As part of the new desktop platform designed for mainstream consumers, AMD today announced the first ever quad-core processor for less than $100 Suggested System Builder Price (SSBP). By balancing the power of new AMD Athlon II X4 quad-core processors and the AMD 785G chipset featuring ATI Radeon HD 4200 graphics, AMD delivers smooth HD visuals and the foundation for a great Windows 7 experience.

When matched against similarly priced competitive processors, the AMD Athlon II X4 620 processor delivers superior multitasking performance allowing mainstream users to do more in less time, for less money. The AMD Mainstream Desktop Platform leverages AMD software to help enhance the overall experience. ATI Stream technology, for example, enables hardware acceleration that can speed HD video conversion-time so content can be ready faster for use on-the-go.

AMD today announced new AMD Business Class technology for desktop PCs designed for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs), large enterprises and the public sector. The new 2009 AMD Business Class Desktop Platform, offered as part of AMD Business Class technology, delivers the benefits of the latest AMD CPUs, chipsets and graphics hardware to business users. AMD Business Class technology, including platforms configured with AMD Phenom II and AMD Athlon II 45nm processors, AMD 7-Series chipsets and ATI Radeon HD 4000 series graphics processors, offers superior value, advanced visual productivity, and support for essential manageability, security and virtualization features.

"Businesses require stable, reliable and powerful PCs that can meet their growing and evolving needs," said Chris Cloran, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of AMD's Client Products. "AMD Business Class technology for desktop PCs provides our OEM customers with superior value and flexibility, enabling them to deliver advanced system security features and energy efficiency for quiet computing that businesses need."

AMD is heading towards kicking off its desktop CPU lineup built on the 45nm manufacturing process this 8th of January. The company also started off with selling certain "business-class" CPUs last year, CPUs that are rated for long MTBF, giving it a little incentive for business/office PC manufacturers for using the processors in their models. The company is looking to do the same with its 45nm desktop CPU lineup, with six business-class CPUs on the cards, sources tell DigiTimes.

The models planned are dual-core Athlon X2 B23 (2.9GHz, 2MB cache) and B21 (2.7GHz, 2MB cache), triple-core Phenom II X3 B73 (2.8GHz, 7.5MB cache) and B71 (2.6GHz, 7.5MB cache), and quad-core Phenom II X4 B93 (2.8GHz 8MB cache) and B91 (2.6GHz 8MB cache). These processors are slated for Q3 2009. Following the introduction of these, the company plans to phase-out its current business class CPUs by issuing last-order notices for them in Q4. These will be issued for Phenom II X4 9850B, 9750B, 9600B and Phenom II X3 8850B, 8750B, 8600B as well as Athlon X2 5600B, 5400B, 5200B, 5000B, 4850B, 4450B and Athlon 1640B.