AMD Phenom brings quad core to client computing

AMD has unveiled the upcoming AMD Phenom processor family name and expects these quad-core client processors to deliver a vastly improved visual experience, especially when paired with AMD’s new DirectX 10 ATI Radeon HD 2000 series, which began shipping today.

AMD expects quad-core and dual-core AMD Phenom-based desktop systems will ship in the second half of 2007.

In a demonstration in San Francisco, the company previewed an eight-core platform, codenamed “FASN8”. The demonstration platform includes two quad-core AMD Phenom processors, the new DirectX 10 ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT, as well as an upcoming AMD next-generation, high-performance chipset, due in the second half of 2007.

All AMD Phenom processors will feature resources like an integrated DDR2 memory controller, HyperTransport technology links, and 128-bit Floating Point Units, for improved speed and performance in floating point calculations.

The Direct Connect Architecture on-chip ensures that all four cores have optimum access to the integrated memory controller and integrated HyperTransport links, so that performance scales well with the number of cores. This design is also highlighted by a unique shared L3 cache for quicker data access and Socket AM2 and Socket AM2+ infrastructure compatibility to enable a seamless upgrade path.

For enthusiasts who demand cutting-edge performance on their system, AMD Phenom FX processors are designed for systems that offer extreme megatasking capabilities.

AMD’s says AMD Phenom processors and platforms will be compatible with a wide range of solutions, including motherboard and chipset from partners ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI and NVIDIA.