New Opteron systems upgradable to quad-core

Dual-cores use same AMD Socket F and have same thermal and electrical characteristics

Platforms built for dual-core Opteron processors launched today will also run quad-core versions set to launch next year, AMD says.

The quad-core design, known as a tape-out, has already been finalised, AMD said. It uses the same Socket F as the new dual-cores and has the same thermal and electrical characteristics.

This means will machines be easily upgradeable, and manufacturers will not need to design complete new systems for the quad-cores.

The news will be welcomed by large computer manufacturers that fear a decline in sales as the rollout of quad-core in mid-2007 approaches.

Opteron processors are designed for use in servers and current models are dual-core. Multi-core processors are especially useful in a server environment where different tasks are constantly being run concurrently.

Also beneficial is the reduced power consumption of multi-core processors, a key concern in large data centres.

Rival chip maker Intel is developing two quad-core processors for servers, codenamed 'Clovertown' and 'Tigerton'. Both are based on Intel's Core Microarchitecture and are slated for release in 2007.