***Official Opteron review thread***

[sirfergy]

Why has no one tested this with Windows 2K3? It's out now on MSDN. Betas been out for a long time.

 

[Wingznut]

Originally posted by: sirfergy
Why has no one tested this with Windows 2K3? It's out now on MSDN. Betas been out for a long time.

I could be wrong... But I don't believe Win2k3 supports x86-64 yet.

 

[HurleyBird]

it does not but it does solve the NUMA problem.

 

[SUOrangeman]

Remember that supposed dual nForce? Could the nForce3 Pro (now available?) be some serious foreshadowing?

If so, me LIKEY!

-SUO

 

[mcveigh]

Originally posted by: UlricT
wheres the anandtech review??????

 

[HurleyBird]

anand is probably getting lots of hits as people continue checking for the review....

 

[m2kewl]

the natives are restless

 

[Kyteland]

Just check back tomorrow. I'm sure it'll be up by then.

Patience, small one.

 

[microAmp]

Originally posted by: Kyteland
Just check back tomorrow. I'm sure it'll be up by then.

Patience, small one.

Err... tomorrow?

Maybe Anand was up all night and just before he hit the button to upload it, he fell asleep!!

But really, if he puts up a high quality review, it'll be worth the wait.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Kyteland
Just check back tomorrow. I'm sure it'll be up by then.

Patience, small one.

I'm hoping he takes the extra time to do some benchmarks with the beta Portland Group compilers.

I like gcc ... but its not very fast.

 

[Idoxash]

I been hearing of this Windows 2003 A LOT of late but do not know nothing of it ... So can anyone please drop some thoughts about it ... HMM maybe a trip to that "MS" website will work dun won't to go there thoe.

--Idoxash

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: Idoxash
I been hearing of this Windows 2003 A LOT of late but do not know nothing of it ... So can anyone please drop some thoughts about it ... HMM maybe a trip to that "MS" website will work dun won't to go there thoe.

--Idoxash

Windows 2003 Server used to be known as Windows .NET Server, until MS renamed it. It's kind of like a .1 upgrade over Windows 2000 Server, AFAIK (Win2000 Server is NT 5). However, it does handle (cc)NUMA systems better than its predecessor does; that's why everyone is waiting expectantly for the final release of the x86-64 version of said OS.

 

[bdobbins]

Unfortunately he can't post data using the beta Portland Group compilers, as the license for that (because it's beta!) forbids disclosure of performance results. *sigh*

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: bdobbins
Unfortunately he can't post data using the beta Portland Group compilers, as the license for that (because it's beta!) forbids disclosure of performance results. *sigh*

Why do companies do crap like that? If you have enough confidence to release it as a beta, I can only see performance number from it as free advertising. ie. if it didn't perform well, I doubt you'd even release it as a beta.

 

[vash]

The Opteron is something very necessary for AMD. This chip is being validated for 2,4,8-way systems, which is what servers want. Going straight to linux for a 64bit OS is quite smart since the majority of people using the this will be using very large data sets (read: databases). With Oracle on linux and an IBM port of DB2 to 64bitness, we're looking at a very high end databases that will smoke on the Operton. I'm interested in MS-SQL benches as well, but I want comparisons of 32bit SQL on Xeons, 32bit SQL on Operton, then 64bit SQL on Operton (on Win64).

Now that IBM is in the ring of Operton, things are looking much better for AMD. Dell is a huge company as well, but lets face facts: they are focused on Win32. IBM is a BIG unix shop (especially linux), this Opteron is exactly what their clients want.

This round may go to AMD, but without cotinuing speed bumps, we're looking at the continual Intel ramping up in speed -- which is difficult to compete with.

vash

 

[bdobbins]

> Why do companies do crap like that? If you have enough confidence to release it as a beta, I can only see performance number from it as free > advertising. ie. if it didn't perform well, I doubt you'd even release it as a beta.[/quote]

Well, from what I hear, it's pretty common with beta software.. they're still working out the kinks. They'll be officially released at the end of June, I believe, and by then we should have a '246' (2.0 Ghz) model Opteron as well, plus Linux will be better optimised/supported in 64-bits... so at that time, we'll get a slightly more 'mature' view of what can be done. They probably released it as a beta for two reasons - a) AMD really, really wanted 'em to (.. g77 sucks for FORTRAN, whereas PGI at least has a workable product, even if I can't speak benchmarks..), and b) .. it gets them feedback from users, hence cheap/free feedback.

