AMD Raises Expectations for Server Performance, Unveils EPYC Processor Brand for the Datacenter

AMD Raises Expectations for Server Performance,
Unveils EPYC Processor Brand for the Datacenter

— Upcoming Launch of EPYC Promises Dynamic
Dual-Socket Systems, Disruptive Single-Socket Platforms —

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — May 16, 2017 — AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today ushered in a new era for high-performance server processors and the datacenter with EPYC™. With its high core count,
superior memory bandwidth, and unparalleled support for high-speed input/output
channels in a single chip1,
EPYC aims to revolutionize the dual-socket server market while simultaneously
reshaping expectations for single-socket servers. Previously codenamed “Naples,”
this new family of high-performance products for cloud-based and traditional
on-premise datacenters will deliver the highly successful “Zen” x86 processing
engine scaling up to 32 physical cores2. The first EPYC-based servers will launch in
June with widespread support from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and
channel partners.

“With the new
EPYC processor, AMD takes the next step on our journey in high-performance
computing,” said Forrest Norrod, senior vice president and general manager of

Enterprise, Embedded &
Semi-Custom Products. “AMD EPYC processors will set a new standard for
two-socket performance and scalability. As we demonstrated today, we see
further opportunity with the industry’s first no-compromise one-socket
solutions. We believe that this new product line-up has the potential to
reshape significant portions of the datacenter market with its unique
combination of performance, design flexibility, and disruptive TCO.”

Today, at the 2017 AMD
Financial Analyst Day, a single EPYC processor was shown exceeding the performance
of a competitive mid-range, two-socket / two-processor platform in a
head-to-head comparison. EPYC exceeds today’s top competitive offering on
critical parameters, with 45% more cores1, 60% more input/output capacity (I/O)2, and 122% more memory bandwidth3.

“Dropbox is
currently evaluating AMD EPYC CPUs in-house, and we are impressed with the
initial performance we see across workloads in single-socket configurations,”
said Akhil Gupta, vice president of infrastructure at Dropbox. “The combination
of core performance, memory bandwidth, and I/O support make EPYC a unique
offering. We look forward to continuing to evaluate EPYC as an option for our
infrastructure.”

EPYC
Features

•      A highly scalable, 32-core
System-on-a-chip (SoC) design, with support for two high-performance threads
per core

•      Industry-leading memory
bandwidth, with 8 channels of memory per EPYC device3. In a dual-socket server,
support for up to 32 DIMMS of DDR4 on 16 memory channels, delivering up to 4
terabytes of total memory capacity

•      Complete SoC with fully
integrated, high-speed I/O supporting 128 lanes of PCIe® 3, negating the need
for a separate chip-set

•      Highly-optimized cache structure for
high-performance, energy-efficient computing

•      Infinity Fabric coherent interconnect for two
EPYC CPUs in a dual-socket system

•      Dedicated security hardware

“Today’s
single-socket server offerings push buyers toward purchasing a more expensive
two-socket server just to get the memory bandwidth and I/O they need to support
the compute performance of the cores,” said Matthew Eastwood, senior vice
president, IDC. “There are no fully-featured, high-performance server
processors available today in a single-socket