AMD Releases Phenom Quad Core Processors

By: Michael Stevens
Staff Writer
Published: Nov 19, 2007

AMD Spider Platform has ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series graphics processors with DirectX 10.1 support and AMD 7-Series chipsets with CrossFireX.

AMD has unveiled its new platform codename "Spider," with quad-core processor supporting scalable graphics. The platform combines the introduction of AMD Phenom quad-core processors, ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series graphics processors with Microsoft DirectX 10.1 support, AMD 7-Series chipsets with CrossFireX and AMD OverDrive software.

AMD's Spider platform advances enthusiast computing by delivering a sophisticated multi-GPU enthusiast platform with ATI CrossFireX technology. The combination of the 55nm ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series of graphics processors and the increased system bandwidth of PCI Express Generation 2.0 and HyperTransport 3.0 technology, provide optimal processing power for a scalable HD multi-GPU experience.

With HyperTransport 3.0 technology, AMD Phenom processors have more system bandwidth than ever before with up to 14.4 GB/second of high bandwidth I/O. With the only true quad-core processor and infrastructure flexibility with AM2+ socket, AMD processors are designed to be compatible with future 65nm and 45nm AMD Phenom processors to deliver key performance gains.

The AMD 7-Series chipsets introduce the latest ATI CrossFireX technology, supporting three or four ATI Radeon HD 3800 Series graphics processors. AMD 7-Series chipsets support up to four graphics processors and 42 PCI Express lanes, enabling maximum performance and upgrade options for gamers and PC enthusiasts.

AMD Phenom processors 9600 (2.3GHz) and 9500 (2.2GHz) are now available for US $283 and US $251 respectively in 1,000-unit pricing. The ATI Radeon HD 3850 with 256MB of GDDR3 memory begins at US $179 and the ATI Radeon HD 3870 with 512MB GDDR4 memory from US $219