AMD’s Fusion Chip Will Compete Against Intel’s Atom Processors
Intel Corporation is widely considered to be the technological giant regarding computer processors. However, AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) plans on challenging Intel’s consistent dominance in the market.
With the recently announced development of the new “Fusion” chip designed for netbooks, we are led to believe AMD plans on making its mark by targeting the “portable computer” community.
The new chip offers a relatively normal TDP of 10- 15 watts as well as decent graphics performance without requiring a separate GPU. Most importantly, this chip will fit in a netbook with a screen less than 12 inches long.
Nigel Dessau, AMD’s senior vice president, said “It will have a good processor integrated with graphics, so you won’t need the Ion graphics to give it half-decent performance… If we’d had a part, we’d have been in this space. We didn’t have a part so we went and worked on a part for the thin and light space. The plan is to come to market next year with a Fusion part that fits it nicely in a netbook type thing.”
The Fusion chip will be available sometime next year, so unfortunately, we can only speculate on its performance now.
Via Nexus404.
AMD and NVIDIA Begin HTPC/Netbook Platform War of 2010
March 2, 2010 – This day marks the dawn of the coming generation of hardware platforms. Both AMD and NVIDIA unveiled their new platforms today, meaning some exciting GPU integration for future products.
First off is AMD’s 890GX chipset. This platform is for general motherboard usage across a variety of products. However, it is poised towards the HTPC market, providing high-quality HD viewing with a not so expensive price. The 890GX delivers this using the HD 4920 GPU for integrated graphic, which is DirectX 10.1 compliant and rendering 1080p video through MPEG2, VC-1, and H.264. Also look for USB 3.0 on certain motherboards.
On NVIDIA’s side comes the long awaited Next-Generation ION with Optimus technology, formerly known as the ION 2. The next-gen ION is boasting major gains over the original ION, and NVIDIA claims it will be 10x as powerful as the integrated GPUs supplied by Intel. It will be able to provide 1080p and 3D gaming to your tiny 10.1” screen.
The ION architecture will vary between 10.1” netbooks and larger 12-inch models, with each respectively getting 8 and 16 CUDA cores. There are already 30 products lined up for release with the next-gen ION, with the first being the Acer Aspire One 532G. Look forward to summer where these products should enter the market.
Via DailyTech
AMD’s Llano Platform Announced
After a long wait, it seems that the marriage of AMD and ATI has finally conceived a child worthy of their merger. The Llano platform is AMD’s answer to Intel’s integrated graphics, and it has successfully turned heads. AMD doesn’t call the Llano a CPU or GPU, but rather some peculiar marketing term dubbed the “Applications Processing Unit” or APU. It may not be the catchiest phrase, but we all know what it really is and it actually could give the Intel IGP a legitimate challenge.
On the CPU side, the Llano will have a quad core on a 32 nm die. Each core will have 1 MB of L2 cache, and AMD is most likely targeting under 3 GHz for clock speed. Tag that along with with a fully DirectX 11 capable GPU (details not yet revealed) cast on the same die as the CPU with parallel vector hardware, and you get a potential Intel laptop killer.
Sampling will occur in the second half of the year and OEMs will get access in 2011.
Via Ars Technica
AMD Expands Processor Share, Bright Future in General for Chips
AMD has begun to make comeback in the CPU market, according to a study today by market research firm IDC. AMD recorded major gains beginning in the first quarter of ‘09 and has aggressively made inroads into the notebook market.
It expanded from a 10.2% share to 12.7% from Q4 ‘08 to Q4 ‘09, gnawing down Intel from 89.1% to 87.3%. This is likely the result of the Turion II X2 and Athlon line, but Intel still seems to sit on top of the mobile market. Only time will tell as both companies scramble for dominance over CPU and integrated GPU chips in laptops and netbooks.
Overall, 2009 has been a largely successful year for chipmakers, who shipped 31.3% more processors in Q4 ‘09 compared to Q4 ‘08. Processing lightweight VIA was the exception, shrinking from 0.4% to 0.1% over the past year. A major area of growth was mobile PCs (including of course netbooks), rising by 11.7% over the same period. The IDC remains optimistic for the coming year, forecasting a 15.1% growth in CPUs sold.
Via PC World.
CES 2010: AMD to Offer Triple-Core Processors
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has announced that it will offer triple-core processors in laptops. Though laptops now can have either dual-core or quad-core processors, triple-core processors have been unavailable until now.
Though it may appear that triple-core processors would be not be an advance, considering the existence of quad-core processors, they will fill the gap in a useful way. They offer better performance than dual-core processors and better power efficiency than quad-core processors. AMD currently offers only dual-core chips in their laptops, while Intel offers both dual-core and quad-core.
