Athlon 64 chips unveiled
AMD takes wraps off new desktop processors
AMD has taken the wraps off four new desktop processors that boast integrated virus protection for PCs and notebooks.
AMD launched the Athlon 64 FX-53 alongside the Athlon 64 3800+, 3700+ and 3500+ chips at the recent Computex show in Taipei, Taiwan.
The processors all boast Enhanced Virus Protection, a hardware security feature that will work alongside the forthcoming XP service pack from Microsoft. The chips will use the new 939-pin package - already used in Opteron processors - which enables them to support a wider memory base and boosts performance.
The Direct Connect Architecture connects the memory controller and I/O directly to the chip, avoiding what AMD refers to as "the bottlenecks inherent in older, competitive technologies that feature a front-side bus".
Marty Seyer, general manager of the microprocessor business unit at AMD, claimed: "AMD offers the highest-performing PC processors today, hands down. Enhanced Virus Protection, a benefit exclusive to desktop and mobile AMD64 processors, offers another layer of protection against many rampant virus attacks when enabled by the upcoming Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2."
Hewlett-Packard will be the first out of the blocks with the new processors, with the graphics-intensive FX-53 as well as the 3500+ and the 3800+ processors expected to power the Compaq X Gaming PC, due out next month.
AMD's hardware-level protection against virus and other external attacks is being mirrored by other chip makers, including nVidia, with its nForce 3 line of professional chips (see below).
"There is a strong desire in the PC industry to secure platforms against increasingly common viruses and attacks," said Rob Enderle, analyst at The Enderle Group.
"As companies such as Microsoft and AMD push towards the 64bit platform, technologies that usher in a new generation of secure computing are invaluable to the whole industry."
The new processors also incorporate AMD's Cool'n'Quiet technology, a system-level feature that lowers the power consumption of the PC when maximum performance is not needed.
AMD is heavily promoting the 'cooler and quieter' functionality to make the new processors more attractive to system builders that are making Media Centre PCs, most of which are designed for use in the same room as the TV and hi-fi.
The AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 processor is priced at $799, while the 3800+, 3700+ and 3500+ are priced at $720, $710 and $500 respectively, in 1,000-unit quantities.