Waiting sucks, but I'm sure it'll be worth it..

 

[kazeakuma]

Took it's time getting here but it did not fail to impress. Still would like to see the desktop version, as the Opteron is well out of the reach of the common person, ie. me

Did anyone notice in the Ace's article, in the POV-Ray bench, they included a 1ghz Itanium. If that kind of performance is true (they ripped it from a 3rd party) then it's incredible. Is anyone able to verify that score?

 

[XBoxLPU]

A dekstop version is coming in the fall....

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: bdobbins
> Why do companies do crap like that? If you have enough confidence to release it as a beta, I can only see performance number from it as free > advertising. ie. if it didn't perform well, I doubt you'd even release it as a beta.

Well, from what I hear, it's pretty common with beta software.. they're still working out the kinks. They'll be officially released at the end of June, I believe, and by then we should have a '246' (2.0 Ghz) model Opteron as well, plus Linux will be better optimised/supported in 64-bits... so at that time, we'll get a slightly more 'mature' view of what can be done. They probably released it as a beta for two reasons - a) AMD really, really wanted 'em to (.. g77 sucks for FORTRAN, whereas PGI at least has a workable product, even if I can't speak benchmarks..), and b) .. it gets them feedback from users, hence cheap/free feedback.

Waiting sucks, but I'm sure it'll be worth it.. [/quote]

Let's be honest ... g77 is almost unusable for a fortran code of any complexity. Absoft rocks. I tried PG compilers a few years back, and wasn't impressed. In particular, their STL was basically broken. Hopefully it's gotten alot better.

Unfortunately, I'm about to become involved in a project that requires the use of a library that they decided to "modernize" by adding F95 features

PG doesn't have an F95 compiler, so that could be a strike against opteron for me also ,

 

[microAmp]

Anand's Reviews are up and more to come....

 

[Nemesis77]

As I read the reviews, I can't help but get a feeling of Deja Vu. When Itanium was launched, The Register had a headline along the lines "Itanium happens. Linux runs, Windows doesn't". Now it's "AMD64 happens. Linux runs, Windows doesn't".

Opteron might be a big boost to Linux, and vice versa. You want to take advantage of AMD64? You have to run Linux. Windows will support it sometime in the future, but not yet. Right now, Linux is THE OS to use with Opteron.

 

[arynn]

Anand's review was very well done as usual.

It will be interesting to see his workstation and desktop benchmarks and the accompanying discussion.

 

[classy]

Originally posted by: Nemesis77
As I read the reviews, I can't help but get a feeling of Deja Vu. When Itanium was launched, The Register had a headline along the lines "Itanium happens. Linux runs, Windows doesn't". Now it's "AMD64 happens. Linux runs, Windows doesn't".

Opteron might be a big boost to Linux, and vice versa. You want to take advantage of AMD64? You have to run Linux. Windows will support it sometime in the future, but not yet. Right now, Linux is THE OS to use with Opteron.

Microsoft is about to release a version of windows to take advantage of opteron I think.

 

[Nemesis77]

Originally posted by: classy

Originally posted by: Nemesis77
As I read the reviews, I can't help but get a feeling of Deja Vu. When Itanium was launched, The Register had a headline along the lines "Itanium happens. Linux runs, Windows doesn't". Now it's "AMD64 happens. Linux runs, Windows doesn't".

Opteron might be a big boost to Linux, and vice versa. You want to take advantage of AMD64? You have to run Linux. Windows will support it sometime in the future, but not yet. Right now, Linux is THE OS to use with Opteron.

Microsoft is about to release a version of windows to take advantage of opteron I think.

Windows 2003 server? That's released in the summer if I remember correctly. Still be several months away.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Nemesis77

Originally posted by: classy

Originally posted by: Nemesis77
As I read the reviews, I can't help but get a feeling of Deja Vu. When Itanium was launched, The Register had a headline along the lines "Itanium happens. Linux runs, Windows doesn't". Now it's "AMD64 happens. Linux runs, Windows doesn't".

Opteron might be a big boost to Linux, and vice versa. You want to take advantage of AMD64? You have to run Linux. Windows will support it sometime in the future, but not yet. Right now, Linux is THE OS to use with Opteron.

Microsoft is about to release a version of windows to take advantage of opteron I think.

Windows 2003 server? That's released in the summer if I remember correctly. Still be several months away.

And that's still only 32bit right?