X-bit labs

AMD Makes Value Market a New Offering with Sempron.

Category: CPU

by Anton Shilov

[ 07/28/2004 | 02:12 AM ]

Advanced Micro Devices, the world’s second largest maker of microprocessors, Wednesday officially launched its new family of central processing units branded “Sempron”. The products are aimed at value market and are directly opposed to the recently unveiled Intel Celeron D processors.

As expected, the new Sempron microprocessors from Advanced Micron Devices will be supplied in a number of versions depending on the socket the new chips are designed for. The initial versions will be available for Socket A platforms and Socket 754 platforms, while the longer-range prospects include Socket 939 revisions of the chips, sources close to the company said.

The Sempron will be positioned as 32-bit solutions for value market segment – personal computers priced below $1000 – and will compete with the arch-rival’s Intel Celeron D chip that saw the light of the day last month. About four years ago AMD already released a value chip branded Duron, but it was shelved last year when the Sunnyvale, California-based company started to sell its Athlon XP processors at price-points similar to those of Intel Celeron.

As previously reported, the AMD Sempron processor will be available for the desktop in model numbers 2200+, 2300+, 2400+, 2500+, 2600+, 2800+ and 3100+. The Sempron 3100+ is designed for Socket 754 infrastructure, while other chips are intended for Socket A infrastructure that supports 333MHz processor system bus. Model numbers of AMD Sempron processors should not be compared directly to those of Athlon XP and Athlon 64 chips, as the Sempron products feature lower core-clocks and less cache.

AMD Sempron processors 3100+, 2800+, 2600+, 2500+, 2400+, 2300+ and 2200+ are available immediately for $126, $109, $85, $74, $61, $45 and $39 respectively.

Mobile AMD Sempron processors 2600+, 2800+, and 3000+ designed for full-size notebooks are priced at $84, $108 and $120 respectively as well as Mobile AMD Sempron processors 2600+ and 2800+ designed for thin and light notebooks and priced at $85 and $89 respectively will be available in August 2004.