AMD Touts Business Class Desktop Chips

April 28, 2008

AMD introduced AMD Business Class, an initiative dedicated to developing AMD processor-based commercial desktop and notebook solutions designed specifically for businesses. The launch of AMD Business Class also brings with it the introduction of AMD’s new line of commercial stable AMD Athlon and AMD Phenom processors.

“IT decision-makers have a broad range of commercial client solutions to choose from and it is not always clear which systems deliver the best business value,” said Dirk Meyer, president and COO, AMD. “At its heart, AMD Business Class processors are based on the same innovative technology that powers the world’s most advanced servers. Our solutions are designed to give commercial customers the assurance that platforms are designed with their business in mind to help get more from their computing infrastructure, longer.”

AMD also unveiled the first AMD commercial desktop platform solution. The platform includes a new comprehensive lineup of stable processors, with up to 24-month stability and longevity from initial product availability. These commercial stable processors include native AMD Phenom X3 triple-core and AMD Phenom X4 quad-core processors, as well as AMD Athlon X2 dual-core processors. OEMs can choose AMD 780V chipsets or optional ATI Radeon HD 3000 series discrete graphics, and the platform also supports non-AMD graphics and chipsets. Commercial notebooks for AMD Business Class are scheduled to be available based on the upcoming next-generation notebook platform, codenamed “Puma,” with competitive productivity and battery life at multiple price points.

“As the world's largest PC vendor, HP understands what corporate computing customers want when looking to deploy five, 50 or 55,000 desktop PCs,” said Alan Reed, vice president and general manager, Personal Systems Group, HP. “Organizations tell us that their number one priority is image stability, which is why we're excited to incorporate AMD Business Class in our stable, highly energy-efficient desktop platforms, including the HP Compaq dc5850 Business PC we are introducing today.”

Stable commercial AMD Phenom X3 processors offer an upgrade path from dual-core for those power-users who need the advantages of an additional processing core for multi-threaded applications and heavy multitasking scenarios, without the added cost of quad-core. The low-idle power delivered by the combination of AMD processors and the AMD 780V chipset enable manufacturers to meet new ENERGY STAR 4.0 requirements, resulting in reduced power consumption and small form factors that can save space. Additionally, two of the AMD Athlon processors featured in the new commercial offerings are 45-watts, an industry first.

“Small and large businesses alike require standardized desktop systems that deliver stability for 12 to 18 months and the flexibility to choose configurations that best fit user requirements,” said Bob O'Donnell, vice president, IDC. “Standardized platforms that deliver greater stability and longevity, improved productivity and energy savings better meet the needs of businesses today.”

AMD Business Class enables commercial desktop platforms featuring up to 24-month image stability across the platform to help enable greater cross-generation compatibility and longer PC lifecycles to help minimize IT disruptions. The commercial desktop platform is also designed to take full advantage of the rich visual experience and enhanced productivity features of Windows Vista and enables businesses to upgrade when the time is right.

“Dell continues to focus on simplifying IT, delivering business desktop solutions that help eliminate the hassles and high cost of technology transitions,” said Darrel Ward, director, Dell Product Group. “The Dell OptiPlex 740 with AMD Business Class technology and AMD Phenom processors takes that commitment to another level with systems that are extremely manageable, stable and energy efficient.”

“From small businesses to multinational enterprises, business computing users require the utmost in productivity,” said Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Windows Product Management at Microsoft Corp. “With that in mind, we are pleased that the AMD Business Class Platform will enable business users of Windows Vista to take advantage of the advances offered by multi-core technology.”

AMD Business Class platforms offer future-ready solutions with the features and interoperability businesses need. AMD supports choice in the marketplace and is committed to open security standards (TCG – Trusted Computing Group) and management standards (DMTF – the Distributed Management Task Force) that support today’s increasingly diverse IT environments rather than locking businesses into expensive, proprietary technology. AMD is actively involved in defining and evolving the DMTF’s Desktop and mobile Architecture for System Hardware (DASH) suite of specifications that are designed to deliver standards-based Web services management for desktop and mobile client systems.

“DMTF, the industry organization leading the development, adoption and promotion of interoperable management standards and initiatives, applauds AMD for its commitment to delivering open and interoperable standards that reduce overall IT complexity for businesses,” said Winston Bumpus, DMTF president. “Our members are actively defining and evolving the DMTF DASH specification beyond the current capabilities of existing management standards in order to deliver future-ready solutions with the features and interoperability businesses need.”

“MSI is proud to continue our collaboration with AMD to deliver high-performing motherboard solutions that support the industry-leading stability and longevity, exceptional performance and energy efficiency, and essential security and manageability of the AMD Business Class platform,” said Vincent Lai, global marketing director, MSI. “By introducing K9A2VM-FD & K9N2GM-FD, AMD Business Class desktop customers can realize consistency, longevity, and reliability to help minimize IT disruptions and get more from their computing infrastructure, longer.”

“Equus Computers is committed to offering high-value solutions to our customers, with the customized capabilities to help them navigate the challenges of their industry,” said Joe Toste, Vice President of Marketing, Equus Computers, the largest whitebox system builder to the channel. “We’re looking forward to working with AMD to broaden our own portfolio of business offerings with AMD Business Class, help us differentiate our offerings in a highly-competitive marketplace, and provide better business value to our customers.”

“Our ongoing relationship with AMD continues to deliver outstanding value, options, and innovation on AMD processor-based platforms. The new AMD Business Class solutions are a perfect example because businesses have the flexibility to choose NVIDIA chipset-based motherboards to meet their needs,” said Drew Henry, general manager of MCP business at NVIDIA.

“As graphics performance increases in importance for businesses using next-generation operating systems and multiple monitors, ECS’s collaboration with AMD will stay focused on delivering innovative systems that help enhance productivity through unparalleled graphics capabilities,” said Kevin Yang, general manager, Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), mainboard, add-on card and system products. “The new AMD780V M-M2 provides multiple graphics monitor capabilities for faster, smoother, clearer performance on even the most demanding applications.”

And with specified support for Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 and in-band systems management capability, solution providers can help their customers stay up-to-date with the latest standards without getting locked into expensive, proprietary security and manageability solutions.

“Nor-Tech is excited by the possibilities extended by AMD Business Class to help us support a wide range of customers, particularly those who want an open, flexible solution,” said Todd Swank, Vice President of Marketing, Nor-Tech, the second–largest custom systems builder in the US. “We appreciate that the AMD Business Class standard utilizes open industry standards, including TPM and support for today’s widely-used in-band systems management tools. For the many schools, hospitals and government agencies we work with, the use of open standards lends another layer of essential security and manageability to future-proof their mission-critical systems.”

Pricing for the new AMD Business Class processors in 1KU include the AMD Phenom X4 9600B processor for $230, the AMD Phenom X3 8600B processor for $175, AMD Athlon X2 5400B and 5200B processors for $120 and $110 respectively, AMD Athlon X2 5000B and 4450B processors for $95 and $85 respectively, and the AMD Athlon 1640B processor for $50.