AMD Preparing Its First ARM Chip, Called Seattle

AMD has a new strategy for competing in the data center, and it includes a big bet on ARM.

The chip maker Tuesday unveiled its 2014 server processor road map, which includes a new x86 APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), an x86 large-core processor, and the company’s fist ARM-based server CPU, code-named Seattle.

With Intel gearing up to refresh the midrange and high end of its Xeon E5 family of processors with “Ivy Bridge” updates in the second half, it can’t be a particularly relaxing ride for CEO Rory Read and his minivan of chipmakers.

In 2014, AMD will also ship “Berlin,” a core available in both a CPU form factor as well as an APU, which integrates the processor with an integrated graphics coprocessor. Finally, there’s the “Warsaw,” which will compete with in high-performance computing (HPC) applications with the Xeon.

Seattle is of interest to both AMD and to other industry watchers because it represents one of the more interesting opportunities for AMD to regain share in the server market. Last year, AMD said last year that it had agreed to license ARM 64-bit technology, and would combine it with its Freedom Fabric, the name given to its high-speed networking technology it acquired via SeaMicro.

We hope AMD rises again to keep Intel on its toes; the fight between these rivals doesn’t just result in cheaper servers, but also better ones.

[Via]