Sunday, February 09, 2003

AMD Introduces World’s Highest Performing Desktop PC Processor, the AMD Athlon™ XP Processor 3000+

—NEC-CI among global computer manufacturers to offer systems powered by the AMD Athlon™ XP processor 3000+—

SUNNYVALE, CA -- AMD today introduced the AMD Athlon™ XP processor 3000+ — the world’s highest performing desktop PC processor. Featuring increased cache memory for greater performance, the AMD Athlon XP processor 3000+ outperforms competing desktop PC processors by up to 17 percent on a variety of industry standard software benchmarks.

Systems based on the AMD Athlon XP processor 3000+ are immediately available from NEC-CI in Europe and soon from other computer manufacturers around the globe.

“AMD leads the desktop PC processor industry by delivering unsurpassed application performance for business and home consumers,” said Rob Herb, AMD executive vice president and chief sales and marketing officer. “We are absolutely committed to listening to our customers and responding with the best products to meet their computing performance needs.”

The AMD Athlon XP processor 3000+ features 640KB of total on-chip cache memory – an increase of nearly 70 percent over previous AMD Athlon XP processors and the highest amount of on-chip cache memory of any desktop PC processor. Increased cache memory allows more information to be stored closer to the processor, leading to greater performance on software applications such as digital content creation, 3-D gaming, media encoding and office productivity.

“Consumers should be aware that PC performance is more than just processor frequency alone,” said Kevin Krewell, senior analyst of The Microprocessor Report. “Today’s PC processors can deliver higher performance through architectural enhancements such as increased cache memory and faster bus speeds. The overall performance of a system is what’s important, and that’s what buyers should focus on when making a purchasing decision.”

Industry support for the AMD Athlon XP processor 3000+
“Packard Bell, the consumer brand of NEC Computers International and one of Europe’s home PC leaders, is happy to broaden its product line-up with the AMD Athlon XP processor 3000+ in order to offer a full range of solutions to its customers,” said Aymar de Lencquesaing, vice president, sales and marketing, consumer division, NEC Computers International.

“ATI is committed to pushing the leading edge of graphics technology and creating the ultimate visual experience,” said Rick Bergman, senior vice president, marketing and general manager, Desktop, ATI Technologies Inc. “With the introduction of the AMD Athlon XP processor 3000+, with more on-chip cache, AMD is demonstrating its dedication to the same goal. The RADEON 9700 PRO, the world’s first and most advanced cinematic VPU, in combination with the AMD Athlon XP processor 3000+, unleashes an unbelievably realistic and immersive gaming experience.”

“The high-performance AMD Athlon XP processor 3000+ combined with our consumer-friendly software will help home users produce professional-level photos and videos that amaze their friends and family,” said Mike Mickes, director of product management, Ulead Systems, North America. “With software such as our Ulead PhotoImpact and upcoming VideoStudio 7, consumers can have an enjoyable editing experience made faster and more productive by improved processor performance.”

Availability

Systems based on the AMD Athlon XP processor 3000+ are immediately available from NEC-CI in Europe and soon from other computer manufacturers around the globe.

Pricing

The AMD Athlon XP processor 3000+ is priced at $588 in 1,000-unit quantities. For additional information on pricing, please visit www.amd.com/pricing.

About the AMD Athlon™ XP Processor

The AMD Athlon XP processor features QuantiSpeed™ architecture and support for AMD's 3DNow!™ Professional instructions for enhanced multimedia capabilities. Depending on the core, AMD Athlon XP processors feature either 384KB or 640KB of on-chip, full-speed cache. The AMD Athlon XP processor is compatible with AMD's Socket A infrastructure, and supports the advanced 266 or 333 front-side bus (FSB). 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 approximately $2.7 billion in 2002.