neat-o. didn't know if anyone else has seen this yet, right off of amd's site:
Q: What did AMD announce?
A: AMD is announcing the company’s new brand for desktop dual-core processors, the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor family. With the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor, end users will be able to do more in less time while enabling true multi-tasking – taking computing to an all new level. AMD is currently shipping samples of the AMD Athlon X2 processors to leading OEMs worldwide and will be launching in June. The initial model numbers in the new family include the 4200+, 4400+, 4600+ and 4800+.
Q: What is the target market for the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor?
A: The AMD Athlon X2 processor is targeted towards the prosumer & digital media segments. These processors are designed for sophisticated power users who run multiple processor-intensive applications simultaneously. The AMD Athlon X2 processor is also ideal for digital content creation and entertainment consumption.
TodayÂ’s PCs are multi-tasking environments. With the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors, the ability to multi-task, such as creating digital content while checking and writing e-mails, while downloading audio files such as MP3s or music downloads off the Web, will allow users to do more in less time. Client dual core processors will also deliver superior performance as multi-threaded applications spread from the enterprise server market to the client and consumer markets.
Q: When will AMD have client dual-core processors available?
A: AMD Athlon 64 X2 production-ready processors are now shipping to several leading OEMs and system builders worldwide, with general system availability scheduled for June, 2005. As a customer-centric company, AMD is committed to delivering the right technology to the right markets at the right time. With dual-core technology, AMD is committed to enabling businesses to transition to multi-core technology in the least disruptive way possible. Since many server software applications are multi-threaded, providing a Dual-Core AMD Opteron processor first makes the most sense.
AMDÂ’s leadership with multi-core processors follows the companyÂ’s success with 64-bit computing. Both innovations illustrate the strategic focus to solve customer challenges while also providing technology breakthroughs to fuel the possibilities of tomorrow.
Q: What are the prices of the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors?
A: The AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors 4800+, 4600+ 4400+, and 4200+ will be priced at $1001, $803, $581, and $537 respectively.
Q: Which OEMs will offer AMD client dual-core processors?
A: AMD is working with leading desktop and mobile OEMs. We are not releasing specific information regarding partners at this time.
Q: Will the AMD Athlon 64 FX processor continue to be AMDÂ’s performance leader?
A: We expect that the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor will be the worldÂ’s best performing processor for multitasking, multi-threaded and digital media applications. The AMD Athlon 64 FX processor will continue to be the best performing processor in the world for single-threaded games.
Q: What types of future end-user capabilities will we see enabled by dual-core technology?
A: General consumers should realize an immediate benefit from AMD multi-core processors with the capability to run multimedia and security applications with increased performance. AMD multi-core processors can deliver advanced multi-tasking capabilities and exceptional multimedia performance as multi-threaded applications spread from the enterprise server market to the client and consumer markets. Examples include:
* Background Productivity, such as burning a CD or running firewall software in the background while working from home, banking online, or delivering video in the foreground.
* Digital Content Creation, such as photo editing, video editing or audio mixing.
* Programming
* Commercial convergence applications, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) supporting audio, video and data collaboration.
Q: What does AMD foresee as the desktop dual-core benefits to consumers? How do these differ from 64-bit computing benefits?
A: With dual-core processors, AMD expects to see performance increases in multi-tasking environments, as well as multi-threaded applications. AMD multi-core processors are designed to deliver superior multimedia performance as multi-threaded applications spread from the enterprise server market to the client and consumer markets.
For example, as media-centric PCs move into the mainstream, AMDÂ’s innovative multi-core processors can serve as the foundation for the Digital Home. Combined with exciting new applications designed for consumer environments, AMD multi-core processor-based media center PCs will be capable of simultaneously serving different media sources to multiple rooms in the home.
The AMD Athlon 64 processor family allows pervasive adoption of the AMD64 platform for desktop and notebook personal computers. Current models of the processors offer world-class performance on 32-bit applications today. In addition, end users have the ability to seamlessly migrate to 64-bit PC applications in the future. The AMD Athlon 64 processor offers leading-edge performance and, on current applications, outperforms competing PC processors on industry-standard benchmarks.
Q: What are AMDÂ’s plans for dual core in the mobile space?
A: We currently plan to make the desktop core code named “Toledo” available to our mobile customers for high-performance desktop replacement notebooks. We expect to disclose additional information about dual-core mobile solutions at the appropriate time.
Q: Does the desktop dual-core design have two AMD Athlon 64 processors on a single die?
A: Yes. AMDÂ’s design is true dual core - with two CPU cores on one die. AMDÂ’s dual-core processor relies on advanced Direct Connect Architecture to supply each core with the memory and I/O bandwidth needed to maintain high performance per core. AMDÂ’s on-chip integrated memory controller ensures that both cores have optimal access to the integrated memory controller and integrated HyperTransport links, so that performance scales well with the number of cores. Our competitorÂ’s dual-core processor, as illustrated in press coverage, relies on outdated front-side bus architecture to relay both memory and I/O traffic from the cores to the memory controller that resides outside the processor chip.
Q: What do AMD Athlon 64 processor models represent?
A: Since frequency alone is not an accurate measure of performance, AMD model numbers are a simple, accurate representation of relative AMD processor performance based on industry-standard software benchmarks. The higher the model number, the better the overall software performance running on the processor. The “+” at the end of each model number indicates the added performance benefits delivered the innovative AMD64 architecture, such as an integrated memory controller and HyperTransport technology. These two factors alone account for a significant improvement in performance.
