated bus for each CPU to boost overall system performance.

The MP 2100+ sells for $262 in 1,000-unit lots. The chip is currently shipping.