Duron

Duron

Duron logo

Duron is a line of microprocessors developed by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). It was introduced in 2000 as a budget-friendly alternative to AMD's higher-end Athlon processors. Duron processors were primarily targeted towards the entry-level and value PC market segments.

History

The Duron line of processors was first released on June 19, 2000. It was based on the same Socket A architecture as the Athlon processors, but with certain features disabled or scaled down to reduce manufacturing costs. The initial Duron models were built using a 0.18-micron manufacturing process and featured clock speeds ranging from 600 MHz to 950 MHz.

Features

Duron processors were designed to offer a balance between performance and affordability. They featured a single-core design with a smaller L2 cache compared to the Athlon processors. The cache size varied across different Duron models, with the earlier versions having 64 KB or 128 KB of L2 cache, while later models had 256 KB of L2 cache.

Performance

In terms of performance, Duron processors offered competitive performance for their price range. They were capable of handling everyday computing tasks such as web browsing, word processing, and multimedia playback with ease. However, they were not as powerful as the higher-end Athlon processors when it came to demanding applications or gaming.

Legacy

The Duron line of processors enjoyed moderate success in the entry-level PC market segment. They provided an affordable option for users who needed basic computing capabilities without breaking the bank. However, with the introduction of more advanced processors and the shift towards multi-core architectures, the Duron line was eventually phased out by AMD in 2004.

See also

• Advanced Micro Devices
• Athlon