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AMD Ships First Dual-Core, 64-bit Desktop CPU

AMD announced this week it is shipping the first dual-core 64-bit Athlon CPU for desktops right on schedule. The company had said in late April that it would ship them in June and beat that by a day.

“The AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor is designed to allow consumers and businesses to simultaneously download audio files such as MP3s, burn a CD, check and write e-mail, edit a digital photo and run virus protection – all without slowing down their computer,” the company said in a statement, adding that “[it] can also deliver superior performance as multi-threaded applications continue to spread.”

Like dual-core versions of AMD’s 64-bit Opterons server CPUs, which shipped in April, the new dual-core Athlon 64 processor is plug-compatible with existing systems, requiring only a BIOS upgrade.

Pricing is based on performance. The AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processors 4800+, 4600+, 4400+ and 4200+ cost $1,001, $803, $581 and $537, respectively, in quantities of 1,000.

About the Author

Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.

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