What to expect of the AMD Barcelona

Now, after much hassling from the INQ, it has filled some of those holes. Namely: “Will the processors work straight away?”; “What operating systems will support them?”; “Will any software platforms use them?” And “What’s needed to get them up and running?”

In terms of current equipment, it’s good to know the new processors will happily drop into existing architecture. These slots are currently occupied by AMD's dual-core processors, but will work with the quad-core chips after a bios update. As promised, AMD has stuck with the Rev F socket. An HP spokesperson confirmed the processors will joyfully work on its existing servers. HP is a major supporter and was first to market with the dual-cores. Expect new models soon from HP, with product numbers ending in a 5, come September.

But there’s more to the picture than just processor, sockets and bios updates.