Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) plans on making it easier for manufactures and end-users to upgrade to future processors, announcing an initiative on Thursday to strive towards processor socket compatibility.

In the past, when new processors were announced, they typically had different layouts which required more or less pins than previous generations. Because of the new structure, manufacturers would need to upgrade the bulk of their hardware in just to accommodate the new chip. AMD hopes to change this with its Torrenza Initiative.

The Sunnyvale Calif.-based company plans to develop a Torrenza Innovation Socket, enabling original equipment manufacturers OEM's - such as Dell, HP and Sun - to develop their own chips.

Together, we recognize that the impact of Torrenza can be far-reaching across the industry in reducing complexity for customers while increasing the pace of innovation both in silicon and platforms, said Marty Seyer, a senior vice president at AMD.

The Torrenza Innovation Socket enables OEMs who develop their own silicon to take full advantage of an x86 environment and the accompanying economics associated with packaging, chipsets and motherboard designs.

OEMs will be able to contribute to and obtain the Torrenza Innovation Socket Specification and associated design documentation.

Sun