AMD has finally thrown its 790GX chipset at the “performance” gaming crowd. It integrates ATI Radeon HD 3300 graphics with Phenom CPUs and can clock speeds of up to 3.2GHz, AMD claims.

Previously PC gamers wanting a beefier performance from their processors could overclock them up to a 3.0GHz limit, said AMD chipset marketing manager Sam Maekinen, speaking at the company’s CTO summit in Reykjavik, Iceland yesterday.

Unsurprisingly AMD claimed that the 790GX would “unlock” the Phenom processor’s “maximum performance” capability.

Maekinen explained that the new SB750 southbridge chipset improves video performance – which features its Sideport cache memory tech – by adding a discrete memory chip on the motherboard. Sideport was previously an optional addition to 780G motherboards, but is standard on 780GX boards.

He claimed performance could be boosted by 10 to 15 per cent, while the single memory chip has the ability to run at speeds of 400MHz and 533MHz.

The 790GX chipset can also scale up to high-end ATI Radeon HD 4800 series graphic cards, said AMD.

In-board partners and system integrators including Asus, Gigabyte Technology and Cyberpower Inc have all signed up to support the new platform, which carries a $355 price tag. ®