US Report: HP will use AMD chips

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) announced Tuesday that computer maker Hewlett-Packard will use the AMD K6-2 processor in two new entries to its Pavilion line of retail computers for the home. The processor, announced last month, will be used in the new HP Pavilion 6330 and 6350 computers.

HP joins IBM as the first of the retail PC makers to adopt AMD's K6-2, but is the last to move part of its PC line to an alternative processor. Other PC vendors, including Compaq and NEC are using AMD's previous processor or the MediaGX from National Semiconductor.

In order to compete with other PC makers on price, HP needed a less expensive processor around which to build its computers, said analysts.

In late May, No. 4 retail vendor Packard Bell added computers based on National Semiconductor's MediaGX processor. Compaq and IBM have been using chips from both AMD and National Semi's subsidiary Cyrix for some time.

HP's two entries are based around the 300MHz and 333MHz versions of the AMD K6-2, a processor on par with Intel's Pentium II. Prices of the new models were not announced.