14 DAY TRIAL // AMD is expanding its AMD Validated Solutions initiative through the introduction of four new platforms based on the AMD 690G chipset, thus taking the total number of platforms to eight. These new platforms benefit from enhanced 3D Graphics which support Windows Vista's Aero interface. Motherboards based on this chipset are already available from manufacturers such as Asus International, Elite Computer Systems (ECS), Micro-Star International (MSI) and Gigabyte Technology. These motherboards use the ATI Radeon X1250 as integrated graphics.
The AVS program ensures that all of the products are thoroughly tested. Validation is received after going through a series of tests which include electrical, Basic Input Output System (BIOS), memory, burn-in and Input-Output (I/O) tests. Upon "graduation," each and every product is certified and represents a warranty of being an AMD quality product. More than that, AMD uses stable image chipsets, drivers, and processors on the stable image platform. And all of this comes with a 15-month stability period from the moment the platform is introduced on the market, thus helping to reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), enhancing productivity and simplifying computer management.
In an earlier interview, Ben Williams, the vice president for Commercial Strategy and Solutions at AMD said: "The ongoing mission of the AVS program is to offer our channel partners a choice of leading-edge platform options, and today's news marks a major milestone in this endeavor". "We've removed much of the guesswork and time of building, selling and supporting commercial desktop computers based on AMD64 technology by providing AMD validated and tested platforms from four leading vendors," he also stated.
This is a step forward in the computer industry as a pretested environment ensures that computer components undergo a serious testing program which reduces the number of faulty parts being sold on to the end user. Companies like Kingston, for instance, have facilities in which they run several hundred or even thousands of memory modules at their maximum capacity through a series of tests designed to find any errors, all of this in an environment where the temperature is very hot, more than they would encounter in a normal computer or server.