AMD boosts Athlon with Barton core

 

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By Alun Williams

Posted on 7 Feb 2003 at 18:03

The Athlon XP 3000+ has been unveiled by AMD and is the first to feature the processor core, codenamed 'Barton'.

The main benefit of the 'Barton' core is the doubling of Level 2 cache - from 256Kb to 512Kb - for improved performance. (It has 128K L1 cache - 64Kb instruction and 64Kb data cache - making for a total of 640Kb on-chip cache).

As well as the 3000+, the Athlon XP 2800+ will also be available in 'Barton' form

For those with an eye on the technical spec, the 3000+ operates at a frequency of 2.167GHz and features a 333MHz Front-Side Bus. You can find more info on the AMD Web site.

NEC Computers will be the first to carry the new processor, but expect offerings from Time and Compaq to swiftly follow.

Pricing for the 3000+ is $588 - based on 1,000 unit quantities - and the 'Barton' version of the 2800+ is $375.

Also launching with the 3000+ processor is a new AMD Athlon XP logo - expect to see the new style logo rolled out across the AMD range, in the name of brand consistency.

AMD was also in the news last week - AMD names the days, delays the Clawhammer - outlining the roadmap for its next-generation 64-bit computing. Don't expect 64-bit AMD-based desktops to appear before September.