Advanced Micro Devices, a maker of microprocessors, has started to ship its AMD Opteron processors produced using 90nm process technology, following initiated shipments of desktop and mobile products made at 90nm SOI fabrication process.

According to a document located at AMD’s web-site, the company now ships AMD Opteron models 146, 246, 248 and 846 for 1-way, 2-way and 4/8-way systems. The chips are clocked at 2.0GHz – 2.20GHz and do not differ from the similar processors produced using 130nm Silicon-on-Insulator process technology in terms of performance and capabilities. AMD Opteron processors integrate 1MB of L2 cache and also dual-channel PC3200 memory controller.

Up to now AMD supplied three flavours of desktop processors produced using innovative 90nm process technology: AMD Athlon 64 3000+, AMD Athlon 64 3200+ and AMD Athlon 64 3500+ chips that function at 1.80GHz, 2.00GHz and at 2.20GHz respectively, pack in 512KB of L2 cache and feature 1000MHz HyperTransport bus. Higher-end processors, such as AMD Athlon 64 3800+, 4000+, FX-53 and FX-55 are still produced using 130nm process technology.

A recently released “AMD Athlon 64 Processor Power and Thermal Data Sheet” document claims the new 90nm chips have Thermal Design Power of 67W under full load, and about 21W in the so-called “Cool’n’Quiet” mode under minimum load with about 1.00GHz clock-speed. AMD’s 130nm chips devour up to 89W at full load and about 22W under minimum load at 800MHz. AMD Opteron have the same thermal specifications as similar AMD Athlon 64 chips.

In mid-2005 Sunnyvale, California-based Advanced Micro Devices plans to introduce server chips with two processing engines, typically referred as cores. The chips will consume up to 105W of power, which is inline with guidelines AMD provides for its 90nm chips.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.