AMD revs up portfolio with new Phenom triple-core processors

Combined with the AMD 780 series chipsets, the new chips are aimed at high-end PCs for entertainment and games. For additional power, an ATI Radeon graphics process from AMD could be added. The card's "hybrid graphics technology" makes it possible to run the graphics processor in conjunction with processor on the chipset to give PC performance an added jolt, AMD said.

The three new models are the Phenom X3 8750, 8650 and 8450, which have clock speeds of 2.4GHz, 2.3GHz and 2.1GHz, respectively, per core. Pricing is $195 for the 8750, $165 for the $8650 and $145 for the 8450.

AMD's strategy behind its triple-core product line is to offer a processor that's faster than dual-core products, while less expensive than the quad-core processors offered by rival Intel. While triple-core chips are not as powerful as quad-core processors, the former deliver the power needed for mainstream entertainment and gaming PCs at a lower price.

AMD introduced the Phenom X3 8000 series last month with the 8600 and 8400 models. Pricing was about $150 for the 2.1GHz 8400 and about $175 for the 2.3GHz 8600.

In pairing the 8000 series with its 780 chipsets, AMD is offering a platform that it claims provides smooth HD viewing of movies in Blu-ray format. Supported video-related standards include H.264 for video compression, MPEG-2 for the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information, and VC-1, a video codec standard initially developed by Microsoft.

In addition, the platform supports DirectX 10, the latest 3D graphics technology from Microsoft. DirectX 10 is exclusive to Windows Vista.

- Antone Gonsalves
InformationWeek