Q: What did AMD announce?
A: AMD is announcing the company’s new brand for desktop dual-core processors, the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor family. With the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor, end users will be able to do more in less time while enabling true multi-tasking – taking computing to an all new level. AMD is currently shipping samples of the AMD Athlon X2 processors to leading OEMs worldwide and will be launching in June. The initial model numbers in the new family include the 4200+, 4400+, 4600+ and 4800+.
Q: What is the target market for the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor?
A: The AMD Athlon X2 processor is targeted towards the prosumer & digital media segments. These processors are designed for sophisticated power users who run multiple processor-intensive applications simultaneously. The AMD Athlon X2 processor is also ideal for digital content creation and entertainment consumption.
TodayÂ’s PCs are multi-tasking environments. With the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors, the ability to multi-task, such as creating digital content while checking and writing e-mails, while downloading audio files such as MP3s or music downloads off the Web, will allow users to do more in less time. Client dual core processors will also deliver superior performance as multi-threaded applications spread from the enterprise server market to the client and consumer markets.
Q: When will AMD have client dual-core processors available?
A: AMD Athlon 64 X2 production-ready processors are now shipping to several leading OEMs and system builders worldwide, with general system availability scheduled for June, 2005. As a customer-centric company, AMD is committed to delivering the right technology to the right markets at the right time. With dual-core technology, AMD is committed to enabling businesses to transition to multi-core technology in the least disruptive way possible. Since many server software applications are multi-threaded, providing a Dual-Core AMD Opteron processor first makes the most sense.
AMDÂ’s leadership with multi-core processors follows the companyÂ’s success with 64-bit computing. Both innovations illustrate the strategic focus to solve customer challenges while also providing technology breakthroughs to fuel the possibilities of tomorrow.
Q: What are the prices of the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors?
A: The AMD Athlon 64 X2 processors 4800+, 4600+ 4400+, and 4200+ will be priced at $1001, $803, $581, and $537 respectively.
Q: Which OEMs will offer AMD client dual-core processors?
A: AMD is working with leading desktop and mobile OEMs. We are not releasing specific information regarding partners at this time.
Q: Will the AMD Athlon 64 FX processor continue to be AMDÂ’s performance leader?
A: We expect that the AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor will be the worldÂ’s best performing processor for multitasking, multi-threaded and digital media applications. The AMD Athlon 64 FX processor will continue to be the best performing processor in the world for single-threaded games.
Q: What types of future end-user capabilities will we see enabled by dual-core technology?
A: General consumers should realize an immediate benefit from AMD multi-core processors with the capability to run multimedia and security applications with increased performance. AMD multi-core processors can deliver advanced multi-tasking capabilities and exceptional multimedia performance as multi-threaded applications spread from the enterprise server market to the client and consumer markets. Examples include:
* Background Productivity, such as burning a CD or running firewall software in the background while working from home, banking online, or delivering video in the foreground.
* Digital Content Creation, such as photo editing, video editing or audio mixing.
* Programming
* Commercial convergence applications, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) supporting audio, video and data collaboration.
Q: What does AMD foresee as the desktop dual-core benefits to consumers? How do these differ from 64-bit computing benefits?
A: With dual-core processors, AMD expects to see performance increases in multi-tasking environments, as well as multi-threaded applications. AMD multi-core processors are designed to deliver superior multimedia performance as multi-threaded applications spread from the enterprise server market to the client and consumer markets.
For example, as media-centric PCs move into the mainstream, AMDÂ’s innovative multi-core processors can serve as the foundation for the Digital Home. Combined with exciting new applications designed for consumer environments, AMD multi-core processor-based media center PCs will be capable of simultaneously serving different media sources to multiple rooms in the home.
The AMD Athlon 64 processor family allows pervasive adoption of the AMD64 platform for desktop and notebook personal computers. Current models of the processors offer world-class performance on 32-bit applications today. In addition, end users have the ability to seamlessly migrate to 64-bit PC applications in the future. The AMD Athlon 64 processor offers leading-edge performance and, on current applications, outperforms competing PC processors on industry-standard benchmarks.
Q: What are AMDÂ’s plans for dual core in the mobile space?
A: We currently plan to make the desktop core code named “Toledo” available to our mobile customers for high-performance desktop replacement notebooks. We expect to disclose additional information about dual-core mobile solutions at the appropriate time.
Q: Does the desktop dual-core design have two AMD Athlon 64 processors on a single die?
A: Yes. AMDÂ’s design is true dual core - with two CPU cores on one die. AMDÂ’s dual-core processor relies on advanced Direct Connect Architecture to supply each core with the memory and I/O bandwidth needed to maintain high performance per core. AMDÂ’s on-chip integrated memory controller ensures that both cores have optimal access to the integrated memory controller and integrated HyperTransport links, so that performance scales well with the number of cores. Our competitorÂ’s dual-core processor, as illustrated in press coverage, relies on outdated front-side bus architecture to relay both memory and I/O traffic from the cores to the memory controller that resides outside the processor chip.
Q: What do AMD Athlon 64 processor models represent?
A: Since frequency alone is not an accurate measure of performance, AMD model numbers are a simple, accurate representation of relative AMD processor performance based on industry-standard software benchmarks. The higher the model number, the better the overall software performance running on the processor. The “+” at the end of each model number indicates the added performance benefits delivered the innovative AMD64 architecture, such as an integrated memory controller and HyperTransport technology. These two factors alone account for a significant improvement in performance.
