Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) will allow partners and customers the opportunity to upgrade old AMD processors with a new six-core offering.
AMD will let partners and customers trade in their older 2000 and 8000 series Opteron dual- and quad-core processors for a 35% discount on a new chip code-named Istanbul.
Istanbul is a six-core, 45nm processor that some of the world's top IT companies have hailed as a breakthrough in computing. It is the upgrade to the quad-core Shanghai, and indications are that existing AMD servers can get a 50% boost in workload capacity.
However, during the current global economic crisis, many companies are sweating assets. According to John Fruehe, director of business development at AMD, the company's discount programme is intended to combat this issue.
“In the current economic environment, customers are trying to stretch their IT budgets and to extend the life of their technology investments more than ever, all while improving performance and energy efficiency. This programme offers a unique value to our partners and customers, particularly when you consider the enhancements to the 45nm quad-core AMD Opteron processor and upcoming six-core Istanbul processor,” he says.
The processor is a drop-in, meaning businesses will not have to replace entire racks or data centre technology to install the chip.
Istanbul is expected to be released near the end of this year.
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