AMD Readies Release Of Dual-Core Desktop Chips

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company is poised to begin offering a "Dual-Core Ready" branding program aimed at increasing its brand strength in a channel now transitioning to the newer processor technology.

"For system builders, or VARs, they can put a Dual-Core Ready sticker on an existing single-core system to tell them it's ready for dual-core [computing]," said Teresa de Onis, manager of desktop branding for AMD's microprocessor business unit.

AMD's stance on its dual-core processors has been that they have a key advantage over similar technology from rival Intel, Santa Clara, Calif., because existing 64-bit AMD processors were designed for dual-core use two years ago. Those systems essentially need a BIOS upgrade to take advantage of a dual-core design, according to AMD.

The chip maker is set to launch its AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core chips—model numbers 4800+, 4600+, 4400+ and 4200+—later in the second quarter. These plans were announced by Intel in April on the second anniversary of the launch of its 64-bit Opteron processors. The dual-core systems provide for two processing cores on the same footprint as traditional single-core processors.

"AMD is on the right track, I think," said David Chang, president of Agama Systems, a Houston-based system builder. "They've transformed the company from just competing on the low-end side on the CPU."

Chang said AMD is now beginning to throw marketing and channel weight behind the same concept adopted by auto maker Toyota: It's satisfactory to have low-priced products in a market, but to grow the business consistently, a higher-end product, such as a Lexus, can go a long way. Chang likened AMD's 64-bit, dual-core chips to the Lexus.

Chang said his company will be producing dual-core systems based on both AMD and Intel processors, as both chip companies roll out various versions of desktop, server and notebook processors over the course of the next year.