ClawHammer heißt AMD Athlon 64

nVidia hat es gestern vorgemacht und nun bestätigte AMD die alten Traditionen: Auch wenn im Vorfeld viel über die Nomenklatur der kommenden CPUs gerätselt wurde, man wird an der markenträchtigen und einprägsamen Bezeichnung AMD Athlon festhalten.

Demnach wird der AMD "ClawHammer" auf den Namen 'Athlon 64' hören und so schon auf den ersten Blick auf seine 64-Bit-Kompatiblität hinweisen. Erste Rechner mit der Desktop-Variante des Hammers werden nicht vor Ende des 1. Quartals 2003 auf dem Markt erscheinen. Die Servervariante 'AMD Opteron' wird im Laufe des ersten Halbjahres in den Handel gelangen. Der Traum von einer baldigen Veröffentlichung dürfte somit noch einige Monate eine Gedankenspiel bleiben.

AMD Announces “AMD Athlon 64“ As Brand Name For Next-Generation Desktop And Mobile Processors

— Upcoming AMD Athlon™ 64 processor will bring simultaneous 32-bit and 64-bit computing to desktop and mobile users —

LAS VEGAS -- November 19, 2002 --At Comdex, AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced it has selected “AMD Athlon 64“ as the brand name for its next-generation processor for desktop and mobile PCs, formerly code named “Clawhammer.“

The upcoming AMD Athlon™ 64 processor is expected to be the industry“s first and only 64-bit, x86 PC processor for desktop and mobile computing. Desktop and mobile PCs built on the AMD Athlon 64 processor will be able to run 64-bit applications at full performance and simultaneously run 32-bit software applications with no performance penalty. It will enable the benefits desktop and mobile PC users want such as quicker loading of applications and better multi-tasking. Users will enjoy vivid realism and richer sound on digital entertainment such as games, streaming video and audio, DVDs and music.

“The ‘AMD Athlon 64“ brand name builds on the familiarity and reputation of the AMD Athlon processor and immediately conveys to customers the performance and technical superiority of its 64-bit computing capability,“ said Ed Ellett, vice president of client business segment for AMD“s Computation Products Group.

Customer requirements are leading straight to 64-bit computing: more powerful and data-intensive applications; the phenomenal growth of data that must be collected, analyzed, stored and managed; and the decreasing price of memory devices.

“There“s unstoppable momentum building towards 64-bit computing because it will overcome the inherent limitations of 32-bit systems,“ said Ellett. “The upcoming AMD Athlon 64 processor will bring the performance benefits of 64-bit computing within reach of all desktop and mobile PC users.“

Another benefit of AMD“s solution is investment protection. When customers are able to buy an AMD Athlon 64 processor-based system, they will buy a PC with a future. Their technology investment will be able to meet their computing needs for years to come.

“Neither PC consumers nor application developers want to start from scratch,“ said Ellett. “They want backward compatibility to protect current investments. The upcoming AMD Athlon 64 processor is built on existing standards, enabling investment protection and lower total cost of ownership and development.“

The AMD Athlon 64 processor will include a number of technology innovations that provide these benefits. A highly scalable system bus using HyperTransport™ technology is designed to provide more than one and a half times the throughput of other competing technologies. And an integrated memory controller that will boost performance by directly connecting the processor to the memory and dramatically reducing memory latency. In April, AMD announced “AMD Opteron“ as the brand name for its enterprise-class processor for workstations and servers, formerly code named “SledgeHammer.“

Systems featuring the upcoming AMD Athlon 64 processor are planned to be available in late first quarter 2003 or early second quarter 2003. Systems featuring the upcoming AMD Opteron processor are planned to be available in the 1H03 for the server and workstation markets.

About the AMD AthlonÔ 64 Processor The upcoming AMD Athlon 64 processor will mark the introduction of the industry“s first 64-bit, x86 technology implementation for desktop and mobile PCs. The AMD Athlon 64 features a high-speed, scalable system bus using HyperTransport technology, which increases overall performance by removing or reducing I/O bottlenecks, increasing bandwidth and reducing latency. The AMD Athlon 64 processor will include an integrated memory controller, which can boost performance by directly connecting the processor to the memory and dramatically reducing memory latency.