The Athlon 64 is a series of 64-bit microprocessors developed by AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) and released in 2003. It was notable for being one of the first consumer CPUs to support 64-bit computing, allowing for improved performance and the ability to handle larger amounts of memory compared to its 32-bit predecessors. The Athlon 64 architecture introduced features like an integrated memory controller and support for DDR SDRAM, which enhanced data transfer speeds. This processor was widely used in personal computers and gaming systems, contributing to the popularity of 64-bit operating systems and applications.