DailyTech - AMD Spins Off Alchemy CPU, Opens Door for AMD Co-Processors

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Hardware AMD Spins Off Alchemy CPU, Opens Door for AMD Co-Processors
Anh Tuan Huynh (Blog) - June 14, 2006 12:04 AM

15 comment(s) - last by Lakku.. on Jun 15 at 10:08 PM

Raza Microelectronics will acquire the Alchemy product lineup, hints at future AMD products

AMD and Raza Microelectronics have announced a new strategic partnership. The new strategic partnership will transfer AMD’s Alchemy processor product line to Raza Microelectronics, or RMI. Alchemy processors are MIPS processors typically used for embedded products such as the Jack PC and various handheld devices. Raza Microelectronics is a fab-less semiconductor company (FLSC) that produces a line of MIPS processors. With the new partnership Raza Microelectronics will take over the complete product lineup while AMD becomes an investor in Raza Microelectronics.

After the transfer is complete AMD’s processor lineup will consist of all x86 compatible processors (Geode, Athlon, Opteron, Sempron, Turion) while Raza Microelectronics will expand its MIPS processor lineup with the new Alchemy acquisition.

Atiq Raza, Raza Microelectronics chairman, added "RMI endorses AMD64 as the innovation platform for the industry, and fully embraces the Torrenza ecosystem development initiative.” How Raza Microelectronics will embrace Torrenza technology was not mentioned. AMD has mentioned that the company will offer embedded processors for its K8L architecture, and by using HTX and HT-3 interconnects from its K8L processors. The push to consolidate all of AMD's interests into a MIPs-only corporation is perhaps the largest moved by AMD thus far to prove its commitment to the co-processor model.

Both companies are working on a seamless transition process to ease the transition processor for AMD Alchemy customers. There’s no word on whether Raza Microelectronics will continue to market under the Alchemy name or use its own product naming.