AMD Ships Triple-Core Chip For Small Form Factor PCs

Advanced Micro Devices is hoping to put some clear water between it and bitter rival Intel, after it began rolling out its first triple-core Athlon II processors for PCs and small form factor devices, including all-in-one desktops.

The new Athlon II X3 chips mean AMD can offer systems makers such as Dell, Acer and Hewlett-Packard products at a price point between its dual- and quad-core processors.

The chips come with power envelopes that range between 45 watts and 95 watts, and speeds of between 2.2GHz and 2.9GHz.

Price per 1,000 units shipped ranges from $76 (£46) to $102 (£62).

The chips also are a way for AMD to differentiate its offerings from those of rival Intel, which offers dual- and quad-core PC processors, but no triple-core chips.

AMD officials said they see the ability to offer a wide range of chips for multiple sizes of PCs as an important step, given the release of Windows 7 operating system, which has features designed for smaller form factors.

In addition to the triple-core processors, AMD also rolled out two new quad-core Athlon II processors and two more dual-core chips, all designed to offer high performance and low power consumption.