AMD ships fastest Duron

Advanced Micro Devices trotted out a new 1.2GHz Duron processor Thursday, its second value-chip debut of the week. The chip is AMD's latest processor option for low-price desktop PCs. It comes closely after AMD's 1.1GHz Duron, which launched Oct. 1. The 1.2GHz Duron matches rival Intel's recently introduced 1.2GHz Celeron in clock speed. However, AMD says its chip's performance outpaces both the 1.2GHz Celeron and certain low-end Intel Pentium 4 chips, when paired with DDR SDRAM (double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM) in a PC.

Though current new desktop Duron products from major PC makers are scarce--likely because companies like Compaq Computer and Hewlett-Packard are juggling model lineups--AMD says the new chip will be available from brand-name PC makers by the end of the year. Meanwhile, it can be purchased through resellers or found at a number of smaller PC makers.

AMD lists the new 1.2GHz Duron at $103, the same introductory price of its 1.1GHz Duron, before an Oct. 29 round of price cuts moved that chip's list price to $89. --John G. Spooner, ZDNet News