Replies to post #4282 on AMD strictly moderated (AMD)

[mas]

The only benefit x86 brings to the table is very low pricing

That is just not true, Opteron genuinely beats IPF on many FP apps. For instance it beats IPF in 5 out of the 14 SpecFPbase subtests and 7 out of 14 in SpecFPpeak ! What you are missing ,which is surprising considering you are an SGI investor, is that it will give SGI a pair of processors that will be almost guaranteed to cover *all* FP applications well and 2 competing MPU design companies, strength in depth rather than having all their eggs in the often unreliable IPF basket ;-).

http://www.aceshardware.com/SPECmine/index.jsp?b=2&s=1&v=1&if=0&a=0&a=1&a=2&...
http://www.aceshardware.com/SPECmine/index.jsp?b=2&s=0&v=1&if=0&a=0&a=1&a=2&...

[I_banker]

SGI is running out of money and has been excluded from the biggest DARPA super computing contract to have come out in a generation. This despite the fact that the government usually throws development money to the struggling super computer guys to keep them afloat, because they are viewed as strategic national assets. Lots of hallelujahs heard at Cray over the years as government officials showed up with development money at critical times.

Interestingly all three companies invited to the bakeoff for the $1 billion Petaflop development funds offer Opteron based solutions. Maybe SGI got a clue.

[jhalada]

chipguy,

ROFL. SGI has its Numaflex technology which scales to levels AMD can't even dream about for HT.

I don't mean to spoil your day or anything, since you are in such a good mood and laughing. The slight problem is that your analysis is incomplete.

Whether you like it or not, Opteron is Itanium competitor. In all areas where these processors overlap, Opteron (and Xeon) won, Itanium has lost.

The next generation of Direct Connect Architecture will increase Opteron capabilities, it will increase the areas of overlap, which will result in Itanium losing out, and retreating to higher ground.

Ok, you say that Numaflex is the Mount Everest. You may be right. But you have lost India, Bangladesh and China. All you have left soon will be Nepal.

Joe