In one of the Intel Developer Forums (IDF) last year, Pat
Gelsinger, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Enterprise Group,
Intel, demonstrated an eighty-core prototype processor from Intel. He took a dig
at competition and said they had lots of catching up to do. Interestingly, in
the vicinity of the IDF event, the companys archrival, AMD, put up a
signboard statingtowards futurepointing to AMD, and another arrow
saying way to IDF. While it was a figment of creativity, it in a way shows
the sign of things. Intel is, definitely, the master of processors, but its
got some serious competition from AMD. Though Intel has brushed aside AMD, the
very fact that its speaking about competition in its technology forums
indicate that AMD has emerged as a rival, and it has garnered a customer base,
mainly on the server and high-end computing space.
Battle Lines Drawn
Experts say that processor designs have witnessed several
inflection points, and perhaps the most significant of them was the introduction
of the x86 processors, which brought in the 32-bit architecture to mainstream
computing, and sustained for almost a decade. In 2003, AMD launched its 64
architecture and broke the decade-long dominance of 32-bit processors. Soon
after this, in 2005, first dual core processors from AMD sowed the seeds of the
multi-core era and started the 64-bit market movement.
Intel, over the years, has been the visible face in the chip
industry. However, AMD made silent strides in high-end computing, with verticals
like education, research, and segments like data centers and HPC buying AMDs
Opteron server chips. Here comes the fundamental difference between AMD and
Intel. Intel is present in all the computing segmentsdesktop, notebook and
servers, while AMD initially created successful proof points on the server side
and later on the desktop and gaming front. Intel, from the beginning, is more of
an end-to-end player, and given its financial and marketing muscle, Intel
continues to dominate the scheme of things.
Performance Per Watt
On the enterprise server side, the x86 is the biggest slice of
the market and here is where the action gets aggressive between Intel and AMD.
For instance, for the past three years, AMD has been adopting a new matrix of
performance, termed as performance-per-watt. AMD says it came out with
this term and later Intel followed. According to Vamsi Krishna, senior technical
manager, AMD India, "Opteron processors help power a cooler data center by
offering increased server performance without replacing existing cooling and
energy envelopes. AMD also advocated a way in standardizing a
performance-per-watt by means of the amount of energy consumed per unit of
computational power". To that end, AMD Opteron processors also came up with
features like PowerNow, aimed at reducing the amount of power required to
perform the same tasks.
The performance per watt is indeed a clever invention by AMD.
Having gone to the extent of claiming that the Moores Law is no longer valid,
AMD, in the last few years, mainly during 2003-04, was not able to cope with
Intel in terms of MHz. Intel came out with, as per the Moores Law, higher
clock speed processors, and most of the industry went by processor speed
benchmarks as the key criterion in determining the efficacy of the processor.
But, as servers increased, so did power and heat generated by the processors.
And consumers started measuring other aspects of the processors like its energy
efficiency, power consumed, and multi-tasking among others. So, in a way, AMD
needs to be credited for busting the MHz myth.
"Today, as we talk in |
"Intel Xeon-based |
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Vamsi Krishna, senior technical manager, AMD India |
Ravichandran, director, sales, Intel South Asia |
The performance-per-watt assumed bigger proportions in 2005,
when AMD openly challenged Intel. Called the Dual Core Duel, the original
challenge issued to Intel was that the power consumption was the key
consideration in processors. AMD averred that mainstream dual-core AMD Opteron
processors at 95 watts consume far less power than the competitions dual-core
x86 server processors. This resulted in 200% better performance-per-watt than
the competition. Even greater performance-per-watt can be achieved with
lower-power dual-core AMD Opteron processors that are available in 55 watt
offerings, as per an AMD statement. To counter AMDs claims, Intel also jumped
into the performance-per-watt mantra, and launched its Xeon ranges in 2005.
While AMD overtook Intel in launching dual core Opteron, on the
quad-core front, Intel became the first mover. In November 2006, Intel launched
the industrys first multi-core processorsXeon 5300, and Core 2 Extreme
Quad. Intels president and CEO Paul Otellini remarked at the launch that the
capabilities of quad-core microprocessors would bring new possibilities for
science, entertainment, and enterprise computing.
Taking a closer look at Intels Quads, the company sources
said that the 5300 Quads enable higher server virtualization than any other
two-processor, standard, high-volume server platform. The new processors, as per
Intel, deliver up to 50% faster performance within the same thermal envelope and
at the same cost as the previous generation dual-core Intel Xeon processor 5100
series. Intel now offers more than twenty server and desktop quad-cores from
fifty Watts and up to 3GHz. Building on the advantages of its earlier quad-core
Xeon 5300 series, Intel last month came out with another new quad-core Xeon
processor 7300 series for multi processor (MP) servers. Says R Ravichandran,
director (sales), Intel South Asia: "Intel Xeon-based multi-processor
servers are the backbone of the enterprise. We are delivering new levels of
performance and performance- per-watt, and driving the Intel Core micro
architecture into such innovative systems as four-socket, 16-core blades that
use less energy than our older models. Its simply amazing."
AMD has been adopting a new matrix of performance, termed as performance-per-watt. AMD says it came out with this term and later Intel followed |
Intel has a clear lead over AMDs first Quad, codenamed
Barcelona, launched recently. But AMD says that Barcelona is a true Quad and the
first true native x86 quad-core server and workstation processor. Says Vamsi
Krishna: "Barcelona is the most advanced x86 processor at compelling price
points that will enable enterprises to maximize their IT investments. The
Barcelona processor has been engineered for unparalleled performance and
performance-per-watt." AMD is bullish about Barcelona adoption by
enterprises, and its next quarter results will definitely tell to what extent
has Barcelona helped AMD to tide over the financial pressures it has been facing
in the recent times.
