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Advanced Micro Devices unveiled a power management technology on Friday called Cool'n'Quiet that enables its Athlon XP family of processors to alter clock speed depending on the tasks they are performing.

This generally results in lower power output and is well suited to the Japanese market, which places a premium on compact desktop PCs, according to Mari Hayashi, a spokesperson for AMD.

"In Japan, the mainstream desktop PCs for corporate users are smaller and thinner than the ones used at offices in the U.S.," Hayashi says, as typically many desktop PCs need to be crammed into a small office. "Therefore, according to our research in Japan, many desktop users at work requested a less power-consuming processor made for compact desktop PCs," she says.

Cool'n'Quiet technology allows the processor to change its frequency according to the amount of power each operation needs, Hayashi says.

Packed in a PC

Hitachi last month announced a PC based on the Cool'n'Quiet version of the Athlon XP 1500+, which has a maximum clock speed of 1.3 GHz. The Flora 330 Silent model PC, which cites its compact size, power conservation, and quietness as key features, is expected to ship on February 25, according to a Hitachi statement.

"Although the demand started from Japan and the only product currently carrying this processor is available only from Hitachi for the Japanese market, it will be adopted in U.S. manufacturers' PCs soon for the U.S. market," says Kenichi Segara, an AMD spokesperson.

The Cool'n'Quiet version is available for other Athlon XP models such as the 1600+, 1700+, and 1800+, Hayashi says. As the processors are sold on an individual client basis, the prices for these versions are not disclosed, she says.

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