X-bit labs

AMD Stopped Shipping Athlon XP 1600+.

Category: Other

by Anna Filatova

[ 07/31/2002 | 06:53 AM ]

Since they have already started using 0.13micron manufacturing technology in full swing in Fab30 in Dresden, AMD is planning to terminate the shipments of their slowest Athlon XP processors in the nearest future. The discontinuance program will touch upon the models with 1500+ and 1600+ performance ratings. At present these CPUs are already removed from the official company price-list and by the end of September, AMD is planning to stop the shipments completely.

According to AMD’s plans, they should replace the old 0.18micron Palomino core with a new Thoroughbred core manufactured with finer 0.13micron technology. This change will be made for all Athlon XP processors. In other words, very soon all Athlon XP processors with the performance rating below 2100+, as well as Athlon XP 2200+, will be based on Thoroughbred core. Of course, this is very good news not only for overclockers but also for the other users, as the change of the processor core implies the reduction of production costs and thus the reduction of retail prices.

However, the new Thoroughbred core will appear in not all Athlon XP CPUs. Two slowest models rated as 1500+ and 1600+ will never get it. That is why Athlon XP 1500+ and 1600+ will leave the stage as soon as the Palomino core dies out, which should happen some time in the end of this quarter or in the beginning of the next quarter. This is the reason why the slowest Athlon XP models will stop shipping very soon.

At the same time AMD will terminate the supplies of Duron 1GHz and 1.1GHz processors. They are little by little ousted from the market by slower Athlon XP CPUs. As you know, by the end of the year the Duron family should completely disappear.