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Intersil Portable Power Devices Enable AMD’s High-Speed, Mobile Notebook Processors

— Power Management IC complements AMD PowerNow! technology
— Intersil sets new standard for power management in advanced, mobile microprocessor applications

IRVINE, Calif. – April, 24, 2001 – Intersil (NASDAQ: ISIL), a leading provider of power management solutions for PCs, file servers and portable information appliances, today announced that the latest addition to its growing family of Endura™ power management integrated circuits (ICs), the ISL6223, is being designed into Advanced Micro Devices’ latest mobile AMD Athlon™ and Duron™ processor reference design. Intersil’s Endura device supports AMD PowerNow!™ technology and delivers world-class power efficiency to AMD’s advanced microprocessors, contributing directly to extended battery life in notebook computer designs.

Intersil’s Endura ISL6223 mobile-computer power management device is a two-phase integrated Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) controller that efficiently regulates core central processing unit (CPU) power. Specifically, Intersil’s architecture allows the CPU core voltage regulator to be completely turned off when the microprocessor is not in use, eliminating voltage generation for the CPU and reducing total system power consumption in aggressively managed mobile-power environments. Additionally, Intersil’s Endura ISL6223 enables on-the-fly Voltage Identifier changes that require no external circuitry.

"Intersil has designed its family of power management devices to meet the demands of existing and next generation mobile computer processors" said Rick Furtney, vice president and general manager of Intersil’s Power Management business. "Intersil’s devices enable high-speed information access utilizing portable devices. This newest addition to our mobile portfolio will enable a next-generation of mobile computers that will run at desktop speeds. Smaller notebook PCs and more powerful microprocessors have resulted in an environment requiring an unprecedented level of power management. Intersil will continue to anticipate market demands and work with leading processor developers, such as AMD."

In the mobile environment, power management is a critical element in successful system design. Advanced microprocessors demand more energy on a dynamic basis and the physical size of the portable information appliances continues to shrink, allowing less room for power management and thermal management devices. Intersil’s family of mobile power management devices address the demands for power conservation and increased power efficiency in microprocessors.

AMD PowerNow! Technology

AMD PowerNow! technology significantly extends battery life in notebook PCs by nearly 30 percent while delivering high performance on demand. The technology is a combination of software and hardware support that allows the processor to run at different frequencies and voltages. The ISL6223 has been approved by AMD, and it is currently deployed in the Thresher mobile reference platform supporting the latest Mobile AMD Athlon and Mobile AMD Duron processors.

"At AMD, we recognize the growing importance of mobile computing and the demand for higher performance and increased battery life," said Rex Meek, director of Hardware Infrastructure Relations at AMD. "PowerNow! technology positions us to meet this challenge. Intersil’s Endura ICs support the requirements of PowerNow! technologies and provide high efficiency core power management."

Pricing, Packaging and Availability

The ISL6223 is currently available in a 20-pin SSOP package with the price at $3.30 for 10,000 piece quantities.

Intersil’s Power Management Technology

The Intersil Endura product family consists of leading power management solutions for desktop PCs, workstations, RAID systems and high-availability servers. The Endura family includes high-efficiency solutions that are used in portable PCs and mobile information appliances as well as home gateway products. Endura devices address the increasing demands for power, connectivity and availability of higher performing information appliances, supporting current and next generation microprocessors, information appliances and the burgeoning Internet infrastructure.