DESKTOP PCs ON THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF AMD ATHLON(tm) PROCESSOR
-Delivering performance over clockspeed, the new AMD
Athlon(tm) XP processors 2600+ and 2400+ offer PC customers exceptional choices-
SUNNYVALE, CA -AUG. 21, 2002- AMD (NYSE: AMD) today
celebrates the third anniversary of the award-winning AMD Athlon(tm) processor
by announcing the world's highest-performing processor for desktop PCs, the AMD
Athlon XP processor 2600+. AMD also introduced the AMD Athlon XP processor
2400+.
"The introduction of the highest-performing PC processor
in the world is a victory for application performance and a resounding defeat
for the 'megahertz myth,' " said Ed Ellett, vice president of marketing for
AMD's Computation Products Group. "As the performance leader, the AMD Athlon XP
processor 2600+ reigns as the superior choice and delivers outstanding
application performance for richer, high-powered digital computing."
Since its debut three years ago, the AMD Athlon
processor has achieved widespread industry acclaim as its architectural
superiority continues to deliver award-winning performance. The processor and
systems based on it have won more than 100 awards worldwide, including PC
Magazine's Reader's Choice Award, Product of the Year 2001/2002; Microprocessor
Report's Analyst's Choice Award for Best PC Processor in 2001; and Maximum PC's
CPU of the Year in 1999, 2000 and 2001.
"Microprocessor cognoscenti have long understood the
folly of using megahertz as a proxy for performance," observed Nathan Brookwood,
principal analyst at Insight 64. "Processors used in today's high-end servers
run at approximately one gigahertz, but outperform the fastest desktop PC
designs. Even within the PC processor segment, differing approaches to chip
design make simple megahertz-based performance comparisons somewhat ambiguous.
This problem will only get worse over time. PC buyers should rethink their
purchasing criteria, and focus on how fast their applications run, rather than
on the PC processor's megahertz rating."
The AMD Athlon XP processors 2600+ and 2400+ feature
QuantiSpeed(tm) architecture, which delivers performance advantages versus
competitive PC processors on a broad array of real-world applications, including
digital media, office productivity and 3D gaming.
Availability
AMD has begun shipping samples of the AMD Athlon XP
processors 2600+ and 2400+ to major computer manufacturers worldwide with
expected system availability in September.
Pricing
The AMD Athlon XP processors 2600+ and 2400+ are priced
at $297 and $193, respectively, in 1,000-unit quantities. For pricing on other
AMD processors, please visit:
http://www.amd.com/pricing.
About the AMD Athlon(tm) XP Processor
The AMD Athlon XP processor features QuantiSpeed
architecture, 384KB of on-chip, full-speed cache, and support for AMD's
3DNow!(tm) Professional instructions for enhanced multimedia capabilities. The
AMD Athlon XP processor is compatible with AMD's Socket A infrastructure, and
supports the advanced 266MHz front-side bus. AMD Athlon XP processors are
manufactured using AMD's 0.13 micron copper process technology in Fab 30 in
Dresden, Germany.
About AMD
AMD is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the
personal and networked computer and communications markets with manufacturing
facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Asia. AMD, a Fortune 500 and
Standard & Poor's 500 company, produces microprocessors, Flash memory devices,
and support circuitry for communications and networking applications. Founded in
1969 and based in Sunnyvale, California, AMD had revenues of $3.9 billion in
2001. (NYSE: AMD).
AMD on the Web
For more AMD news and product information, please visit
our virtual pressroom at
www.amd.com/news/virtualpress/index.html.
Additional press releases are available at
www.amd.com/news/news.html.
AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Athlon, 3DNow!, and
combinations thereof, and QuantiSpeed are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices,
Inc. Other product names used in this publication are for identification
purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies
