Portable Planet

The merger of AMD and ATI has resulted inthe birth ofthe AMD 690 series chipset, the company announced today. Prices have not yet been announced but it promises to be the “first in a line of innovative, high- performance AMD chipsets that well introduce to address every sector of the market.”

AMD today introduced the AMD 690 series chipset, the companys first chipset to bring together the combined strengths of AMD CPU and platform technology with the industry-leading features of the ATI Radeon X1250 GPU.

As a result of the ATI merger, AMD is delivering innovative platforms for the commercial and consumer markets featuring best of breed performance, visual computing experience, energy efficiency and stability, said Dirk Meyer, AMD president and COO. With the launch of the AMD 690 series chipset, AMD is delivering on the commitment we made to our customers, channel partners and end users to bring to them customer-centric innovation. Our largest global customers are already committed to offering AMD 690 series-based solutions, and more than 30 motherboard designs will be available.

With its leading image quality and 3D graphics capabilities, the AMD 690 series chipset is a proven performer, easily handling the demanding workloads of todays PC users, said Phil Eisler, corporate vice president and general manager, AMD Chipset Division. This is just the first in a line of innovative, high- performance AMD chipsets that well introduce to address every sector of the market.

The AMD 690 series chipset incorporates ATI Radeon X1250 graphics into its design to ensure The Ultimate Visual ExperienceTM for Windows Vista.

Multitasking between applications has never been easier with Windows Aero, the new visually-rich 3D user interface built into Windows Vista Premium and Business editions. The AMD 690 series chipset delivers the power to make new features like Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D an integral part of every business day.1

As one of the first chipsets with motherboard graphics to receive the Certified for Windows Vista logo, the AMD 690 family is a testament to the ongoing relationship between Microsoft and AMD, said Dave Wascha, director of partner marketing for Windows Client at Microsoft Corp. ATI Radeon graphics deliver excellent Windows Vista performance. Were proud that together were able to provide consumers worldwide an experience that is easier, safer, more entertaining and better connected whether at home, at work, or on the go.

Working together, AMDs chipset, CPU and GPU hardware and software teams have optimized the AMD 690 platform to provide rock-solid stability and image quality and will soon support select platforms in the AMD Validated Solutions program. Commercial customers will appreciate the energy-efficient design of AMD 690 series-based platforms, in a compact package suitable for multiple form factors and configurations, supporting up to four monitors with the addition of a dual-DVI ATI Radeon graphics card.

The AMD 690 family is the first AMD chipset with ATI graphics that supports ATI Avivo technology, providing The Ultimate Visual Experience with smooth video playback and true-to-life images for all multimedia, including high-definition content. The AMD 690 series chipset also provides more display choices than any other chipset today, being the first chipset with integrated HDMI and a separate DVI output. Protected content can also be played through on-chip HDCP support, making this chipset an incredible multimedia platform.2

The new AMD 690 series chipset, representing one of the industrys most versatile platform GPU solutions, is also a new addition to the AMD Better by Design program. Launched earlier this year, the Better by Design program is an industry-wide initiative highlighting outstanding performance and superior technologies in PCs designed by leading global OEMs. Todays PC users want better performance and a richer experience, and the Better by Design program provides the added level of information needed to make the smarter choice.

The AMD 690 series chipset will be widely available from partners, including Albatron Technology Co., ASUS, Biostar, ECS, ELITEGROUP COMPUTER SYSTEMS CO., LTD, EPoX Computer Company, Foxconn Technology Group, GIGABYTE United Inc, Jetway Info Co. Ltd., MSI Computer Ltd., PCPartner Ltd. and Sapphire. In addition, numerous system integrators are on board including Atelco, Bas Group, Formoza, Multimedis, Onda, PC Box, Seethru, Systemax, Unika, Unika Multimedia and ZT Group.