Software Industry Embraces AMD’s Upcoming PC Enthusiast Platform

SUNNYVALE, CALIF. – June 26, 2006 – AMD (NYSE: AMD) announced today
broad software developer support for its upcoming four-core,
multi-socket enthusiast platform, codenamed 4×4. Leading software
developers including Bioware, Cakewalk, Crytek, Havok, Irrational Games,
Midway, NERO and Sony have been working on software applications and
games to take advantage of multi-core processors and benefit from AMD’s
Direct Connect Architecture.

“We’re looking at a decidedly multi-core processor, multi-threaded
application future for the PC industry,” said Bob Brewer, corporate vice
president, Desktop Business, AMD. “AMD has planned this enthusiast
platform so that software developers can design outstanding
multi-threaded applications for consumers who demand the very best
immersive computing experience.”

Multi-threaded games are among the first applications to see immediate
advantages from using multi-socket, multi-threaded architectures like
the upcoming 4×4 enthusiast platform and make exceptional demonstrations
for new PC technologies.

“With Crysis, our flagship title, we are pushing the boundaries
of game-physics, intelligent combat AI and cinematic visuals,” said
Cevat Yerli, President and CEO, Crytek. “Crysis will be an experience
culminated in next-generation hardware when utilized with a multi-core
system like AMD’s highly anticipated 4×4 enthusiast platform.”

While games tend to dominate the headlines when talking about
powerful, new enthusiast driven products, the introduction of a desktop
multi-socket platform should also provide digital media developers and
clients a feature rich solution to fit their needs.

“AMD’s combination of HyperTransportTM technology and an integrated
memory controller gives us the bandwidth we need to see impressive
performance scaling on multi-core systems,” said Curtis Palmer, senior
vice president, chief technologist, Sony Media
Software. “Because of Direct Connect Architecture, an AMD 4-core,
multi-socket solution should help Sony Vegas 6 users edit high
definition video with unparalleled responsiveness and use effects that
would have been unthinkable on earlier hardware.”

With an abundance of multi-core applications and games under
development, developers are seeking technology that helps craft their
visions, unbound by the limits of legacy hardware capabilities. The
planned AMD enthusiast architecture would help developers bring the
limits of imagination to reality: massive symmetric multi-processing,
extreme multi-tasking, AI, jaw-dropping game play, enhanced physics,
immersive 3D and cinematic visuals.

AMD’s upcoming four-core, multi-socket platform is based on AMD’s Direct
Connect Architecture, which is the next iteration of the enthusiast
platform for AMD Athlon(tm) 64 FX dual-core processors.