AMD has added an entry-level model to its line of dual-core processors. Just in time for the holiday season, the Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor 3800+ is designed to provide consumers with an attractive entry point to dual-core computing on desktop PCs.

The company's Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor line is targeted primarily towards the prosumer and digital media segments. In other words, power users who run multiple processor-intensive applications simultaneously.

Dual-core processors are the next evolution of AMD64's Direct Connect Architecture. Because AMD64 technology was designed from the ground up for multi-core technology, the Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor directly connects two cores on a single die, improving overall system performance and efficiency and helping to eliminate the bottlenecks inherent in a front-side-bus architecture.

Dual-core chips integrate two processing cores, in effect giving you two CPUs in a single piece of silicon. You also get two L2 memory caches, one for each core.

With the new dual-core processors from both AMD and rival Intel, mainstream consumers now have the ability to multitask, such as creating digital content while listening to MP3s and scanning for viruses. Desktop dual-core processors can also deliver increasingly superior performance as multi-threaded applications spread from the server to the client and consumer markets.

The Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor is designed to deliver the high-end performance of a multi-core processor with the same 939-pin infrastructure as the single-core AMD Athlon 64 processors, requiring only a BIOS upgrade. For platform manufacturers, this means the AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor doesn't need redesigned components, the savings of which can then passed on to their customers.

The availability of the Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor follows the introduction of the dual-core AMD Opteron processor, the world's first x86 dual-core processor for the server and workstation markets.

Since the launch of the Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor line in May, AMD says it has been extremely pleased with its successful sales and adoption, with more than 40 OEM partners and system builders currently offering products worldwide.

To enable the rapid adoption of its 90nm dual-core processor line, AMD has fully converted its manufacturing operations to the 90nm technology generation. The company claims the transition was one of the most rapid and efficient in its history, due in large part to its Automated Precision Manufacturing systems.

BIOS, Aug 02, 05 | Print | Send | Comments (0) | Posted In Processor