January 9, 2009; BANGALORE:

Take the Phenom II processor; add a hefty graphics solution -- like the Radeon HD 4800 which from your own ATI line; throw in the AMD-7 series chipset; mix thoroughly with own software and serve to all customers who demand high definition gaming; fast video processing and a slate of entertainment apps -- all at a price that might have seemed inconceivable a few years ago. That is the recipe that AMD has followed for its new Dragon platform launch and seeing how PC makers like Dell, HP and others are joining the class, it seems they like the taste and look to replicating the experience in their own style. The key ingredient seems to be the Phenom II X4 chip which clocks at 3 GHz. Perhaps we should add, that's just for starters -- hard core gamers are known to almost double the clock speed by overclocking -- using any thing from chilled water to liquid nitrogen to keep things cool and ticking. AMD's ATI acquisition has given it access to cutting edge graphics technology and the Radeon HD 4800 series is a sort of flagship with Blueray written all over it -- that's the High definition DVD standard still left standing after last year's shoot out with HD-DVD. To fuel the hardware, AMD has cannily put together a suite of software applications like Fusion for Gaming, Overdrive, Catalyst, and Video Converter. Expect systems from the Dragon's lair to hit Indian markets in the coming months. We're hoping to test drive the early offerings and sharing our experience with you. Watch this space.