AMD has taken the axe to its Opteron processor price list today - and rolled out a stack of low-power server chips into the bargain. It also topped a number of lines with new speed-bump CPUs.

The second-generation lines, for example, are all now headed by the 1220, 2220 and 8220, clocked at 2.8GHz, equipped with 2MB of L2 cache and consuming 95W of power. The rest of the line up was shuffled down to make room, with prices falling by between 7.5 per cent and 26.9 per cent.

AMD also pruned the prices of its SE Opterons, by between 10.8 per cent and 29.5 per cent. And it rolled out an array of new HE-class chips: the 2.6GHz 8218 and 2218, and five 121x chips, running from the 1210 to the 1218. The HE CPUs consume up to 68W.

The chip maker added new dual-core parts to the top of its 200 and 800 Opteron series: the 2.8GHz, 2MB L2, 95W 290 and 890. Again, the introduction pushed down the prices of existing parts, by similar margins to those listed above.

It also canned the old Opterons 856, 246, 848 HE and 246 HE.