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AMD charts out course for Fusion processors
by Jaspreet Kaur - November 12, 2009 - comments
Los Angeles, CA, November 12 -- Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD), a reputed name in the global chip market, gave a general summary of their next innovation at the company’s annual Analyst Day held at its Sunnyvale, Calif. headquarters on Wednesday.
The product discussed was the company’s new advanced micro architecture named Fusion that unites graphics and CPU cores on a single die to deliver superlative performance.
According to AMD, Fusion will be a revolutionary product. However, it will not be available in the market till 2011.
This new processor connects a CPU core from AMD and a graphics chip from ATI on a single piece of silicon.
The product that is formed with this combination has a footprint that is even smaller than the separate chips available these days. Furthermore, it promises high levels of performance.
New range of Fusion-based products by AMD
The CPU of Fusion-based products that will be launched in 2011 have been given unique code-names, i.e., Bulldozer and Bobcat.
Bulldozer will be utilized in Fusion processors, known as accelerated processing units, for mainstream server, desktops and laptops. Bobcat will be used in APUs that are basically intended for thin-and-light laptops, which need lower power processors.
The first APU for conventional laptops and desktops is codenamed Llano. This will gradually develop and grow into a family of products, AMD executives revealed.
AMD also has something in store for low-cost, low-power ultra-portable devices. They intend to put forward a new platform codenamed Brazos.
Brazos will feature an APU code-named Ontario and this will contain the Bobcat CPU.
An eight-core Bulldozer-based product codenamed Zambezi will be offered by AMD for utilization in the highest performing desktops.
All the new products by AMD will be based on a 32-nanometer manufacturing process.
The Fusion roadmap for AMD also consists of the company’s first quad-core processor for laptops that will come out in 2010.
Also, the company will launch its third-generation platform for thin-and-light laptops. The chips used here will make for longer battery life.
Two new platforms codenamed San Marino and Maranello are in the offing by AMD for the mainstream server market.
San Marino will have eight- and 12-core processors, while Maranello will use CPUs that have fewer cores. The new products will come under AMD’s Opteron brand.
Last but not the least, the company’s next year’s platform for top-of-the-line desktops that has been codenamed Leo will include a six-core CPU.