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Finally, Dell to ship AMD Processors

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http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/05/19/dell_buys_amd_chips/

Dell's financial statement for its Enterprise business has the AMD announcement almost buried in a range of reports, but says that "In the enterprise, we will launch new ninth generation servers featuring Intel's Woodcrest microprocessors. Dell will also introduce new AMD Opteron processors in our multi-processor servers by the end of the year offering a great new technology to our customers at the high-end of our server line."

Ironically, it has chosen to finally bite the bullet and go AMD at a time when Intel is just readying technology that may be able to own AMD in both the server and desktop markets. If Core 2 Duo chips in both those spaces perform as well as expected, AMD could have a major problem on their hands.

Let's see whether Dell stay true to their word. Not that it bothers me, I still won't buy a Dell! :D

Edit: Few more articles
http://news.com.com/Dell+opts+for+AMDs+Opteron/2100-1006_3-6074059.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060519/earns_dell.html?.v=6
 
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One of the first independant Woodcrest on the Bensley Dual FSB platform.

http://www.techreport.com/etc/2006q2/woodcrest/index.x?pg=1

Looks like intel want to recapture the multicpu server market. Thats the results of a Twin Dual core server (4 cores total).

Its true that the 8way intel servers may still be limited by the poor FSB performance, but they certainly seem to have made huge strides in the 4 way market. So Dell can now buy AMD chip.. but the intel performance, and power requirements are going to improve beyond belief any time.

Although thats a 2.6Ghz Opteron V 3Ghz Woodcrest, the bensley motherboard and memory are engineering versions. Anyway clock for clock, the difference between the two servers is very small. Not like an old P4 Xeon, which would have been thrashed by the opteron.
 
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Corasik said:
So Dell can now buy AMD chip.. but the intel performance, and power requirements are going to improve beyond belief any time.

Exactly my thoughts. I don't really understand why Dell would do that when Intel looks set to smash everything that AMD currently offers.

Either way, it's good to see one of the 'big boys' finally recognising AMD, atleast in terms of server processors. So I guess AMD does have the resources and capacity to meet server market demands...
 
Explicit said:
I don't really understand why Dell would do that when Intel looks set to smash everything that AMD currently offers.

more than likely Intel's contract to supply Dell is up for renagotiation, Dell wave AMD at Intel from time to time, then back tracks once it's got what it wants. even Intel, as big as they are, have to give ground to Dell when it comes to chip prices.
 
Explicit said:
Exactly my thoughts. I don't really understand why Dell would do that when Intel looks set to smash everything that AMD currently offers.

Either way, it's good to see one of the 'big boys' finally recognising AMD, atleast in terms of server processors. So I guess AMD does have the resources and capacity to meet server market demands...

Dell are the last of the "big boys" to recognise AMD. Every other major server company provides AMD chips because its what people want.
Dell are offering them because there customers are asking for Opteron's. AMD has plenty capacity to meet server demands.
Dell are only offering Opteron servers in the 4U+ variety. This is where Intel really have nothing to compete. Woodcrest still won't address that issue.
 
Kamakazie! said:
Dell are the last of the "big boys" to recognise AMD. Every other major server company provides AMD chips because its what people want.
Dell are offering them because there customers are asking for Opteron's. AMD has plenty capacity to meet server demands.
Dell are only offering Opteron servers in the 4U+ variety. This is where Intel really have nothing to compete. Woodcrest still won't address that issue.

I guess you're right about Dell being the last one. They're still only testing the water though. They haven't said anything about using AMD processors in their desktop PCs which is where they make most of their sales. Maybe they'll use the Opterons as a stepping stone, and if all goes well they might finally offer a variety of either Intel or AMD CPUs in their desktop computers. Customers want choice. Right now Dell is not giving choice, they're "force feeding" customers.
 
Explicit said:
I guess you're right about Dell being the last one. They're still only testing the water though. They haven't said anything about using AMD processors in their desktop PCs which is where they make most of their sales. Maybe they'll use the Opterons as a stepping stone, and if all goes well they might finally offer a variety of either Intel or AMD CPUs in their desktop computers. Customers want choice. Right now Dell is not giving choice, they're "force feeding" customers.

Indeed, they will not be using AMD in their desktop/mobile lineups for a good while yet. They have finally realised that their top end servers NEED to use Opterons. Xeon based systems are awful in comparison. Slower, hotter and far less scalable.
The timing is also not so odd when you considder K8L is coming out in Q1 '07. Dell are getting their channels with AMD set up in preperation for it. K8L is sure to extend AMD's lead in the 4+ server space and probably level/regain the 1U and 2U lead aswell. K8L based servers will be able to scale to 32U just using the HTT3 interconnects, apparently. Twice the FPU power etc. etc. It is going to be a beast. Not sure what it means for us in the mainstream but for servers it seems to have a lot of people excited.
I can't wait to see what K8L brings for us as mainstream consumers.
I'm a bit of an AMD fanboy though :D
 
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