Release Calendar Overview: Athlon 64 for desktops

AMD's best chance to break into the business PC market will begin on Sept. 23 when its 64-bit Athlon processor for desktops and mobile PCs is scheduled for release. The chipmaker touts the key point that its 64-bit architecture also runs 32-bit software, switching between both platforms effortlessly, without any emulation layer.

• Athlon64 set for Sept. 22 release [subsequently delayed a day]
• AMD Launches Logo Program

With just over a month until release, a brief article explains AMD's three-part logo program, which is designed to uniquely identify the three separate usage instances of the AMD64.

Background
AMD is the only major chipmaker developing 64-bit chips for desktops. Once code-named "ClawHammer," the Athlon64 processor for desktops is designed to usher in a new generation of high-performance applications. Meanwhile, its formidable competitor, Intel, sees no need for 64-bit in desktop PCs anytime soon. The case for 64-bit architecture in servers and workstations is in itself a dilemma for enterprises deciding on a path to an infrastructure upgrade; so whether or not it is justifiable in a desktop environment, at least for the next few years, will surely require thorough ROI analysis.

• Product Review: AMD64 Platform
• AMD fielding 64 bits for PCs
• White Paper: x86-64 Technology

IT professionals can get a brief but complete grasp of AMD's x86-64 strategy and roadmap from the company's perspective in a white paper that also shifts midway to explain the technical differences of the processor's operating modes-long mode and legacy mode.

• Athlon64 family to grow

AMD plans to crank up performance ratings of its chips by reducing the amount of cache memory while increasing clock speed, a balancing act that may be difficult to pull off according to ZDNet's Michael Kanellos, but can result in smaller chips which are cheaper to make.