AMD To Brand Clawhammer As 'AMD Athlon 64'

AMD's server-based, 64-bit processor, which is also yet to be released, had already been given the "Opteron" moniker by the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company.

Opteron is expected to compete with rival Intel's 64-bit Itanium processor for servers.

The Athlon 64, formerly known as "Clawhammer," will be available late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter of 2003, the company said. AMD would only say that it will begin shipping the Opteron in the first half of next year.

Word of the branding comes during a busy week for AMD. The company's chief executive, Hector Ruiz, is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the Comdex trade show in Las Vegas. This week, the company also announced it would take a $300 million to $600 million charge against profits in this quarter for a reorganization.

Last week, AMD said it would reduce its head count by 2,000 employees -- or about 15 percent of its total workforce -- through early next year.