Not another Intel vs. AMD Debate!? (This Time, It's About Video) - Conclusion
(Page 7 of 7 )
Is it always going to be this way? Maybe not. AMD is targeting users of G5s in an attempt to covert them to Opterons. Some flawed reviews of Apple vs Opteron seem to suggest the Apple is faster but, being convinced they are flawed, we don't believe them.
AMD is making inroads. Earlier this month the company announced that Opteron processor-based equipment is being used with Windows XP Pro servers (running on clustered Windows Storage Server 2003 software, Maya and After Effects) to provide "the digital backbone" for the final Star Wars prequel, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. By digital backbone they mean that the Opteron equipment is providing the pre-visualization i.e. giving the director a feel for what a certain effect will look like when completed, it's a digital representation of what you'd do on a sketch board. Despite the fan fare AMD made of a relatively small part of what goes into the film this is a major coup for them as it's a new playing field.
HP and IBM are stepping up their support for Opteron. Major enterprise software like VMware's virtual infrastructure software, ESX Server, is now validated for use on Opteron servers. AMD is capitalizing on its 64-bit readiness and expanded memory addressing capability which will provide even better performance (allegedly) when 64 bit versions of Windows are released. Various other little publicity coups have helped. It turns out that the Beta version of Windows 64 bit will work on Opteron systems but not Intel's new Nocona chipset for the latest 800 FSB Xeons. According to a Microsoft spokesman, Windows checks to see if it is being installed in an AMD system and won't proceed if it isn't. Thirty of the world's top 500 computers are now powered by Opterons. All this is good news for AMD who has to capture market share not just from Intel, but the other big players like SGI and Apple.
In the x86 arena it's been a one-horse race for too long. Here's hoping that competition will be good for this market meaning better, faster, cheaper, and more stable products. Hopefully this will allow the production of even better movies at lower costs. Then, maybe, the price of DVDs will fall and it will all be worth the effort.
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
