AMD Unveils Energy Efficient CPU Chips

By Kiran Pal | Home > CPUs > Desktops > In the News > Notebooks - May 18th, 2006

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has plans to unveil a range of energy-efficient desktop CPUs with models that the it says will run more than twice as efficient as some of its mainstream desktop parts.

amd-sempronWhile the current AMD desktop chips can consume a maximum 89 watts or more, the latest energy-efficient desktop chips will consume a maximum of only 35 to 65 watts, depending on the model.

Current range of AMD’s desktop CPUs consumes a maximum 51 – 110 watts or more. Whereas the energy-efficient desktop chips would consume a maximum 35 to 65 watts, making the new CPUs about twice as enery efficient as older versions.

AMD Unveils Energy Efficient CPU Chips

Its interesting to note that CPUs rarely hit meximum output in watts but in case of laptops and notebooks CPU overheating is crucial because it directly impacts battery performance.

The new energy efficient CPUs are actually the same as the standard Athlon 64 (for standard desktops), Sempron (the budget model) and Athlon X2 (dual-core) processors AMD already sells.

amd-athlon-x2AMD will start shipping production quantities of low-power Athlon and Sempron CPUs later this month or early next month, says David Schwartzbach, AMD’s division marketing manager for desktops. The chips will be available in dual-core 64-bit models under the Athlon 64 X2 brand, single-core 64-bit models under the Athon 64 brand, and single-core 32-bit models under the Sempron brand.

The new AMD energy efficient CPUs would comes at a price premium. While an existing AMD Althlon 64 X2 (dual core), with a thermal design point of 89 watts, is currently priced at US$303, new 65 watt energy efficient version of same product is expected to cost US$323 and the 35 watt model would bepriced at US$364.

Both the standard and energy-efficient versions of the Athlon X2 come with the company’s Cool n’ Quiet technology, originally devised for notebooks to curb power consumption by slowing the processor down when workloads slow.

The company is also said to be targeting PC makers who want to build smaller, more aesthetically pleasing machines.

The chips will start shipping to computer makers this month and will appear in computers later this year.

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