AMD launches stream processor

By siliconindia   |   Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 18:30 IST
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Bangalore: AMD has introduced a new stream processor designed to meet specific hardware demands for high-performance computing (HPC) applications. Stream computing leverages a large number of parallel processors to calculate and render millions of pixels onto computer monitors, hundreds of times each second for 3D graphics applications. It harnesses processing power for a wide range of scientific, business and consumer computing applications, providing organizations the ability to process incredible amounts of information in significantly less time. Engineered specifically for compute-only systems such as workstations and servers, the AMD Stream Processor makes use of AMD's new thin hardware interface called Close To Machine (CTM), to drive substantial performance gains in areas such as financial analysis, seismic migration analysis, and life sciences research, among others. It is a PCI Express-based add-in board with higher memory densities than any consumer graphics card - a full 1 GB of GDDR3 memory for stream computing applications. The processor also features HPC-optimized memory performance to handle stream computing problem sets. Operating system support for server implementations; full-service, enterprise-class technical support; and a three-year warranty are some of its other highlights. AMD claims that leading hardware platform providers, including GraphStream Inc., PANTA Systems, and Rackable Systems, have already started offering servers based on AMD's new stream processor.