Dual-core processors do offer great performance for laptops, but triple-core will boost application performance, according to an AMD employee. The third-core will be able to take on processor-intensive tasks while leaving the other two cores free.
The chips will be offered as a part of Danube, AMD’s next-generation laptop code. Danube is supposed to increase laptop battery life by more than an hour. It is also supposed to offer better speed and graphics compared to the current platform.
The chips should ship in the first half of this year.
Via PC World, image via PC world.
More On MSI’s Upcoming AMD Netbooks
MSI will soon be launching a new line of larger netbooks in the near future, both of which will run AMD processors. The new machiens are the MSI MS-1243 and MSI MS-1241, which recently showed up on the FCC.
These netbooks should be making an appearance by 2010 with 1366×768 pixel screens in 12.1-inch and 11.6-inch varieties. They are rumored to include 3G mobile broadband, Wi-Fi, HDMI, and a TV tuner for an enhanced multimedia experience. Both will run the AMD Athlon Neo CPU.
The MS-1243 and -1241 are also expected to run Windows 7 and a momentous 4 GB of RAM. 250 GB hard drives could be on the way as well, which is great. Both machines will start with 3-cell batteries with the possibility of an upgrade.
Pricing and availability info are unknown for now, but if I had to guess I’d put the MSI MS-1243 and MS-1241 netbooks in the $500-$600 range, due to their huge RAM and other options.
Via TheLink.
2 New MSI Wind Netbooks Spotted on FCC’s Website
Two more versions of the MSI Wind netbook were recently spotted on the FCC’s website. The model numbers for these netbooks are MS-1241 and MS-1243. One model has an 11.6″ screen display while the other has a 12.1″ screen display and both are equipped with AMD processors. The MS-1243 netbook may actually be the MSI Wind U230 that is going through its final checkup before being confirmed for release.
Some other tech specs for the MSI Wind netbooks include b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G WAN, a multicard reader, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, HDMI out, and VGA out. A TV tuner will be optional. The OS is assumed to be Windows 7, as Windows XP is quickly being phased out. The overall weight for these netbooks will fall around 3 pounds.
Via NewNetbookReviews.
AMD Gives Us a Taste of its Future Netbook and Laptop Platforms
Recently, AMD outlined its roadmap through 2011, which included the introduction of two new processor cores, codenamed Bulldozer and Bobcat, which are to be released in 2011.
The Bulldozer platform is designed mainly for desktops and servers while the Bobcat platform is mainly for netbooks and ultra-thin notebooks. AMD claims that Bobcat will provide 90% of today’s computing performance in less than half of the current silicon real estate, which means that it’ll consume less than one watt of power.
MSI Preparing Netbook-Challenging Ultraportable Notebook
AMD has been keeping Congo in the works for the release of Windows 7 as a competitor to Intel’s Atom, but it will soon be rearing its ultraportable head in the soon-to-be-released MSI Wind 12 U230. With a 12.1” monitor, it’s no netbook, but it packs a solid punch while staying under three pounds, though you may be able to clear three pounds if you order the six-cell-battery instead of the three.
It’s that exciting.
Specifically, the punch will contain up to 4 GB of RAM, up to 320 GB of hard drive space, and a 1366×768 screen resolution, along with the Congo platform, designed for multimedia usage and longer batter life, all in a package only 0.9-1.2” thick.
Via TechReport and Engadget.
Increased Netbook Sales Result in Increased Graphics Chip Shipments
Recent netbook sales have resulted in an increased shipment of Intel’s and Advanced Micro Devices’ (AMD’s) graphics chips. According to market research firm Jon Peddie Research, Q3 shipments of graphics chips increased 21.2% from Q2 of 2009. Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Research is optimistic for the future, as a reported 119.45 million units of graphics chips were shipped in Q3, which is an increase of over 8 million units more than Q3 of 2008.
It’s possible that Q4 shipments for 2009 may not be as strong as Q3 though, as Peddie mentions that “The channel is full…That suggests that while Q4 is typically a good quarter for PCs, the quarter-to-quarter growth in Q4 may not be as robust as Q3. Graphics are a great leading indicator. The graphics go in before the PC is built or shipped.”
Via CNet.
Netbooks Larger Than 12 Inches May Adopt AMD and VIA Processors
One downside of netbooks is that their screens and keyboards are relatively small, so you experience that somewhat cramped feeling when you’re trying to surf the web, put together a PowerPoint presentation, or do whatever else it is that you do.
