AMD Deliver Sub-$100 Athlon II X4 Quad-Core CPU

In the battle for budget PCs, AMD is striking out with what they're claiming is the first sub-$100 quad-core processor.  The AMD Athlon II X4 620 has a $99 suggested retail price and, when paired with the company's 785G chipset and ATI Radeon HD 4200 graphics, is potent enough to run Windows 7's high-definition features.

It's all part of AMD's Mainstream Desktop Platform, the desk-bound counterpart to the company's Mainstream Notebook Platform announced last week.  The company are promoting the platform both as economical – Blu-ray playback using less power than a 75W lightbulb – and practical.

Compared to Intel's $120 Core 2 Duo E7500, AMD claim their test rig (the specs of which you can find at the bottom of the press release, below) scored 5697 marks versus 4588 in PCMark Vantage.  More information here.

Press Release:

Industry's First Sub-$100 Quad-Core CPU[1] Powers New AMD Mainstream Desktop Platforms: Multimedia Entertainment is More Affordable than Ever

Designed as the optimal balance of CPU performance and graphics excellence, this AMD platform is designed to take advantage of new Windows 7 enhancement

SUNNYVALE, Calif. –9/16/2009

As part of the new desktop platform designed for mainstream consumers, AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the first ever quad-core processor for less than $100 Suggested System Builder Price (SSBP). By balancing the power of new AMD Athlon™ II X4 quad-core processors and the AMD 785G chipset featuring ATI Radeon™ HD 4200 graphics, AMD delivers smooth HD visuals2 and the foundation for a great Windows 7 experience.

When matched against similarly priced competitive processors, the AMD Athlon II X4 620 processor delivers superior multitasking performance allowing mainstream users to do more in less time, for less money3.

The AMD Mainstream Desktop Platform leverages AMD software to help enhance the overall experience. ATI Stream technology, for example, enables hardware acceleration that can speed HD video conversion-time so content can be ready faster for use on-the-go.

Combining the efficiency of 45nm processors and this platform's built-in power management technologies for a cool and quiet PC, an AMD Athlon II processor-based platform can serve-up an amazing Blu-ray movie experience using less energy than a standard 75 watt light bulb4.

This platform also can improve business users' experience as part of AMD Business Class technology. With this second generation commercial platform, AMD industry partners can offer a variety of form factors with superior value, exceptional energy efficiency, advanced visual productivity.

This platform also has support for essential manageability, security and virtualization features that today's businesses demand.

Quote Support:

"Our goal is to deliver a great computing experience and maximize value for our customers," said John Cook, vice president of marketing, global PC business, HP. "The new AMD quad-core processors offer the right balance between excellent performance and price, and allow HP to continue to be a best-in-class provider of consumer technology."

"Designed with customer needs in mind, Windows 7 simplifies and improves the computing experience," said Mike Ybarra, general manager of Windows Product Management at Microsoft Corp. "The introduction of the new AMD Mainstream Desktop Platform coupled with Windows 7, allows end users to enjoy their digital entertainment with a faster, higher performing experience at an attractive price point."

About AMD

Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, ATI, the ATI logo, AMD Athlon, Radeon, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Vista are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Pricing based on AMD SSBP of AMD Athlon™ II X4 620 processor ($99) as of September 16, 2009. http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_609,00.html.

HD capable monitor required.

Configuration: AMD Athlon II X4 620 ($99 SSBP); M4A78T-E motherboard, 4GB DDR3-1066, Windows Vista® 64 Ultimate. INTEL configuration: Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 (~$120); DG45ID motherboard; 4GB DDR2-1066; Windows Vista® 64 Ultimate. PCMark Vantage results are measured in Marks; AMD configuration at 5697 Marks vs. Intel configuration at 4588 Marks (AMD performance advantage ~1100 Marks above the Intel configuration). Pricing based on AMD SSBP and newegg.com, as of September 15, 2009.

Configuration: AMD Athlon™ II X2 250, AMD 785G Chipset, ATI Radeon™ HD 4200 integrated graphics, 4GB DDR2. http://www.youtube.com/user/AMDUnprocessed. Blu-ray drive required for Blu-ray playback.