Advanced Micro Devices this week introduced its fastest desktop processor, heating up competition with rival chip maker Intel for the hearts of PC enthusiasts and hard-core gamers.
In addition, the company unveiled a more mainstream, high-performance chip called the Athlon 64 4000+.
The new Athlon FX-55 for PC users who need maximum horsepower competes with Intel's Pentium 4 Extreme Edition. Each chip is the respective company's highest performing desktop processor. The AMD speedster runs at 2.6GHz, while Intel's chip runs at 3.4GHz.
For businesses and consumers, AMD launched this week the Athlon 64 4000+, which is identical to the FX-55 except that it runs slower -- 2.4GHz. Intel's fastest mainstream chip is the Pentium 4 560 processor, which runs at 3.6GHz.
Both AMD chips can run 64-bit applications, which AMD believe is the direction that the PC is heading as more people use their computers to manage video and music libraries. Intel has also entered the market for 64-bit chips.
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