Maybe in the future, the trend will be for consumers to desire larger netbooks, perhaps those whose displays are in the 12″ to 13″ range.
Some players/companies in the market are already anticipating this. White-box netbook manufacturers in China have already begun to manufacture netbooks that have displays larger than 12 inches. Within these netbooks, the white-box companies are rumored to potentially use AMD and VIA processors.
According to the Chinese Commercial Times report, netbooks that are powered by the Intel Atom processor “face limits on the size of the display. In addition, VIA’s solution can offer up to half the price of Intel’s comparable platform.”
Via Digitimes.
Images via VentureBeat and CGDC.
The Return of AMD & Gateway’s First Awesome Netbook
AMD has strongly expressed doubts about the netbook world before. When its Athlon Neo processor was used in the HP Pavilion DV2, AMD decided that there was little to be found in the budget laptop category and that it had no intentions of developing a netbook CPU.
Apparently that’s now all going to change. Gateway announced the LT3103u netbook at $400 using – you guessed it – an AMD Athlon 64 processor.
PC Mag explained how crucial this is:
The Athlon 64 L110 is rated at 1.2 GHz, with 512 MB of L2 cache and support for an 800-MHz front-side bus. The Intel Atom N280, meanwhile, is rated at 1.6 GHz, with a 512 MB L2 cache and support for a 667-MHz FSB. The upshot? These two netbook processors will be going head to head.
And that’s not all. The LT3103u ships with 2 GB of memory, making it a powerful contender against the 1 GB standard in the industry. Even the graphics module, an ATI Radeon X1270, is better at tasks like HD video decoding than Intel’s chipset.
The new Gateway netbook comes in glossy red or black with metallic accents. It’s a tad heavy at 3.1 lbs, which can be credited to the 11.6-inch, 1366 x 768 pixel screen. The display can support up to 720p HD video.
The LT3103u has a full sized keyboard and 3 USB ports. Other features include a hefty 250 GB HDD, 3 USB ports, an integrated webcam and multi-card reader.
Gateway has never before delivered a machine capable of competing with the major netbook models, but the LT3103u may just be it. When benchmarks and battery tests are released we’ll know how seriously to take Gateway’s netbook, so check back soon for more info.
HP Pavillion dv2 Netbook Packs 320 GB of Disk Space
The new HP Pavillion dv2 is a thorn in the side of those who’d hope to distinguish notebooks and netbooks once and for all, but that doesn’t kill our enthusiasm. Regardless of what category it falls into, the new device is intriguing.
HP announced the Pavillion dv2 netbook back during CES 2009; a 12.1-inch machine running a 1.6 GHz AMD processor. It’s reportedly the first netbook to implement the AMD Athlon Neo processor, a chip meant to overtake cheaper chips (like the Intel Atom) in terms of processing power in order to run the 12-inch device.
Naturally, the larger processor has taken its toll on the new netbook’s pricetag. The HP Pavillion dv2 will cost you a garish $749, but on the other hand it has features to compensate: 720p HD resolution, 4 GB of RAM and a monolithic 320 GB hard drive. HP’s new netbook is a powerhouse, enough so that the company feels comfortable making it only compatible with Windows Vista.
No release date for the HP Pavillion dv2 is known so far, but you can reserve one now at HP’s site.
Via ZDNet.
NVIDIA Talks Smack About Intel Netbook Chip
The competition in the netbook chipset world is heating up, as more and more manufacturers are taking shots at their competitors’ products. The latest in the line of companies waiting to rip on others is NVIDIA, which claims its Ion platform – when combined with AMD’s Neo CPU – will “crush” the Intel Atom.
If you put the NVIDIA Ion platform in a netbook combined with an Intel Atom CPU and NVIDIA GPU, the device comes in at about $399. Jen-Hsung Huang says this will give consumers not the “inferior” performance of current devices, but rather the “full PC experience” they crave. Huang says the netbook standard nowadays is “a low-cost PC that doesn’t work that well.” Ouch!
Huang doesn’t say when his Ion netbook combo will come out, but “almost every single OEM in the world is exploring” the possibility. He thinks that any netbook with the NVIDIA Ion in the hatch will beat out any netbook running just the Atom. He went so far as to say that “Atom by itself with Intel integrated graphics would get crushed.” Why? Apparently, Huang thinks the Atom just sucks. He even puts the Athlon Neo and VIA Nano “architecturally one generation beyond Atom,” rationalizing VIA’s current lack of sales by saying it hasn’t software resources to complement its chips.
