SUNNYVALE, CA-Aug. 6, 2003-AMD today announced that InfoWorld readers chose the AMD Opteron(tm) processor as the Best Processor/Component of the year. The AMD Opteron processor, the first and only x86 technology-based 64-bit processor for servers and workstations, received 47 percent of the votes in the 2003 InfoWorld Readers' Choice Awards, while the Intel Itanium 2 processor received less than 17 percent and Intel Xeon received only 22 percent in the same category.

In addition to the top ranking for best processor/component, AMD ranked fourth in the Favorite Vendor category, behind Microsoft, Apple Computer and IBM.

"InfoWorld's readers recognize the determination of the AMD Opteron processor team to break down barriers to 64-bit computing with outstanding performance and total x86 compatibility," said Marty Seyer, vice president and general manager of AMD's Microprocessor Business Unit. "Their endorsement symbolizes the increasing demand and interest for an industry-standard 64-bit solution that provides the performance, affordability and flexibility offered by the AMD Opteron processor."

The 2003 InfoWorld Readers' Choice Awards are organized by the InfoWorld Media Group, responsible for delivering award-winning technology and product news, research and analysis to the IT community for more than 25 years.

The complete coverage of the InfoWorld Readers' Choice Awards is featured on InfoWorld's website at http://www.infoworld.com/153. Readers can also learn more about the AMD Opteron processor at http://www.amd.com.

About the InfoWorld Readers' Choice Awards

The InfoWorld's Readers' Choice Awards offer readers a chance to express their opinions of the industry's products, technologies and vendors. The categories and award candidates are selected by InfoWorld's senior editorial staff based on technology trends, wave-making products, and the top reviews conducted by the Test Center during the year; readers then vote on the categories, and their responses are tallied to determine the winners. The Readers' Choice Awards are not open to outside nominations, nor do they accept votes from vendors and companies affiliated with vendors.

About the AMD Opteron(tm) Processor

The AMD Opteron(tm) processor is based on AMD's eighth-generation processor core, which marks the introduction of AMD64, the industry's first 64-bit, x86 technology implementation. This technology preserves companies' investments in 32-bit applications, while allowing a seamless transition to 64-bit computing as those companies require. The AMD Opteron processor is designed to deliver high-performance server and workstation solutions for today's most demanding enterprise applications. The processor is scalable, reliable and compatible, which can result in lower total cost of ownership. Key AMD Opteron processor innovations include an integrated memory controller, which reduces memory bottlenecks, and HyperTransport(tm) technology, which increases overall performance by removing or reducing I/O bottlenecks, increasing bandwidth and reducing latency