Virtualization Capabilities
The embedded virtualization features in processors consist of a
set of processor enhancements that improve traditional software-based
virtualization solutions. These integrated features give virtualization software
the ability to take advantage of offloading workload to the system hardware,
enabling more streamlined virtualization software stacks and near native
performance characteristics. Intel Virtualization is called VT (Virtualization
Technology). Meanwhile, AMD has incorporated its Direct Connect Architecture and
AMD-V, virtualization technologies in its Opteron.
The AMD 64 computing platform can run both 32- and 64-bit
virtual machines on the same physical server, without the need of rewriting the
code. The Direct Connect Architecture also directly connects the CPU to the
memory, I/O, and other processors. The integrated memory controller provides
high-speed, low-latency access to memory, and can help host and guest operating
systems function more efficiently. Going by AMD sources, "The
HyperTransport technology provides a scalable interconnect between processors,
I/O, and other chipsets. This can help support more guest OS sessions and more
user access applications."
"We had just one |
|
Deepanshu Sharma, |
Intel has also come out with new low-voltage quad-core Xeons
that represent a 35 to 60% decrease in power from Intels existing 80- and
120-watt quad-core server products. According to Intel sources, todays IT
managers increasingly focus on reducing electricity bills and cooling costs
associated with computing infrastructure. Virtualization has emerged as a
compelling technology for server platforms, offering data center managers the
ability to consolidate multiple workloads on one physical server system. Server
consolidation offers lower hardware acquisition costs as well as improved data
center performance efficiency. Besides, Intel has also taken remote
manageability to new levels with its vPro for desktops and cPro for notebooks.
The way forward for the processor market looks extremely
exciting. Intels very aggressive multi-core moves in the last ten months have
put immense pressure on AMD.
The market is getting very clearly defined on the lines of
performance per watt. Take the case of Suns entry into the high-performance
segment with its UltraSparc T2 Niagara chip, the industrys first 8-core
processor that boasts of some revolutionary power saving features. According to
sources at Sun, the UltraSPARC T2 is the industrys first processor to bring
together the key functions of a server system on a single chipprocessing,
networking, security, floating point units, input/output (I/O), and accelerated
memory access. It also provides ample computing power for massively threaded
operating system like Solaris. Integrating these elements on a single piece of
silicon, increases performance, reliability, energy-efficiency and cost savings,
as per Sun.
Taking a closer look at Intels Quads, the 5300 Quads enable higher server virtualization than any other Intel has a clear lead over AMDs first Quad, codenamed Barcelona, launched recently |
Marking a shift from its earlier 95nm T1 processor, the T2 has
reduced form factor as a result of its 65nm process, thereby, enabling Sun to
reduce the processor size by 10%. Says David Yen, executive vice president,
Microelectronics, Sun Microsystems: "The new UltraSPARC T2 unfolds a new
premise in power-performance paradigm; it took three-and-a-half years to
develop. The UltraSPARC T2 processor doubles the performance of our existing
UltraSPARC T1 without increasing the CPU clock frequency or quadrupling its
cache sizes."
Looking Ahead
The ongoing war between Intel and AMD is leading to better
products and greater performance. The last two years have seen a sea change in
the chip market. No longer is processor speed the sole criterion, it is the
platform approach that both AMD and Intel take. For instance, its a desktop,
notebook and server platform and within each platform, vendors are building a
set of features that are needed for optimum computing. It is an ecosystem where
performance, power efficiency, virtualization, and heat distribution are
seamlessly integrated with processing speed.
Benchmarking a Processor |
Is the number of cores a key |
Meanwhile, Intel has countered AMDs Barcelona with its latest
multi-processor Xeons on the 7300 series, which was codenamed Tigerton. It is
also working on updating the Centrino platform, and soon would be launching 45nm
Penryn family of processors. On the cards is also a total revamp of its mobile
platform, codenamed Montevina. On AMDs part, it has already started
working towards laying the groundwork for new server and PC processor
innovations that will begin appearing in the next two years. Says Vamsi:
"We are bringing together a set of technologies, including those that we
acquired from the acquisition of ATI last year, to deliver a new, accelerated
computing paradigm. In addition to the standard quad-core Opteron model, we also
plan to launch a processor with higher power efficiency." On the desktop
side, AMD would be shipping true quad-core and dual-core Phenom-based desktop
systems by the end of this year. On the notebook front, AMD is working on the
next-generation open platform, codenamed Puma; the platform is designed to
deliver greater battery life, graphics and video processing enhancements, and is
aimed at improving the overall system performance for an enhanced visual
experience. It is codenamed Griffin.
At the end of the day, as we look at the battle for supremacy,
AMD has got a significant winner with its latest quad-core processor. AMD has
taken a whole new approach in breaking the MHz myth with its Quad. But Intel,
with rapid-fire launches and slew of processors on the anvil, will make things
tough for AMD. Market dominance is no longer about speed; the winner is the one
who can demonstrate each aspect of the performance-per-wattand its no longer
a market pitchvendors need to come out with proof points, and the quarter
ahead will prove- who is technologically supremeIntel or AMDthe jury is
out in the open.
Shrikanth G
shrikanthg@cybermedia.co.in