Процессоры AMD Opteron: история и архитектура

Server and workstation processor line by AMD

Opteron is AMD's x86 former server and workstation processor line, and was the first processor which supported the AMD64 instruction set architecture (known generically as x86 64). It was released on April 22, 2003, with the SledgeHammer core (K8) and was intended to compete in the server and workstation markets, particularly in the same segment as the Intel Xeon processor. Processors based on the AMD K10 microarchitecture (codenamed Barcelona) were announced on September 10, 2007, featuring a new quad core configuration. The last released Opteron CPUs are the Piledriver based Opteron 4300 and 6300 series processors, codenamed "Seoul" and "Abu Dhabi" respectively. In January 2016, the first ARMv8 A based Opteron branded SoC was released, though it is unclear what, if any, heritage this Opteron branded product line shares with the original Opteron technology other than intended use in the server space.

In multi processor systems (more than one Opteron on a single motherboard), the CPUs communicate using the Direct Connect Architecture over high speed HyperTransport links. Each CPU can access the main memory of another processor, transparent to the programmer. The Opteron approach to multi processing is not the same as standard symmetric multiprocessing; instead of having one bank of memory for all CPUs, each CPU has its own memory. Thus the Opteron is a Non Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) architecture. The Opteron CPU directly supports up to an 8 way configuration, which can be found in mid level servers. Enterprise level servers use additional (and expensive) routing chips to support more than 8 CPUs per box. In a variety of computing benchmarks, the Opteron architecture has demonstrated better multi processor scaling than the Intel Xeon which did not have a point to point system until QPI and integrated memory controllers with the Nehalem design. This is primarily because adding another Opteron processor increases memory bandwidth, while that is not always the case for Xeon systems, and the fact that the Opterons use a switched fabric, rather than a shared bus. In particular, the Opteron's integrated memory controller allows the CPU to access local RAM very quickly. In contrast, multiprocessor Xeon system CPUs share only two common buses for both processor processor and processor memory communication. As the number of CPUs increases in a typical Xeon system, contention for the shared bus causes computing efficiency to drop. Intel migrated to a memory architecture similar to the Opteron's for the Intel Core i7 family of processors and their Xeon derivatives.

AMD released Socket 939 Opterons, reducing the cost of motherboards for low end servers and workstations. Except for the fact they have 1 MB L2 cache (versus 512 KB for the Athlon 64) the Socket 939 Opterons are identical to the San Diego and Toledo core Athlon 64s, but are run at lower clock speeds than the cores are capable of, making them more stable.

Socket AM2 Opterons are available for servers that only have a single chip setup. Codenamed Santa Ana, rev. F dual core AM2 Opterons feature 2 × 1 MB L2 cache, unlike the majority of their Athlon 64 X2 cousins which feature 2 × 512 KB L2 cache. These CPUs are given model numbers ranging from 1210 to 1224.

AMD introduced three quad core Opterons on Socket AM2+ for single CPU servers in 2007. These CPUs are produced on a 65 nm manufacturing process and are similar to the Agena Phenom X4 CPUs. The Socket AM2+ quad core Opterons are code named "Budapest". The Socket AM2+ Opterons carry model numbers of 1352 (2.10 GHz), 1354 (2.20 GHz), and 1356 (2.30 GHz).

AMD introduced three quad core Opterons on Socket AM3 for single CPU servers in 2009. These CPUs are produced on a 45 nm manufacturing process and are similar to the Deneb based Phenom II X4 CPUs. The Socket AM3 quad core Opterons are code named "Suzuka". These CPUs carry model numbers of 1381 (2.50 GHz), 1385 (2.70 GHz), and 1389 (2.90 GHz).

Socket AM3+ was introduced in 2011 and is a modification of AM3 for the Bulldozer microarchitecture. Opteron CPUs in the AM3+ package are named Opteron 3xxx.

Socket F (LGA 1207 contacts) is AMD’s second generation of Opteron socket. This socket supports processors such as the Santa Rosa, Barcelona, Shanghai, and Istanbul codenamed processors. the "lidded land grid array" socket adds support for DDR2 SDRAM and improved HyperTransport version 3 connectivity. Physically the socket and processor package are nearly identical, although not generally compatible with socket 1207 FX.

Socket G34 (LGA 1944 contacts) is one of the third generation of Opteron sockets, along with Socket C32. This socket supports Magny Cours Opteron 6100, Bulldozer based Interlagos Opteron 6200, and Piledriver based "Abu Dhabi" Opteron 6300 series processors. This socket supports four channels of DDR3 SDRAM (two per CPU die). Unlike previous multi CPU Opteron sockets, Socket G34 CPUs will function with unbuffered ECC or non ECC RAM in addition to the traditional registered ECC RAM.

Socket C32 (LGA 1207 contacts) is the other member of the third generation of Opteron sockets. This socket is physically similar to Socket F but is not compatible with Socket F CPUs. Socket C32 uses DDR3 SDRAM and is keyed differently so as to prevent the insertion of Socket F CPUs that can use only DDR2 SDRAM. Like Socket G34, Socket C32 CPUs will be able to use unbuffered ECC or non ECC RAM in addition to registered ECC SDRAM.

The Opteron line saw an update with the implementation of the AMD K10 microarchitecture. New processors, launched in the third quarter of 2007 (codename Barcelona), incorporate a variety of improvements, particularly in memory prefetching, speculative loads, SIMD execution and branch prediction, yielding an appreciable performance improvement over K8 based Opterons, within the same power envelope. In 2007 AMD introduced a scheme to characterize the power consumption of new processors under "average" daily usage, named average CPU power (ACP).

The Opteron X1150 and Opteron X2150 APU are used with the BGA 769 or Socket FT3.

In the February 2010 issue of Custom PC (a UK based computing magazine focused on PC hardware), the AMD Opteron 144 (released in Summer 2005) appeared in the "Hardware Hall of Fame". It was described as "The best overclocker's CPU ever made" due to its low cost and ability to run at speeds far beyond its stock speed. (According to Custom PC, it could run at "close to 3 GHz on air".)