Platform life is also a key factor that companies must look at when purchasing a CPU. DreamWorks initially moved to AMD based PCs two years ago. At this time, AMD was introducing Dual Core CPUs that didn’t vary in TDP (Thermal Power Design). This allowed companies to use the same cooling system for newer Opteron processors that they were using with older ones meaning that they wouldn’t have to buy a new cooling system or PSU for each CPU. It is important to not underestimate the advantages upgrade flexibility can offer DreamWorks. It really helps cut costs when companies don’t need to purchase brand new motherboards or new cooling systems each time they upgrade CPUs.

Cooling also makes a huge difference in server costs. Naturally, it is closely tied to energy efficiency and electric costs. Intel’s abandonment of the Netburst architecture is an example of the importance thermal output will make in CPU manufacturer’s decisions regarding products. The enormous costs companies had to pay in Electric bills cooling Netburst-based CPUs unnecessarily drove up cooling costs for companies. The Netburst architecture was too demanding in terms of cooling to properly compete with other products, and so it was dropped. Instead of focusing on increasing the clock frequency with their next-generation architecture, something which Intel had done previously when creating the Netburst architecture, they instead began focusing on decreasing thermal output.

Conclusion

Our aim in this article was not really to just give an overview of how AMD is involved with DreamWorks, but more of to give an idea of the factors large companies keep in mind when considering a CPU, or more of a server, for use. Some analysts are claiming that at some point in time power costs for running servers will ultimately overtake the hardware costs. This statement only makes it more essential for companies to focus on reducing power consumption and thermal output of their products.

From what we are seeing, AMD is on a steady track to gaining more marketshare in the server market. As of July 2006, according to Mercury Research, Opterons accounted for 22.1 percent of all x86 server processors shipped in the market. This was a 250 percent gain when compared to the market share from the previous year’s first quarter.