AMD (NYSE:AMD) announced that high-tech market research firm In-Stat selected the AMD Athlon(TM) 64 FX-55 processor as best desktop processor of 2004.

In-Stat Microprocessor Report recognized the AMD Athlon 64 FX processor for its superior performance, feature-rich architecture, support for 32- and 64-bit capability and Enhanced Virus Protection. The newsletter from In-Stat is now available online at www.in-stat.com.

"The AMD Athlon 64 FX processor delivers the best in performance of any desktop PC processor available today, consistently posting some of the highest industry benchmark ratings since its introduction in 2003," said Jim McGregor, principal analyst and editor of the Microprocessor Report, In-Stat. "As a leading provider of research, assessments and market forecasts, In-Stat recognizes the innovation of the AMD64 architecture with support for 64-bit applications, an integrated memory controller, and HyperTransport(TM) technology interfaces that offer future enhancements in performance for both single-core and multi-core processor designs."

"Industry accolades from leading market research firm In-Stat demonstrate that the AMD Athlon 64 FX processor continues to reign supreme as the absolute best overall PC processor you can get," said Marty Seyer, corporate vice president and general manager, Microprocessor Business Unit, Computation Products Group, AMD. "By continuing to uphold the performance crown since its arrival more than a year ago, AMD continues to deliver on its promise to provide professional users, performance-hungry enthusiasts and gamers a superior computing experience with the AMD Athlon 64 FX processor series."

Based on AMD64 technology, the AMD Athlon 64 FX processor is the highest-performing PC processor on the market today. It is designed to offer outstanding 32-bit performance today with the capability to support future generations of high-performance, 64-bit applications.

AMD Athlon 64 processors have the added security benefit of Enhanced Virus Protection (EVP). This capability, enabled by Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Service Pack 2, helps prevent the execution of certain types of malicious viruses.(a) The award-winning AMD64 desktop processors also feature Cool'n'Quiet(TM) technology, an innovative system-level feature that can lower the power consumption of the PC when maximum performance is not needed. A PC with AMD's Cool'n'Quiet technology enabled can consume less power, and run cooler and quieter on most applications.