Advanced Micro Devices introduced three chipsets that complement the company's six-core Opteron processor, previously codenamed Istanbul.

The chipsets, unveiled Monday, include the SR5690, SR5670 and SR5650, which are each aimed at different types of servers. The 5650 is more energy efficient and is geared toward low-power servers. The 5690, on the other hand, targets high-performance systems and the 5670 is for mid-range servers.

The chipsets complement AMD's six-core Opterons, providing several new technologies, such as HyperTransport 3.0 that allows for high-speed interconnection between processors and the input/output devices. In addition, the chipsets support PCI Express Gen 2 technology that allows for high-speed peripherals, such as Quad Data Rate Infiniband, to be included in servers.

The chipsets also provide hardware support for I/O virtualization, an emerging specification that describes the use of a HyperTransport architecture within an environment of virtual machines.

The latest chipsets comprise AMD's first multi-processor server/workstation platform since the acquisition of graphics chip maker ATI in 2006. Codenamed Fiorano, the 45-nanometer platform is compatible with Istanbul, as well as AMD's quad-core Opterons, codenamed Shanghai.

Meanwhile, AMD also released a new low-power platform specification called Kroner, which is aimed at the cloud-computing space that requires high-levels of power efficiency. The first Kroner system is a single 1U server from Tyan called the S8208, which is expected to ship this year.

Other server infrastructure providers will likely release products using AMD's latest chipsets in the coming weeks, including Supermicro, Microway and ZT Systems.

The chipsets will also support AMD's 12-core Opteron processor, codenamed Magny-Cours, which is scheduled for release in the first quarter of next year. Magny-Cours will comprise two integrated six-core chips.

AMD's Opteron processors compete with Intel Xeon product line.

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