AMD Quad core

Opteron processor in 65nm technology and shown with four cores

AMDs Henri Richard with Quad core Opteron (left) and Intel core 2 QX6700 (right) On the occasion of the conception of the “AMD Quad FX” platform with two Athlon 64 FX dual core CCUs AMD demonstrated for the first time also the coming processors with four cores. AMD calls the Quad core Opteron with the code name “Barcelona” the first “real” Quad core X86 CCU, because Intel core consists 2 QX6700 practically of two dual core processors in a CCU housing, as AMDs Henri Richard shows in accompanying picture.

The AMD “Barcelona” processor manufactured in 65nm technology actually insists against it of four cores on CCU those. With the specifications AMD still holds back itself. So e.g. is: does not admit, how the Quad core shown CCUs were clocked and had how much internal Cache they. AMD demonstrated the 4-Kern-Opterons in a system from four processors (base F, 1207 pins), which could fall back thereby thus to altogether 16 CCU cores.
According to AMD the first Quad core processors will come in the second quarter of the next yearly on the market. These are to be compatible to current dual core systems and also the same thermal characteristics possess, so that Upgrade should be very simply possible. An BIOS update for the Main board might be sufficient