The critical link in making chips work together is a group of smaller chips called a chipset, which allows the processor to talk to other parts of the computer, and in this case, allows two processors to talk to each other. AMD's 760-MP chipset is the first to allow two processors to work side by side, while Intel's 840 is the latest in a string of chipsets that support multiple processors. To date, AMD has been shut out of the business of selling its chips into multiprocessor systems like servers and workstations where Intel has shown strong results in recent years with its high-end Pentium III Xeon processors. Workstations are powerful computers that are often used for applications that do special effects for movies or design 3-D models of cars and buildings, while servers play a crucial role in the infrastructure of the Internet. Both typically need more computing power than a single microprocessor can deliver.
Workstations usually have at least two processors, while servers often have four or more.
Kevin Krewell, a chip analyst with research firm Cahners MicroDesign Resources, in Sunnyvale, Calif., says getting four Athlon chips to work together inside a system won't be as easy, because of limitations of the data path, called a bus, used on Athlon. But AMD may have a strong appeal in the workstation market partially because of the strength of Athlon's floating-point capabilities, which are particularly important for graphics. Their biggest issue is going to be gaining acceptance among the boxmakers. The forthcoming 64-bit Intel processor will primarily be aimed at the server market, but it will also likely be expensive. While Intel aims at higher-priced workstations and servers, AMD could easily build a business at the low end of that market, waiting for the day when it can rise up to challenge Intel on yet another front.