Duel of the Titans: Opteron vs. Xeon

Socket 462 Gets Replaced: Socket 754 And 940

The new server platform from AMD: Socket 940.

The processor is still locked into place with a lever.

Dual-Opteron ensures power: the two Opterons in the server system.

Socket 462 has been around for a long time. However, with the launch of the Hammer processors starting in April 2003 (Opteron) and September (Athlon 64), Socket 462's days are numbered. The Athlon 64 will use the new Socket 754, and the Opteron has to be plugged into Socket 940.

The different pin count of the two Hammer CPUs is due to the fact that the Opteron has an additional memory channel as well as two more HyperTransport ports than Athlon 64. The mPGA packaging, similar to that of the Intel Pentium 4 and Xeon, is common to all Hammer processors. However, it remains a mystery why AMD still goes with a ceramic package.

A giant cooling element ensures low CPU die temperatures.