*** THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED ***

Well, you might get your chance to show us.

The AMD Server team is kicking March off with a new contest.  We are seeking your best essays, videos, or blog posts documenting how you might use 48 cores.  One winner will be selected and awarded with:

• Four new AMD Opteron™ processors Model 6174, 12-core (2.2 GHz)
• TYAN S8812 motherboard: the motherboard is a Tyan S8812 that features 4 processor sockets with the capacity for you to install up to 8 DIMMs per socket
• one copy of Windows Server® 2008

Approximate retail value of all prizes is $8,189 USD.

For those of you living under a rock – or working away in the depths of the data center – the AMD Opteron 6100 series processors are 8- and 12-core processors that feature an incredible four channels of DDR-3 memory.  That’s 33% more channels than expected competing Intel products* and more than double the memory throughput of our existing products.** These are the first 8- and 12-core x86 processors in the market and you could be one of the first to have such a historic product in your hands.

We’re planning to introduce these processors this quarter and we want to make sure that you get your opportunity to showcase how great your ideas are.    Tell us what you can do with 48 cores to make the world a better, more interesting place, delivering the top performance or optimizing power.  Of course creativity will be awarded, so don’t be afraid to show the fun side of servers.

So how do you get your shot?  It’s easy.  Here are the simple rules:

1. Submit your idea about what you would do with 48 cores by:
   1. Writing an essay (no more than 500 words); or
   2. Creating a You Tube video (no longer than 3 minutes) and sending us your link; or
   3. Writing a blog (no more than 500 words) and sending us your link

Here’s a tip: playing World of Warcraft faster than anyone is probably not going to get you the good stuff.  Think about what you can do to help society, to help others. That will give you an edge.

1. Submit your entry and valid email address through the “What Would You Do With 48 Cores?” Contest entry form before Wednesday, March 24, 2010, @ at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
2. Sit back and wait to see whether you have won.  We’ll be announcing the winner on or before April 15^th.

It’s really that easy.  We’ll be reviewing all of the submissions and the team will choose the one that best exemplifies the spirit of 48 cores changing the world.

If you are wondering about the fine print, here are all of the official contest rules.

Good luck.

* http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02/03/intel_westmere_ep_preview/

** Based on quad channel DDR3-1333 for AMD Opteron™ 6100 Series processor vs. dual channel DDR2-800 for Six-Core AMD Opteron™ processor.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Eligibility United States and Canada residents (excluding quebec), 18 years and older. Limit one (1) entry per person or e-mail address. See complete “WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH 48 CORES?” contest official rules for additional rules and details. Additional restrictions may apply, void where prohibited.

John Fruehe is the Director of Product Marketing for Server/Workstation products at AMD.