AMD annuncia il brand FX per le future CPU Bulldozer

AMD ha annunciato, nella cornice dell'E3 di Los Angeles, il ritorno ufficiale del brand FX associato ai propri processori top di gamma. Questa sigla sarà utilizzata in abbinamento alle prime CPU della famiglia Zambesi, nome in codice che identifica le soluzioni per piattaforme socket AM3+ basate su architettura Bulldozer e disponibili in versioni sino a 8 core.

A comporre le piattaforme della famiglia FX troveremo quindi i processori Zambesi, le schede madri basate su chipset AMD della serie 9 e schede video discrete della famiglia AMD Radeon HD 6000. L'annuncio del brand FX per i processori top di gamma da parte di AMD non implica tuttavia il debutto di questi processori; AMD quest'oggi annuncia solo il brand, rimandando ai prossimi mesi la presentazione ufficiale delle varie versioni di CPU che adotteranno la sigla FX.

La cosa farà sicuramente storcere il naso: per quanto possa essere interessante il ritorno di un brand che ha caratterizzato la storia di AMD di alcuni anni fa, vero e proprio sinonimo di prestazioni elevate, la presentazione di un brand di CPU senza informazioni su quali CPU entreranno sul mercato e soprattutto su quando questo avverrà lascia una cerca amarezza. Crediamo che i piani iniziali di AMD fossero quelli di annunciare le CPU FX all'E3 ma che uno slittamento nella disponibilità dei processori abbia di fatto obbligato a limitare l'annuncio odierno al solo brand.

Quando vedremo le prime soluzioni Zambesi sul mercato? Riteniamo plausibile una presentazione nel corso del mese di Agosto, con conseguente disponibilità sul mercato a partire dal mese di Settembre. AMD conferma solo il terzo trimestre 2011 senza entrare nel dettaglio di quale mese.

Di seguito il comunicato stampa ufficialmente rilasciato dal produttore:

AMD Reintroduces FX Brand for High-End Processors and Platforms at E3

— AMD Continues to Power the Ultimate PC Gaming and Hi-Def Experience with FX Brand and New “Gaming Evolved” Collaborations —

LOS ANGELES, June 7, 2011 — AMD (NYSE: AMD) today reintroduced the FX brand for PC processors and platforms at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). FX-branded products will be geared toward enthusiast PCs and HD entertainment aficionados. AMD also announced new members for its “Gaming Evolved” program, driving the PC gaming experience forward with native HD3D support in Eidos Montreal’s “Deus Ex: Human Revolution,” and new collaborations with Bioware, Creative Assembly and Codemasters.

FX Brand Enables Top-Flight Experience for Gamers and HD Media Enthusiasts

The FX brand is associated AMD’s fastest processors and most powerful platforms - those designed for unrestrained PC performance for the ultimate gaming and HD entertainment experiences. In addition, these processors and platforms drive rich visuals for graphics intensive applications and high-resolution AMD Eyefinity multi-monitor configurations. The first platform to earn the FX title, the “Scorpius” platform will feature the now-available AMD 9-series chipset motherboards and AMD Radeon™ HD 6000 Series graphics cards, plus the upcoming “Zambezi” unlocked, native eight-core processor.1

“AMD’s FX brand will enable an over-the-top experience for PC enthusiasts,” said Leslie Sobon, vice president of worldwide product marketing, AMD. “By combining an unlocked, native eight-core processor, the latest in chipset technology, and AMD’s latest graphics cards, FX customers will enjoy an unrivalled feature set and amazing control over their PC’s performance.”

AMD Adds New Members, Titles to Gaming Evolved

Furthering its commitment to PC gaming innovation and promoting an open and advanced experience for gamers, AMD continues to add members and grow relationships in the second year of the Gaming Evolved program. True to its previously announced commitment to PC gamers, AMD remains focused on working with the best software developers to maximize the user experience. Gaming Evolved combines AMD's expanded support for Microsoft DirectX® 11 games (which use the latest graphics technology from Microsoft), along with AMD Eyefinity multiple-monitor configurations, AMD Dual Graphics (which enables multiple graphics processors in one computer), and native AMD HD3D support to enable standards-based stereo 3D display capabilities for a truly immersive 3D visual experience.

“Since the launch of AMD’s open stereo 3D initiative last year, developers have been embracing native 3D support that will work with a range of 3D glasses and monitors from different vendors,” said Neal Robison, director of ISV relations, AMD. “This excitement by developers is starting to pay off with the announcement by Eidos-Montreal that ‘Deus Ex: Human Revolution,’ will enable native stereo 3D support.”

With AMD HD3D, gamers can experience amazing stereoscopic 3D gaming image quality for a more realistic experience. AMD HD3D technology supports more than 400 titles through AMD's technology partners, and AMD's open 3D ecosystem approach encourages the broadest selection of 3D solutions, available at the most affordable cost.
“We are thrilled to be working with AMD, an innovative leader in PC hardware and software, incorporating their technology into Deus Ex: Human Revolution for PC,” said Stephane D’Astous, general manager of Eidos-Montreal, a Square Enix studio. “It’s also exciting that Deus Ex: Human Revolution is the first video game title optimized to natively utilize AMD HD3D capable hardware. Coupled with AMD Eyefinity functionality, PC gamers will be even more immersed in the action-rich gameplay and compelling storyline.”

In addition to Eidos, AMD’s new partners include major developers of critically acclaimed titles, including Bioware’s “Dragon Age II”, Creative Assembly’s “SHOGUN 2: Total War“ and Codemasters’ “DiRT 3,” which will include native support for DirectX 11, AMD Eyefinity and AMD Dual Graphics technologies.

AMD at E3 2011

E3 attendees can experience these stunning technologies with their own eyes at the AMD booth (#823 South Hall), which will feature demos AMD technologies and upcoming game titles including “Orcs Must Die!” from Robot Entertainment and DirectX 11-enabled “Blacklight: Retribution” from Perfect World.

Supporting Resources

• Read AMD posts from E3 on the Game Blog.
• Learn more about AMD Gaming Evolved here.
• Get additional information on AMD HD3D technology here.
• Follow news from the AMD team on Twitter at @AMD_Unprocessed.
• Become a fan of AMD technology on Facebook.

About AMD

AMD (NYSE: AMD) is a semiconductor design innovator leading the next era of vivid digital experiences with its groundbreaking AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) that power a wide range of computing devices. AMD’s server computing products are focused on driving industry-leading cloud computing and virtualization environments. AMD’s superior graphics technologies are found in a variety of solutions ranging from game consoles, PCs to supercomputers. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.