Advanced Micro Devices will use server form-factors for its next-generation AMD Athlon 64 FX microprocessors and 4x4 platform. This will result in much higher price of 4x4 computers as compared to typical Athlon 64 X2-based offerings as well as competing Intel Core 2 Extreme-based platforms.

The new AMD Athlon 64 FX-70 (2.60GHz, 2MB L2 cache [1MB per core]), FX-72 (2.80GHz, 2MB L2 cache [1MB per core]) and FX-74 (3.00GHz, 2MB L2 cache [1MB per core]) microprocessors will be compatible with socket F infrastructure, a 1207-pin land grid array (LGA) form-factor. It is unclear whether the new AMD Athlon 64 FX processors require registered DDR2 memory modules, which cost more than typical DDR2 components and which are somewhat slower, but it is highly-likely that this will be a requirement.

As a result of transition to workstation-class technologies, users of next-generation Athlon 64 FX processors will be able to install two of such chips. However, besides of the fact that they will need to acquire two microprocessors instead of one, they will need new – specially designed – cooling systems, mainboards, memory modules and, perhaps, power supply units, as new FX-series models will consume up to 125W of power.

Even though AMD’s 4x4 platform may be significantly more expensive and power hungry than Intel Core 2 Extreme-based offerings with two or four cores, AMD may be able to offer significantly increased performance in many cases because of relatively high clock-speeds of its new FX-series central processing units. As a result, AMD 4x4 may address users who demand absolutely highest performance at any cost, leaving the market of more balanced systems to the rival.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.