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AMD ships Athlon MP 2800+
For those who think Operton too pricey
AMD today launched an ever-so-slightly redundant addition to its Athlon MP line. The 2800+, based on the Barton core, sits between existing MP parts and the new Opteron family of 64-bit server/workstation chips.
The 2800+ is priced at $275 (in batches of 1000 chips), just under the $283 Opteron 240. The new part is aimed at one- and two-way systems, while the Opteron is intended for two-way machines only. AMD has an Opteron in the works for uni-processor systems, the 140, but it's not due until next quarter.
Why buy a 2800+? Because, says AMD, it "offers high reliability and a price/performance advantage for many companies that have standardised on the 32-bit IT environments and appreciate the reliability and stability of AMD's Socket A platform". In other words, it's for folk who don't want to pay the $8 premium for Opteron, such as it is.
The 2800+ features 512KB of on-die L2 cache. It contains 54.3 million transistors, up from the 37.6 million found in previous MPs, and its die size is 101mm2. ®
Biting the hand that feeds IT
