AMD today unleashed their new enthusiast platform, code-named "SPIDER" for the masses today. What does that mean for you, the gamer? Let's break it down:

AMD Phenom 9000 series quad-core processor and 7-series chipset

AMD's new Phenom processor is built from the ground up as scalable technology for the future. As a true quad-core processor, unlike Intel's two dual-cores slapped together, AMD's solution is much better for the long term. Quad-core processing hasn't become too necessary in gaming yet, but titles like Unreal Tournament 3 and Crysis leverage the extra power and lay the groundwork for future titles. Until now it was difficult to justify purchasing a quad-core system, but with AMD's Phenom series the technology is much more accessible.

The introduction of Cool & Quiet 2.0 also makes the Phenom line a great product for quiet PC enthusiasts as you won't have to worry about huge, noisy fans in your machine. Along with the Phenom you'll find AMD's new motherboard chipset, dubbed the 7-series. Made up by the 770, 790X, and 790FX, the 7-series should appeal to casual gamers and enthusiasts alike, especially because of the overclocking potential. Thanks to the new AMD Overdrive application which gives unprecedented control of the system's hardware, overclockers can tweak every aspect of their machine from within Windows, without requiring a reboot into the BIOS. Toss in support for CrossfireX (up to four graphics cards) and PCI Express 2.0 and you've got a platform designed with the future in mind.

ATI Radeon HD 3800 series video cards

Ladies and gentlemen, the $200 video card to buy has arrived. AMD launched their new Radeon HD 3850 and 3870s recently, and as a component of the SPIDER platform its an integral part of AMD's strategy for the next year. First the important details: DirectX 10.1 for the latest and greatest in gaming, up to 512MB of RAM, PCI Express 2.0, ATI Powerplay that brings mobile energy efficiency to the desktop, CrossfireX, and my personal favorite the Universal Video Decoder. What makes the UVD so special? Well besides being great graphics cards for gamers on a budget, the 3800 series is now the best solution for video on the market. ATI has always been focused on high quality video playback, and now they're all about efficiency. The UVD is able to decode high definition streams like 1080P H.264 with ease, leaving CPU utilization in single digits. Before hardware acceleration, playing high definition content required a fast multi-core processor, and even then it would be hovering at high utilization. Now thanks to the UVD, less strain is placed on your CPU allowing all of the components to run more efficiently. It was practically impossible to multitask while watching HD content previously, but now it's no problem.

So who is SPIDER for? Put simply? Everyone. SPIDER's excellent scalability ensures that there's a configuration for every budget without sacrificing many features. If you're looking for a new computer for 2008, be sure to check out AMD's new offerings like the Phenom processors, and Radeon HD 3800 video cards.