AMD Opteron 250 socket: Socket 940

What the Opteron 250 is

The AMD Opteron 250 is a 2.4 GHz single-core server processor from May 2004. It runs one K8 core at 2.4 GHz with no turbo, so 1 core gives 1 thread. Cache is 1 MB of L2 on a 130 nm process. Power is rated at 89 W in a Socket 940 package with part number OSA250CEP5AU in the CG stepping.

The 250 tops the SledgeHammer 200 series single-core stack at 851 dollars in May 2004. It uses a 200 MHz clock with a 12x multiplier at 1.50 V and an 800 MHz HyperTransport link. The chip supports MMX, SSE, SSE2, Enhanced 3DNow, NX bit and AMD64 with registered PC3200 DDR. No higher single-core SledgeHammer 200 series part followed, so the 250 closed the 130 nm dual-processor line before Troy 90 nm parts arrived in December 2004.

Top-bin status suited flagship two-socket servers. A pair of 250 parts gave 4.8 GHz of aggregate clocks with 2 MB of total L2 per chassis at 178 W of CPU power. That density made the 250 the choice for database and application servers that needed per core speed before dual-core Italy parts launched in 2005.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The Opteron 250 fits Socket 940 dual-processor boards with registered DDR and SledgeHammer BIOS support. It needs a two-socket board qualified for 89 W top-bin parts. The Socket vs chipset: what decides whether a CPU works guide covers pairing rules.

Flagship two-socket rack servers are the natural match. Boards listing 200 series SledgeHammer parts at 89 W accept the 250 with matched cooling. Power delivery must handle top-bin current, so maker qualification matters more than with slower bins. Single-socket boards need 100 series parts instead.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory is registered DDR with ECC per socket, reaching PC3200. Balanced populations across both CPUs give full bandwidth for database workloads. Server modules only.

HyperTransport at 800 MHz ties the CPUs together and to the chipset, while expansion hangs off the chipset. No PCIe lanes originate on the die. Cooling uses top-bin qualified 89 W heatsinks per socket with strong front to back airflow. Dust filters and fan health decide stability at sustained 2.4 GHz operation. DDR2 needs Socket F.

Upgrade paths

On Socket 940 the 250 is the ceiling for SledgeHammer dual-processor single cores, so same generation upgrades stop here. Troy 250 parts at 2.4 GHz on 90 nm with SSE3 offer a die shrink path where listed. Dual-core Italy 200 series parts need new BIOS paths for two cores per socket. Beyond Socket 940 a move to Socket F needs DDR2 boards. The 250 lifts with the lever, so swaps need no solder work.