Well, well, AMD seems to be really inventive. There has been so much talk about AMD’s intentions regarding the name for the new 64bit processors known under the codename Hammer (ClawHammer, SledgeHammer). Will AMD leave use the already well promoted Athlon codename with some prefix, which seemed the most logical? However, AMD decided to select a totally new name: please, meet new 64bit processor family from AMD called … Opteron! Though it is only about the server Hammer processors (SledgeHammer supporting up to 8 CPUs in a system and maybe also ClawHammer DP supporting dual-processor systems). The desktop and mobile 64bit processors from AMD (ClawHammer) will be sold under Athlon brandname (maybe with some prefix).

In fact, this name reminds us a bit of the menacing hammer (SledgeHammer), as it has the same root as the word "optero" ("obtero") meaning "ruin", "break". Although AMD provides a different explanation of this name saying it comes from the word "optimal" thus meaning that this processor suits most optimally for 32bit and 64bit applications (AMD positions it as a competitor to a 32bit Xeon and 64bit Itanium CPUs). However, in my humble opinion, it is no good idea to call the fastest and the newest server (!) processors with a name sounding similar to that of cheap solutions of the near past (which should moreover sink into oblivion soon, as I told you here). You will agree, I suppose, that "Opteron" sounds similar to "Duron", which may cause some confusion in the heads of not very sophisticated users later on and it will definitely do AMD no good.

Anyway, what’s done can’t be undone, especially since there is the whole division in AMD doing marketing, so let it lie on their conscience. And we will accurately call the new 64bit AMD processors Opteron :)

P.S.: Of course, I understand that AMD could have faced some problems when registering "Sledgehammer" brand name as one is not allowed to make current words brand names. However, I think they could have found a better way out. For instance, they could have called the family "Hammer-64" or "Hammer MP". Moreover, Microsoft nevertheless managed to get "Windows" registered somehow as a brand name one day :)