AMD Augments Servers With Open Source Architecture

September 25th, 2006: AMD has taken a leaf out of the open source community’s book and has released the hardware specifications for its Opteron server processor, prompting big changes from players such as IBM.

The move will enable other chip makers to design processions compatible with Opteron motherboards, in the hope that they will produce application specific processors that can be integrated alongside the Opteron.

Called the Torrenza Innovation Socket initiative, the specifications detail a two-socket motherboard that will sport an AMD chip on one side, and a 3rd party chip in the other. Eliminating the need for other chips to be connected via a system bus or other method.

ATI is already being touted as a possible candidate to contribute a second graphics co-processor due to its impeding acquisition by AMD. Sun and Fujitsu-Siemens are also said to be eyeing off Torrenza possibilities, while AMD has reportedly secured a major win with IBM, signing a deal that will see IBM give up its own Unix/RISC box motherboard plans and plug its Power7 processors into modified Opteron boards. A big change for big blue.

Intel went down a similar road with open source architecture when establishing its x86 processors, of which AMD was one of the parties to come to the table at the time. The Opteron server processor has been extremely popular and has seen AMD make leaps and bounds in its rivalry with Intel. To make further gains, it is a natural step for AMD to turn to open source to try and further strengthen its market share.

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