[TOAD6147]

http://www.pcmech.com/show/modems/10
Note: edited to meet the 2000 character limit.

With today's Winmodem technology, which provides a cheap physical modem that uses the processing power of the CPU, the ISA slot and interface circuitry is a waste of money. Intel, along with others, have made a new slot standard that is intended to phase out the ISA bus, in order for cheaper, and smaller modems to be used. The Audio/Modem Riser Slot, or AMR for short, is basically just an interface between the motherboard and the phone line. The card that is intended to plug into the AMR has no onboard processing power at all. For all functions, it uses the CPU's processing power. Although this provides for cheap and easy-to-make modems, this cuts about 20% of the CPU power off from the user. Without a hardwired controlling chip, the card relies on special software drivers, to make it work. This is contrary to how a normal modem works. A normal hardmodem, has an onboard processor that does all the work and rarely needs to bother the CPU. An AMR modem also provides for an easy upgrades. No Firmware flashing and no chip replacing. They are using the same card and the same phone line, just different drivers. An AMR is very cheap, but you get what you pay for. An AMR modem is only recommended for someone that doesn't want to play online games, because, while playing the game online, about 20% of the Processing power, used to kick out the Frame Rates, will be sucked up by the modem. If you're a gamer, you'll want to stay with a hardware modem. An AMR modem is fine for that person looking for the cheap PC to get on the Internet and use e-mail, being it's so cheap and easy to upgrade.