New York – AMD
announced a major increase in the number of computers expected to be equipped
with AMD processors, and the expansion of its Vision brand into the desktop PC
arena.
The four-tiered
branding effort, rolled out last fall, is the company’s primary effort to tell
consumers which processor is right for their needs without relying on their
understanding the chips speeds and feeds.
AMD reported that
109 mainstream and 41 ultra-thin notebooks will be equipped with the company’s
processors.
AMD said it has
upgraded the chip architecture for the ultra-thin market, extending battery
life out to eight hours and boosting overall performance by 22 percent. The
architecture also sports integrated graphics allowing ultra-thin notebooks to
deliver a better visual experience without a corresponding increase in the size
of the laptop, said Leslie Sobon, AMD’s product and platform marketing VP.
In the desktop
space, AMD is including its quad- and six-core processors in the Vision
campaign.
One major upgrade
to the six-core processor is its ability to turn off unneeded cores as an
energy- and heat-saving measure. In addition, computers equipped with these
processors will come with a software utility allowing end users to overclock
the processors to deliver more power. This is a task normally done by a vendor
when a PC is being constructed.
Dell will use the
high-end Black Vision Phenom II X6 six-core in its Dell Studio XPS 7100. This
is the first time Dell has used an AMD processor in a premium-priced desktop,
said Lane McCullough, Dell’s product group consumer product planner.
“This is a
low-cost, but fast PC,” McCullough said, adding using the AMD processor allows
Dell to offer a high-end machine to budget-conscious enthusiasts.
The XPS 7100 is
available direct from Dell immediately with a starting price of $699 and will
be at retail later this summer.
