Dragon Soars and Yukon Finds Gold: Showing Depth and Breadth of AMD Platform Advantage

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AMD's (NYSE: AMD) newly launched AMD platform technology, codenamed “Dragon,” started the year with a roar, breaking world records at CES in overclocking[i] for frequency, performance and low temperatures. Additionally, the dollar-stretching AMD Yukon platform technology, with remarkable ability to deliver full-featured notebook performance in an ultra-slim form factor, enabled the HP Pavilion dv2 notebook with an MSRP of about $699 USD to win the “Best Notebook of CES” award from LAPTOP Magazine. Both platform technologies – featuring AMD processors, chipsets and graphics - demonstrate the AMD commitment to delivering visibly superior value to mainstream customers.

During a live Extreme Overclocking event at CES on Jan. 10, AMD Phenom™ II processors, the heart of the Dragon platform technology, reached 6.5 GHz, the highest clock frequency ever recorded on a quad-core x86 CPU. When cooled with liquid helium to approximately -230 degrees Celsius and used with AMD OverDrive™ tuning software to set and control performance, the AMD Phenom II processor achieved a new 3DMark05 world record of 45,474 3DMarks at 6.3 GHz. See Dragon platform technology rise above world records at CES with photos and video from the overclocking competition, as well as other preview events.

Dragon platform technology does more than break world records; it provides a cost-effective solution for consumers whose needs scale from productivity, research and communication, to the need for high-performing entertainment desktop PCs priced under $900. Comprised of the highest-performing and award winning AMD CPU, the AMD Phenom II X4 processor, award winning ATI Radeon™ HD 4800 Series graphics and AMD 7-Series chipsets, Dragon platform technology-based desktop systems are now available for purchase from Dell, HP, Maingear, CyberPower and iBuyPower. Consumers can enhance performance even further with free-to-download AMD software, including AMD OverDrive, ATI Catalyst™ with ATI Stream™ Technology, AMD Fusion for Gaming Utility[ii] and AMD Fusion Media Explorer Beta.

With Yukon platform technology, AMD delivered the world’s first platform technology for ultrathin notebooks, consisting of the new AMD Athlon™ Neo processor, ATI Radeon™X1250 integrated graphics and optional ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3410 discrete graphics. Combined, these components uniquely offer the performance to drive mainstream applications smoothly and fully enjoy today’s HD digital media and casual game offerings in sleek, highly portable notebooks, for truly affordable prices.[iii]

AMD also kicked off 2009 with a number of other announcements at CES:

· AMD launched the ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4000 Series graphics, its next generation series of notebook graphics processors, bringing leading gaming and multimedia technology from the desktop to notebooks.

· AMD President and CEO Dirk Meyer delivered visually rich experiences during his Industry Insider Keynote, where he and OTOY CEO Jules Urbach jointly unveiled a plan to revolutionize the deployment, development and delivery of HD content through the “AMD Fusion Render Cloud,” a massively-parallel graphics supercomputer.

· Check out the AMD at CES playlist for more videos of AMD at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.

· Hear what AMD executives have to say on AMD Blogs.

[i] AMD warranty does not cover damage done by overclocking, even when overclocking is enabled using AMD OverDrive™ software. In addition, the results described in this press release are not typical and were achieved under extreme conditions.

[ii] This utility may disable security/antivirus software, or adversely affect your system. Review accompanying documentation carefully before installing.

[iii] HD monitor required for full HD enjoyment.

About AMD

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

©2009, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, ATI, the ATI logo, AMD Cool'n'Quiet, AMD OverDrive, AMD Phenom, Catalyst, Mobility, Radeon, and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.