He also made some comments about the Tegra pletform, an HD-capable mobile chipset by NVIDIA. He expects that, with the Tegra in place, netbooks could bust out an unheard of 2-3 days runtime on a single charge. $199 MIDs with full keyboards are on the way as well.
His words are powerful, but there’s only so long that Jen-Hsung Huang can talk smack until NVIDIA’s products hit netbooks and do the talking for him. Will AMD’s tentativeness about netbook technology temper the ability of the Ion to take control of the market? Hopefully, the new NVIDIA chipset will back Huang as strongly as he’s backed it.
Via SlashGear.
AMD Thinks Netbooks Are Done; Intel Similarly Doubtful
Chief execs at AMD think netbooks are on the way out, and are taking steps accordingly.
They think the problem will be a lack of differentiation. CEO Dirk Meyer says “The distinction between what is a netbook and what is a notebook is going to go away… There will be a continuum of price points and form factors.”
In his eyes, the cheapness of netbooks results in a shoddy experience with the machines. “Given the way netbooks are configured today, consumers who want a notebook at those kind of (low) price points have to compromise and as a result don’t enjoy a full PC experience, particularly around the graphics and media capability of the machine,” Meyer said. “And likewise people who wanted a thin and light machine had to pay a lot of money, typically well over a thousand dollars.”
What Meyers doesn’t get is that people looking for a notebook at netbook price levels simply aren’t going to find them – they misunderstand the market, and dissatisfaction they have with netbooks often comes from misguided expectations. You can’t buy a luxury car at the price of a motorcycle, and if you do, you’re going to be unhappy.
However, if things go as Meyer predicts, he may have a point. He thinks the market is going to start delivering lightweight laptops at the price range of netbooks which will completely overpower them. This may sound like a stretch, but weirder things have happened before.
AMD has made some solid offerings to the netbook world in the past, including their Athlon Neo. They’ve also made some serious job cuts recently, prompting us to wonder if losses in the netbook sector have made AMD lukewarm.
Advanced Micro Devices has already made some steps to distance itself from netbooks, including marketing the Neo-using HP Pavillion DV2 as a notebook.
Interestingly enough, AMD’s move mimics some recent activity by Intel. Paul Otellini, Intel’s CEO, used some strange tenses to describe the machines. As emphasized by CNet, Intel says the netbook buzz at CES 2009 “validates our view that (the market) had a high potential for growth and it was an exciting segment, in particular in this kind of economic environment.”
That’s enough to make a lot of people nervous. What happens to netbooks if the Atom is left behind? Intel has already mentioned that its plans for the future of the Atom are limited. While Otellini said that Intel “would do very well in the netbook market in the course of the next couple of years,” I still have some suspicions.
With major chip manufacturers AMD and Intel getting doubtful about netbooks, we can only wonder at the future of the machines. If nothing else, dissapearing competition is going to make Qualcomm some serious cash with the Snapdragon.
Come back soon for more on the future of netbooks.
Via CNet.
AMD Makes Huge Job Cuts
AMD is a big-time chip maker for netbooks and other technologies. It recently got burned by economic slowdown and announced that it was cutting 1100 employees – a full 9% of its global staff – in an effort to get through the year.
The computer sales market has been brutal to manufacturers like AMD so far. 900 workers will lose their positions, and the rest of the reductions will come from sales of a business unit.
As expected, AMD recently entered the netbook market, making a big entry with the Athlon Neo processor. While these may outwardly seem to be signs of success, the numbers tell a different stories.
AMD only has 15,000 workers right now, but its cutoff won’t include 3,000 of those in the manufacturing department. Nine percent of the remaining 12,000 will be cut.
This is AMD’s third time laying off workers this year, the previous two being a cut of 600 last month and 1600 in 2008.
In addition to the firings, remaining workers will see reduced pay. CEO Dirk Meyer and executive chairman Hector Ruiz will see a salary cut of 20%, and the VP and other management will go down between 10 and 15%.
Via Fox Business.
AMD Says New Athlon Neo Will Stifle Netbooks
Chip maker ARM is set to release a new processor: the new Athlon Neo, a dual-core reimagining of the older single-core Athlon Neo processor. John Taylor, a spokesman of AMD, announced the release at a CES press conference last week.
The semiconductor firm says it expects to launch the new Athlon Neo and Sepron editions with the codename Congo, both of which will be significantly faster than the single-core version. As an added bonus, they won’t cost more or generate more heat, according to AMD.
Congo includes a new “mainboard chipset” and will be able to run newer DirectX and OpenGl graphical effects. We don’t know if this means it will include the Mobility Radeon HD 4330 or a different graphics set altogether.
