Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[Haddock]

Opteron Launched on April 22nd, "With Strong Support From Server, Software Vendors"

Actually I think the 2nd tier server vendors did offer reasonable support, the problem is that the motherboards were not available. Judging by the number of announcements there was strong chipset and motherboard support on the way for Athlon64, unfortunately AMD launched the Opteron instead and wrongfooted all their 'supporters'. I guess AMD thought those guys would just build Opteron boards and chipsets instead but they just aren't the sorts of companies that do server equipment, and anyway these things take time. Combine that with Solectron not making an Opteron motherboard and you have the resulting sad situation of Opterons being available, the motherboards not being as easily available.

This seems to fit in with a general pattern of AMD not taking care to coordinate the various parts of their virtual gorilla. Moving from 200->266->333->400MHz FSB was far too many tranitions, and AMD would have been better off cutting 1 or 2 of them out (moving early to a faster speed, giving the dual-channel chipsets a performance advantage and the single channel chipsets a cost advantage.)

Unexpected FSB changes, last-minute launch schedule changes etc. mean the virtual gorilla is looking a little punch-drunk right now.

I'm hoping the situation will improve 'automatically' for now, in that the Athlon64 launch date has been fixed well ahead and no changes are to be expected in Athlon or Hammer infrastructure requirements for the foreseeable future.