Advanced Micro Devices is launching its 890GX chip set today that will move computers a step forward in terms of speed of data transfer.
That means it could alleviate one of the headaches of modern computers -- the fact that it takes a long time to transfer data to a USB stick or external storage device.
The chip set, which handles traffic functions inside a computer, will accommodate Universal Serial Bus (USB) 3.0 and SATA 3.0 data transfer schemes that will speed the flow of data as much as 10 times within a computer, said Adam Kozack, platform marketing manager at AMD. The chip set is targeted at mid-range do-it-yourself computers.
It will be available as part of dozens of motherboards, or main circuit boards, with prices that range from $130 to $150. The USB 3.0 function is handled via a PCI Express slot; that means it isn't part of the chip set on the motherboard just yet, which is a cheaper and ultimately faster solution. That will come later. But AMD can still take advantage of the full speed of the USB 3.0 function, which is 10 times faster than USB 2.0. That means you can transfer video much faster from a camcorder to a laptop, or from a digital camera to a computer, or from a computer to an external hard drive.
The new chip set will be compatible with upcoming six-core microprocessors from AMD that will debut in the second quarter. Desktop computers using the chip set are expected to debut around that time.