AMD Introduces Industry's First Embedded x86 Performance-Power Rating System
 

AUSTIN, Texas, May 24, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- AMD (AMD) today announced a new Performance-Power Rating (PPR) to emphasize the importance of the balance between performance and power for the embedded x86 processor market. AMD is the first company to introduce a performance-power rating for design engineers to better evaluate an x86 embedded processor, and expects this solution to accelerate the embedded x86 processor evaluation process. Using the PPR, AMD has developed a new model number system for AMD Geode(TM) Solutions.

AMD is showing leadership in the embedded market with the introduction of this PPR initiative and its continuing efforts to deliver a full line of x86 products to market. The first metric of its kind for the industry reflects AMD's continued commitment to designers, helping them accelerate the evaluation process by providing an accurate measure for system performance, combined with a simple power metric. The PPR benchmark suite was developed and validated by Synchromesh Computing, a sister company to ECL Labs, located in Austin, Texas.

"For our customers, the design engineers, AMD's new Performance-Power Rating is designed to communicate the total performance package of the AMD Geode Solutions," said Iain Morris, group vice president, AMD Personal Connectivity Solutions Group. "This new performance metric, along with the release of the newest AMD Geode Solutions, demonstrates AMD's commitment to the embedded market and provides a tool for designers to assess power and performance.

The Performance-Power Rating

With the new Performance-Power Rating, AMD is setting out to assist customers to understand the benefits of power consumption in the embedded market. The PPR drives a new, more accurate measure of embedded processor performance for standard applications.

"The ability to offer a balance of significantly lower power consumption along with high performance processing will continue to be the main selection criteria issue for system designers in the embedded market," said Sean Lavey, program manager for market research firm IDC. "We expect the PPR benchmark will be one of the notable ways that AMD Geode showcases their new and improved AMD Geode processor offerings against embedded solutions already in the market."

"The AMD Geode Solutions allow us to deliver higher performance end-user systems that can be centrally managed and controlled to conserve resources and increase productivity," said Mike DeNeffe, senior director of the Winterm business line at Wyse. "The low-power benefits highlighted by AMD's new Performance-Power Rating were key in our selection of AMD Geode Solutions. The performance advantages of AMD's Geode Solutions allow us to offer a complete package of hardware and software solutions designed for optimized performance for our customers."

For a whitepaper and additional information, please visit: http://www.amd.com/connectivitysolutions/geode

Partners Rally Around New Performance Metric

"AMD Geode processors bring advanced capabilities to next-generation thin clients, set-top boxes and other connected clients running Windows(R) embedded operating systems," said Todd Brix, group product manager, Mobile and Embedded Devices Division, Microsoft Corp. "AMD's new Performance-Power Rating (PPR) will enable device manufacturers to quickly and easily identify the processor that meets their precise needs, improving time to market and customer satisfaction."

"Advantech welcomes the innovation that AMD brings to the market. Identifying the role that power consumption plays in the decision-making process is critical to our efforts," said Jeff Chen, vice president of Applied Computing at Advantech. "With the new Performance-Power Rating, our customers have a better understanding of the performance and power benefits they'll experience using AMD Geode Solutions. Working together we continue to reduce design time and allow customers to bring products to market faster than ever."

For additional supporting comments from other AMD partners on the initiative, see press release attachment or visit: http://www.amd.com/connectivitysolut...epartnerquotes

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