Interestingly enough, Randy Allen thinks Congo might stifle the growth of the netbook center because of the relative performance it offers for the cost. In his mind, a $600 or $700 ultraportable is better than a netbook of $500 or less. We’ll see how right he is in the coming months, as the new Athlon Neo is set for release mid-year.
Via Electronista.
ARM Netbooks To Feature Ubuntu Linux OS
The UK-based mobile phone chip designer ARM recently announced that it will feature Ubuntu, the open-source Linux operating system, on its upcoming netbooks.
Noting that ARM is known for the long battery life of its mobile phones, analysts believe the joined forces will produce something ideal – efficient, light-weight, cheap netbooks. Increased battery life is enticing for buyers, for whom netbooks’ compatiability with their busy schedules is a main concern.
ARM’s Vice President of Marketing Ian Drew said the aspect of mobile devices that is most quickly growing is “the always-on experience.” Increased battery life will be a necessity in the coming months as the emphasis on this feature continues to grow.
“The release of a full Ubuntu desktop distribution supporting latest ARM technology will enable rapid growth, with internet everywhere, connected ultra portable devices,” Drew continued, emphasizing the positive prospects of the partnership.
The ARMv7 architecture, including ARM Cortex-A8 and Cortex-A9 processor-based systems, are expected to be the aspects utilized by the Ubuntu Desktop OS.
The COO of Canonical, Ubuntu’s commercial sponsor, focused on the varied choices this partnership will give consumers, stating that “[ensuring] that a fully-functional, optimised Ubuntu distribution is available to the ARM ecosystem” will offer “wider choice for consumers looking for the best operating system for their digital lifestyles.”
“This is a natural development for Ubuntu, driven by the demand from manufacturers for an ARM technology-based version.”
It is likely that this partnership will create even more competition with Intel’s Atom, especially given the recent announcement from AMD.
According to Rob Coombs, Director of Mobile Marketing at ARM, the first devices should be seen around the time of the June Computex show next year. We’ll keep an eye out.
New Dual-Core Atom Only A Slight Improvement
PC Pro’s recent test of the new dual-core Intel Atom chip showed it to be only a marginal improvement over the previous single-core model. While it gained much hype at its announcement last August, the new test may temper much of the enthusiasm about it.
Called the Intel Atom 330, it has a 533MHz FSB but runs at the same 1.6 GHz as previous iterations of the chip. While clearly faster than the now-standard Atom N270, it has not met expectations completely.
The results of the test showed the chip to be a mere 16% faster than the previous one.
It is important to note that the device tested was only a desktop version, not a netbook-ready version. As such it is as of yet impossible to determine how battery life wil be affected by the 330. Energy efficiency is obviously a crucial for netbooks, so if the 330 turns out to weigh down on the battery, manufacturers and consumers will be likely to pass it on.
Read more about the test here.
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In other news, check out Larry Digman of ZDNet’s article concerning recent confusion over AMD’s announcement about the netbook market (which we covered in our November 13 article):
AMD to Enter Netbook Market by 2009
It was Financial Analyst Day at AMD. The rustling rumors had abounded for quite some time, with nothing to show to confirm or repudiate them. Speculation reigned where information was scant, but now the announcement has been made. Via webcast in Sunnyvale, California:
By 2009 Advanced Micro Devices will have entered the realm of netbook processors.
The processors introduced over the next few years will support DDR3 memory have two cores. The first to be released in 2009, a slim 45 nm chip which should support a cache of 1 MB, has been codenamed Conesus. A 2 MB chip, Geneva, is due to be released in 2010.
For those with a less technological bent, this means the new processors will be able power more than a basic “Web experience,” according to the senior VP of AMD’s Computing Solutions group Randy Allen. This is a bit vague for my tastes but we’ll see what comes up in the near future.
The announcement has brushed aside rumors that AMD’s efforts at a low-power processor had been abandoned. Last year AMD had announced a chip called the Bobcat, “designed for maximum energy efficiency and performance-per-watt for next-generation mobile devices, scaling as low as 1 watt.” The Bobcat’s development had been alternatively confirmed and denied by officials at different stages, leading many observers to attempt a connecting of the dots between AMD’s consecutive quarterly losses and the Bobcat’s possible abandonment.
Though AMD calls it the “mini-notebook” market (as seen in the top picture), there is no doubt about whom it wishes to compete with. The netbook market is for the moment dominated by Intel’s versatile Atom processor, and AMD hopes its entrance into the market will provide some stiff competition. The Atom is currently available in the Asus Eee PC, among others, so it will certainly be a tight game from here on out.
We’ll keep you updated.
