Socket C32 you said?

[Dirk Broer]

Yes, you read it correctly, time for new sockets again. Well, not exactly new.
To quote wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_C32):
"The AMD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD) Socket C32 is the server processor socket (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Processor_socket) for AMD's current single-CPU and dual-CPU Opteron 4000 series CPUs. It is the successor to Socket AM3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_AM3) for single-CPU servers and the successor for Socket F (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_F) for lower-end dual-CPU servers. (High-end dual-CPU servers will use Socket G34 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_G34) with 8 and 12-core Magny-Cours (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opteron#Future) Opteron CPUs.) It is based on the current Socket F and uses a similar 1207-land LGA socket but is not physically or electrically compatible with Socket F due to the use of DDR3 SDRAM (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR3_SDRAM) instead of the DDR2 SDRAM (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DDR2_SDRAM) that Socket F platforms use.
Socket C32 was launched June 23, 2010 as part of the San Marino platform with the four and six-core Opteron 4100 "Lisbon" processors. Like Socket G34, it also uses the AMD SR5690, SR5670, and SR5650 chipsets. Socket C32 will also be used in the ultra-low-power Adelaide platform with the SR5650 chipset and HT1 interconnects instead of HT3.1. Socket C32 will support the upcoming Bulldozer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulldozer_(processor))-based six- and eight-core "Valencia" Opterons in 2011."

At the moment I can buy four different boards here in the Netherlands, two single CPU boards from SuperMicro and two dual CPU boards from Asus, their boards being slightly more expensive -in the higher €200s- than those of SuperMicro (in the lower €200s).

But boards are useless without CPUs, so are there C32 CPUs? Yes! Seven C32 CPU are currently offered here for those who know where to look, ranging in priice from €116 for a 4-core Opteron 4122 to €308 for a 6-core Opteron 4176 HE (high Efficiency, only 65 Watt). The cheapest high-efficiency Opteron in the C32 league is the 6-core 4170 HE, and it comes at a mere €144, comparable to the average 6-core Phenom II.

So when I buy a Asus KCMA-D8 (http://usa.asus.com/Server_Workstation/Server_Motherboards/KCMAD8/#CPUS)(because it uses a standard ATX size) I can fit in two Opterons and a stunning 128 Gb of DDR3 memory, provided I use RDIMM and no UDIMM, because then the memory maxes out at 32 Gb. You need 16 Gb RDIMMs to get at that maximum and buying eight of those will set you back financially, so save that for when you win the lottery. But, as I said, it will also accept standard DDR3 memory up to 32 Gb. Eight of those puppies are affordable (two at a time).

The SuperMicro boards, H8SCM (http://www.supermicro.com/Aplus/motherboard/Opteron4100/SR56x0/H8SCM.cfm) and H8SCM-F (http://www.supermicro.com/Aplus/motherboard/Opteron4100/SR56x0/H8SCM-F.cfm), have the distinction that they are of the Micro-ATX (μATX) format and will support up to 64 Gb of registered DDR3 or 16 Gb of standard DDR3.

[Brucifer]

Interesting post. :-)

[Dirk Broer]

How's things with that most unknown of sockets, C32?

On 14 November AMD unveiled their "Valencia" line, the Bulldozer based 32 nm successor to the 45 nm "Lisbon".

Where Lisbon -supporting MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4a, Enhanced 3DNow!, NX bit, AMD64, Cool'n'Quiet, AMD-V- delivered
2.2 - 2.6 Ghz over 4 cores, asking 75 Watt ACP/95 Watt TDP (2.3 - 2.5 Ghz 50/65 Watt for the HE series) or
2.6 - 2.8 Ghz over 6 cores, asking 75 Watt ACP/95 Watt TDP (2.1 - 2.4 Ghz 50/65 Watt for the HE series and 1.7 - 1.8 Ghz 32/40 Watt for the EE series)

Valencia -supporting MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, SSE4a, AMD64, AMD-V, AES, CLMUL, AVX, XOP, FMA4, CVT1- now offers:
2.7 - 3.3 Ghz (base) over 6 cores, asking 75 Watt ACP/95 Watt TDP (2.8 Ghz 50/65 Watt for the HE series) or
2.8 - 3.0 Ghz (base) over 8 cores, asking 75 Watt ACP/95 Watt TDP (2.5 Ghz 50/65 Watt for the HE series and 1.6 Ghz 32/35 Watt for the EE series)

The base speed can, in Turbo mode, be exceeded with an additional 200 - 300 Ghz, and when not all cores are active the remaining core(s) can be clocked even higher still to a max 0f 3.7 Ghz.

The C32 boards are still the same here as in the previous post, the ASUS models having becom slightly more expensive.
Biggest problem is that the Valencia's are not yet for sale for the general public, and the Lisbons are more expensive than in August of last year.
Better wait...