HP refreshes ProLiant server range with AMD Opteron 6200 chips

Company targets high-performance space with rack and blade systems

HP has updated its high-end ProLiant server line with AMD's Opteron 6200 processors to deliver what the company claims is among the most powerful commercial servers available.

The eight new rack and blade servers based on the AMD processors include a system which HP touts as the most powerful two-socket server on the market.

McLeod Glass, director of marketing for HP industry standard servers and software, told V3 that the ProLiant servers offer a 35 per cent performance increase over previous models, and that switching to the Opteron 6200 allowed HP to increase density and offer up to 2,048 server cores on a single rack.

The 16-core Opteron 6200 'Interlagos' chips were introduced in September, and are the first to feature AMD's Bulldozer microarchitecture.

The HP servers also sport HP's Integrated Lights-Out management software and the Virtual Connect and Flex Fabric network interfaces.

"Companies are continually searching for ways to increase performance and efficiency and reduce complexity in the datacentre," Glass said.

"We believe we are introducing an update that really helps deliver a solution that drives lower cost within the datacentre for our customers."

HP plans to target the servers at traditional high-performance computing markets such as simulations and statistical analysis, and as a solution for large-scale virtualisation deployments.

The New ProLiant models are available from 29 November ranging from $1,559 to $9,559.

"We think we have a really robust solution. There is a lot to be excited about in what this brings in terms of capability," said Glass.