Advanced Micro Devices will use cache memory in somewhat novel ways to broaden out its desktop chip line, including its upcoming Athlon64 processor, according to sources.
The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based chipmaker will launch the Athlon64 with performance ratings of 3400+ and 3100+ in September and then crank the top performance rating up to 3700+ in the fourth quarter, according to sources. By the end of next year, the performance rating is expected to rise to 4300+. Ratings roughly correspond to the clock speeds of Intel chips, so that a 3100+ chip is more or less equivalent to a 3.2GHz Pentium 4.
In addition, AMD is apparently looking at changes to its existing Athlon XP line of processors. It is considering a plan where it would not raise the performance rating on these chips, but instead would change their underlying architecture--especially cache--to reduce manufacturing costs.
News source: News.com
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