AMD has introduced the Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor to the market.

It is the world's most advanced x86 processor ever designed and manufactured and the first native x86 quad-core microprocessor, according to an AMD spokesman.

Designed from inception for the most demanding datacenters, Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-based servers from global OEMs and system builders can deliver breakthrough capabilities to customers in a time of dramatically escalating performance-per-watt emphasis.

Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors with AMD's revolutionary Direct Connect Architecture introduce innovations that go beyond four x86 processing cores on a single die of silicon.

Critical considerations for today's most challenging business requirements inspired Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor innovations: energy efficiency with a 50 per cent increase in integer and floating-point performance, enhanced virtualisation performance, and investment protection via a customer-centric approach of enabling non-disruptive transitions from dual- to quad-core within the same power and thermal envelopes to help keep infrastructure costs down.

'Today marks one of the great milestones in microprocessor achievement as AMD again raises expectations for industry-standard computing,' said vice-president, sales and marketing; managing director for AMD, Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, Gautam Srivastava.

'We've worked closely with our customers and partners to design a new generation of processing solutions embodied by today's Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor - a four-way winner in performance, energy efficiency, and virtualization and investment protection. Early customer response has been extremely positive,' he added.

Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-based systems from global OEM and system-builder partners begin shipping this month and are expected to increase in number through the remainder of the year.

AMD Phenom processor solutions, which will leverage many of the same benefits of this innovative, next-generation architecture, are expected to be available for the desktop market in December.

Due in part to the industry's most stable x86 server platform, more than 50 Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor-ready system choices are on the market today from tier one OEMs, all of whom are publicly supporting today's introduction.

Systems based on Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors are also being announced today by a host of other manufacturers, including Appro, Egenera, Gateway, Rackable Systems, Supermicro and Verari.TradeArabia News Service