AMD Quad FX
AMD Quad FX (also known as 4x4 or Quadfather) is a dual processor platform from AMD in response to Intel's Core 2 and Xeon processors with four cores. Since a corresponding product from AMD ( AMD Phenom ) was still in development, this new platform was created in order to also be able to offer four processor cores for the mass market. The platform was not officially offered in Europe, which apparently was not planned, but with the Asus L1N64-SLI WS , one of the few mainboards for this platform is also offered by German dealers.
technology
In principle, it is a dual-processor platform based on the AMD Opteron with base F . However, no registered memory modules are required. The processors used are special versions of the AMD Athlon 64 FX , which can now also be used as a dual processor.
Another feature of the Quad-FX platform are the four PEG slots , with which up to four graphics cards can be operated simultaneously. The chipset used is the NVIDIA nForce 680a SLI , which NVIDIA developed specifically for the Quad-FX platform. This means that NVIDIA's SLI technology can be used to couple multiple graphics cards.
Since each of the two Athlon-64-FX-processors has its own dual-channel memory controller, which are connected via the NUMA concept, at least four memory modules are required for full performance.
Criticisms
Since the process scheduler of Microsoft Windows XP problems with the NUMA concept has Quad FX on Windows XP can not achieve impressive performance. When using Microsoft Windows Vista with an adapted scheduler, Quad FX is more convincing. However, the high power consumption of the system is a major criticism. The chipset and the two processors together already consume over 300 watts of power. Quiet cooling is therefore difficult to implement. Furthermore, critics accuse AMD of having created an emergency solution with Quad FX, since it would not be competitive otherwise.
future
AMD emphasized that AMD Phenom FX processors with four cores will also be usable on the Quad-FX platform in the future, so that a total of eight processor cores can be used. In 2007, however, the further development of this platform was stopped. The product support for the existing platform is to be maintained.
In the future, it will be better to use the development resources on the successor to the "Spider platform" . The “Spider Platform” is based entirely on AMD technology, so the chipset is also from AMD and graphics cards from the ATI Radeon HD 3000 series are used in Crossfire mode .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://www.computerbase.de/2007-03/quad-fx-selten-aber-mit-gesicherter-zukunft/
- ↑ http://geizhals.at/deutschland/a259632.html
