More Quad-Core Opteron details emerge

[Bastieeeh]

The guys over at HEXUS.com had the opportunity to set up an interview with AMD's John Fruehe at their online television subsidiary HEXUS.tv. The host of the 'show' is Dan Goldsmith, Technical Director of Armari, a company specialized in high end workstations, servers and clusters. During the 11 minutes Fruehe, being the World Wide Business Development Manager for AMD's Opteron branch, explains the advantages of the upcoming quad-core Opteron like the thermal design, L3 cache. I don't want to spoil too much here - give it a try and be enlighted: HEXUS.tv Interview

As you may have thought already Mr. Fruehe is not allowed to talk about the interesting figures. So to cover that part I would point out the Hong Kong based website HKEPC which spreads the word that these Opterons will start at frequencies of 2.1GHz to 2.3GHz only (2.6GHz in Q2 of 2008). All of them will have 512kb L2 and 2MB L3 cache.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Scavar]

It seems interesting in the least. I am still questioning whether this Quad-Core design will really perform though. Just have to wait a little bit I guess.

 

[Alec§taar]

It seems interesting in the least. I am still questioning whether this Quad-Core design will really perform though. Just have to wait a little bit I guess.

WELL, I can show you how YOU yourself, can help determine whether more than 2 cores can help you, & it's simple to check:

Open up taskmgr.exe, be in its PROCESSES tab.

From its menus, use the VIEW menu, Select Columns submenu, & check off THREADS as visible.

Then, back in taskmgr.exe, any program that spins more than 2 threads (3-N, in the case of Quad Core designed CPU's) will potentially benefit!

This is because the OS kernel component called the "process scheduler" will send child or even MAIN parent threads of processes off to the other 2-4 cores that are not saturated, or if it helps overall program flow to run faster, per CPU cycle, in keeping the cores as busy as possible.

APK

P.S.=> Here?

E.G.-> I have 20 of 30 processes running 4-70 threads each...

Think this addition of more cores won't help?

It can... even while you game, because the other processes OUTSIDE the game itself (think MULTITASKING OS above all else, & the fact you run trayicon apps, services, & more @ once typically) can be sent to other processor cores!

Thus, & give the game the MOST it can get off the core(s) it runs on, so the game as your FOREGROUND PROCESS is less interfered with...

Think about it, you'll understand, if you don't already... apk

 

[Namslas90]

Intresting, An AMD interview sponsered by Intel C2D!!

Actualy there is more informatiuon on that site, here's the link;

http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=7348&search=amd

Tested L1 mobo 2X FX 74 w/SLI 2X 7900, newer mobos for quad gpu/ATI not out YET!!

The results put C2D ahead in most benches, but thats with an SLI mobo, Not new ATI Crossfire.
Can't wait for the new ATI, L1 Crossfire boards.

 

[Scavar]

Hehe Alec thanks, but wasn't exactly what I meant. Though I did learn a little more then I already knew about it. I was actually talking about the AMD design of its specific Quad-Core. Just how well it would work over Intels or using multiple physical cores and such.

 

[Namslas90]

Hehe Alec thanks, but wasn't exactly what I meant. Though I did learn a little more then I already knew about it. I was actually talking about the AMD design of its specific Quad-Core. Just how well it would work over Intels or using multiple physical cores and such.

See post #4 ^^^^ click link.

 

[Alec§taar]

Hehe Alec thanks, but wasn't exactly what I meant. Though I did learn a little more then I already knew about it.

Well, just some "food for thought" I guess...

I.E.-> I thought you were looking @ it, in terms of how YOU, as the user w/ your OS & software could gain by it is all, & how to determine that pretty much, @ least in potential gains!

(Especially when you are REALLY pushing it, multitasking, & yes, even while gaming, & EVEN on games with SINGLE THREAD DESIGN only (the prevalent one currently)).

I was actually talking about the AMD design of its specific Quad-Core. Just how well it would work over Intels or using multiple physical cores and such.

Right... I get you now: You want to know how much better the actual Electronic Engineering in it is, vs. today's "top-of-the-line/state-of-the-art" from a strictly more hardware-centric viewpoint.



* Got ya!

APK

P.S.=> But the machine is NOTHING, w/ out the "ghost" inside of it, & vice-a-versa... so, consider both aspects I suppose! apk

 

[WarEagleAU]

Wow Alec, I didnt know you could do that with taskmanager. Thanks. And hell yeah, more cores would help me out. Im in the same boat as you. Hell idle runs 2 threads.

 

[Deleted member 3]

Hehe Alec thanks, but wasn't exactly what I meant. Though I did learn a little more then I already knew about it. I was actually talking about the AMD design of its specific Quad-Core. Just how well it would work over Intels or using multiple physical cores and such.

How it compares one on one isn't that interesting actually. These CPU's will be able to work with at least 3 brothers creating a 16 core system. In that market they will have to beat Tigerton, Intel's first Core 2 Xeon MP. Which should launch in Q3. The Current Opterons scale quite well in MP systems, Xeons didn't so far, Tigerton should. Such a comparison will show the true natue of both architectures.

 

[Scavar]

It is interesting when your major is Electrical engineering

Hehe but I am looking at it from several angles now. I did my own personal test today with two systems of a similar build, just one was dual-core, the other not. So yeah, it was interesting in a personal scale of whats going on.


And thanks Nam I just not saw that link heh.

 

[Alec§taar]

Wow Alec, I didnt know you could do that with taskmanager. Thanks. And hell yeah, more cores would help me out. Im in the same boat as you. Hell idle runs 2 threads.

Great - NOW you do know, & like many programs? It has features you REALLY have to 'explore' to get the FULL tilt use out of it...



* I think after you took a peek @ your list of processes & the threads they run? Why ANY SYSTEM TODAY could get a 'boost' out of a quad-core rig...

(Barring costs barriers that is... we ALL have our financial limits!)

APK