AMD powers down for better battery life

AMD has introduced two ranges of embedded processors designed for use in thin clients, point-of-sale terminals and telecom devices.

AMD has introduced two ranges of embedded processors designed for use in thin clients, point-of-sale terminals and telecom devices.

The AMD-K6-2e and K6-IIIe MPUs are available in 350Mhz and 550Mhz versions, as well as in low-power variants including the company's PowerNow technology.

PowerNow is AMD's equivalent of Intel's SpeedStep mobile technology which reduces the electrical consumption of a unit when its batteries are running low.

Both chips are based on a 0.18 micron core. The K6-IIIe supports 256Kb of Level 2 cache and 64Kb of Level 1 cache, and the K6-2e integrates 128Kb and 64Kb respectively.

The embedded processors are available in 321-pin grid array packages with future versions coming in a new 349-leaded organic ball grid format.

Units are available now in 1000-lot quantities at prices ranging from $71 for the 350Mhz K6-2e to $101 for the 550Mhz K6-IIIe.

The company also unveiled what it calls an 'assured motherboard programme' to qualify third-party motherboards using Athlon and Duron processors that pass its testing criteria. It is AMD's answer to Intel's motherboard qualification.

In addition, AMD has announced that it has agreed to supply Hewlett Packard with flash memory products, including its Page Mode offerings, over the next three years.

It received a further boost when Tiny, one of the UK's largest PC outfits, adopted Athlon and Duron processors across its range.

Neil Stevens, marketing director at Tiny, said: "Half our sales today have been AMD. We don't want to stay 100 per cent Intel. Duron is better value than Celeron, and Athlon offers better performance than Pentium III."

"Users can choose between a brand name or value for money. By using AMD chips we can offer better graphics, sound and printers at no extra cost to the user," he added.

First published in Computer Reseller News