AMD to launch dual-core Athlon 64 on May 31

Advanced Micro Devices will launch the first dual-core version of its Athlon 64 desktop processor at Taiwan's Computex trade show on May 31. The AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor will be launched on the first day of Computex, the mammoth show that brings most of Taiwan's computer hardware, software, and technology industry face-to-face with technology buyers from around the world, the company said Friday. AMD has used Computex in prior years to launch new processors. If previous years are a guide, the processor will likely be accompanied by the introduction of compatible motherboards produced by Taiwanese companies.

Dual-core processors contain two processors on a single piece of silicon and give users improved performance. This is because processor-intensive tasks like editing video and burning optical discs can be handled independently so they don't slow each other down as might happen in a single-core processor. Until now, most desktop and server processors have had a single core but several dual-core chips have been launched.

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