Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has come out swinging this year, with the launch of its next-generation platform, Dragon.
The platform, which sports the company's latest Phenom II chip, is by all accounts putting the company back in the game against competitor Intel.
When Intel last year released, what it boasts is the fastest desktop processor ever made, the Nehalem (Core i7 set of processors), AMD was looking a little thin on the ground. It was Intel's first true quad core, as opposed to duals locked together.
While the Phenom II does not compete with the top-end Nehalem chips, it certainly takes on the mid-range chips and at a far more competitive price point. AMD has the added advantage of being able to build technology that integrates with its graphics business ATI.
Good footing
AMD is now using the two businesses to sell platform opportunities into the market, an attractive option for gamers looking to ensure all internal components work together well.
This solution also gives AMD the opportunity to build software that has become very attractive, including its Fusion package that allows gamers to cut out all unnecessary processes on the operating systems - redirecting all resources to the games.
Imi Mosaheb, SA country manager for AMD, says: “We acquired ATI two years ago to look at how we can increase performance while decreasing system power. The system bottleneck is more graphic-intensive software that requires more from the GPU, and with reduction in cost and cooling in mind and an increase in performance, we had a single onboard integration of CPU and GPU which we've codenamed Fusion.”
Dragon's predecessor, Spider, did well globally last year, boosting the company's market share, and, judging by international and local reports, the Dragon is looking to take over where Spider left off.
Vendor interest
Even more promising is that HP and Dell have taken on the platform, looking to sell an all-in-one lower priced gaming box. Dell launched an XPS range that is entirely built on the Dragon platform, with a midrange machine coming in at around $1 499.
Arthur Lewis, GM of Dell Gaming Group, says: “The XPS 625 desktop powered by AMD's Dragon platform technology features new AMD Phenom II processors to enable a significant boost in speed for enhanced gaming, as well as the flexibility to enable multi-tasking and HD video capabilities free from delays, stalls and lags.”
Dell also has a version of the XPS for the Intel i7-based system.
The platform
Dragon starts out with a range of Phenom II X4 processors from the 2.8GHz 920 through to 3.0GHz 940 (Black Edition).
In a press statement, AMD says the Phenom II is a more cost-effective alternative with a price tag of around $1 200, compared with Intel's i7 processor aimed at high-definition graphic-intensive gaming PCs.
Dragon adds the ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB graphics card and AMD 790GX motherboard. It also features 4GB of DDR3 memory and can reportedly deliver frame rates for games at an average of 38 frames per second.
Mosaheb says: “We launched Phenom II internationally on 8 January as part of our Dragon platform. The Phenom II, compared with the Phenom I, is a lot more flexible on overclocking and has a larger scalability. It is a 45nm processor which has much better thermal control.”
The 940 chip has been overclocked at 6.0GHz, but home users would need a tub of liquid nitrogen to get this right.
He adds that AMD has been doing for years what Intel has only started with its i7 processor. “The i7 was the first time that Intel released a quad core processor with a combined onboard CPU and GPU. And we've been doing this since 2002.
“What is exciting for customers is that they can take the Phenom II and put it on their current motherboards,” says Mosaheb.
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