Enhancing Fused Processors by 21.4%

Category: CPU's, Science & Technology
Posted: February 7, 2012 04:11PM
Author: Guest_Jim_*

Both AMD and Intel have been developing and selling CPUs with GPUs built in. This integration allows for cheaper and more efficient systems, as a dedicated GPU is not needed, but their designs are not perfected yet, at least according to North Carolina State University researchers.

The purpose and potential of CPUs and GPUs are quite different, with GPUs better at performing simple calculations and CPUs better at more complex problems. For some math, such as linear algebra, the GPU is far superior to the CPU, but for operations that require flexible data retrieval and decisions, the CPU is the best choice.

Despite the cores’ proximity on the new chips, they are not utilized as though they were on the same silicon. What the researchers propose, and have tested, is having the CPU aid the GPU by loading data the GPU will need into the shared L3 cache. This allows the data to be accessed much faster than if the GPU had to call it from off-chip memory. The average speed increase was 21.4% in the testing, but it reached as high as 113%.

No word on when this might be incorporated into processors, but one of the co-authors of the study is from AMD, and it was funded in part by AMD as well. The paper is to be presented on February 27 at the International Symposium on High Performance Computer Architecture.

AMD Reveals Plans for the Future

Category: CPU's
Posted: February 3, 2012 02:40PM
Author: bp9801

AMD revealed its plans for the future yesterday, which focuses on the remainder of this year and all of next year. There is the usual talk of extending out current products with new releases and series, but there was something a bit more curious concerning ARM CPUs. I will get to that last part in a bit, but AMD wants to shorten the time frame between CPU designs to something similar to GPUs, with 18-24 months of separation instead of a few years. AMD will do that by moving away from custom designs for chips, and will instead rely on synthesized layouts and lower power usage. This will also allow for more APUs to be produced, with the CPU and GPU combined on the same die, which AMD sees as a big part of its plans.

There will be three new APU lines released this year: Trinity, Brazos 2.0, and Hondo. Trinity is aimed at performance laptop and mainstream desktop users, and pairs one or two Piledriver modules (succesor to Bulldozer) with an HD 7000 GPU. Brazos 2.0 will have a power usage between 9 - 18W, and packs two Bobcat cores with an HD 6000 GPU. The Hondo line will top out at 4.5W, and will have one or two Bobcat cores and an HD 6000 GPU. All the mentioned GPUs could just be rebrands, so the Trinity APUs will have an HD 6000 GPU while the Brazos 2.0 and Hondo will have an HD 5000 GPU.

As for regular CPUs, AMD will release the Piledriver parts under the FX line, and will have two to four modules just like the current Bulldozer line. 2013 will still see the Piledriver modules used in the desktop line, while the APU lines will get new versions based on new architecture. The server CPU line remains the same this year, while 2013 will see updated versions launch but keep the current number of modules/threads, memory channels, and HyperTransport links. The 2013 versions will be based on Piledriver, however, so the performance will be increased while using the same amount of power.

AMD has more plans as well, which you can read about in full at the source.

AMD Stuffs a Computer Inside a Heatsink

Category: CPU's
Posted: January 13, 2012 03:56PM
Author: bp9801

CES 2012 is winding down, but not before this little gem from the show is revealed. What you see below may appear to be just an ordinary Cooler Master V6 heatsink, but if you look a little closer, you will see that AMD crammed a computer inside the heatsink. That's right, there is a computer inside of this heatsink that functions just like any other computer. AMD put a nano-ITX board on one side of the heatsink with an E-350 APU running the show, while the other side of the heatsink has a fan to cool everything down. On the bottom of the heatsink are the rear I/O connectors for the motherboard, and if you have this installed in your case, you will have some wires running inside of it. This may seem like a crazy idea, but it would serve pretty well as a media server since the main computer would not have to be turned on - just the E-350 system.

Intel Demos Ivy Bridge at CES 2012 - F1 2011 Demo Not Quite Accurate

Category: CPU's
Posted: January 9, 2012 12:49PM
Author: bp9801

CES 2012 is rolling right along in Las Vegas this week, and OCC has a crew there reporting on all the latest and greatest from the world of technology. Not all the staff could attend the show, which means we can bring you plenty of news from CES. Today, Intel was showing off some of its Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks and even had some demos running to show off their capability. One of the demos was a real-time Havok render of a troll, while another was of a DirectX 11 racing game, most likely F1 2011. The demo for F1 2011 looked great, but it was not quite what it seemed. You see, it was labeled as a "live demo," but it was actually a looped video since the video player controls popped up during it. What's more, is that our own Bosco heard the person "playing" the game with a racing wheel got up and left, and the game did not miss a beat. While it is great to see Intel showing off the upcoming Ivy Bridge platform, it still appears the final silicon is weeks away.

AMD Updates A-Series Chips for Laptops and Desktops

Category: CPU's
Posted: December 22, 2011 07:33PM
Author: bp9801

The AMD A-Series chips have not been out for real long, but already it is time for an upgrade. AMD will be upgrading the laptop and desktop A-Series APUs to include faster clock speeds, better graphics performance, and a few other enhancements. All the A-Series parts will be upgraded, from the dual-core A4 to the quad-core A6 and A8. The main difference between the two quad-cores is the amount of Radeon cores for the graphics. The A6 chips have 320 Radeon cores while the A8 have 400, plus a slightly higher clock speed. At the low end of the spectrum is the new E2-300M, which is a dual-core chip operating at 1.8GHz. On the desktop side there are two unlocked A-Series chips: the quad-core A6-3670K and the quad-core A8-3870K. The A6-3670K has a 2.7GHz base frequency while the A8-3870K has a base frequency of 3.0GHz, with AMD claiming 500MHz can be added to the CPU speed and 200MHz to the GPU speed for both.

The updated AMD A-Series APUs will be hitting retailers over the next few weeks. For a full list of new APUs, check out the source link.

The Intel 4004 Launched 40 Years Ago Today, Ushered in Digital Era

Category: CPU's
Posted: November 15, 2011 01:19PM
Author: bp9801

Forty years ago today, a little company known as Intel released the Intel 4004, the world's first commercially available microprocessor. This was a huge step in the world of computers and helped to usher in the digtal era. Previously, computers were built using vacuum tubes, resistors, and diodes. Vacuum tubes are not exactly the smallest thing in the world, so early computers were rather large. Enter the Intel 4004, which was a microprocessor that enabled computers to shrink down to a much more manageable size. Microprocessors made it so that anything could have computing potential, from cars to cell phones to game systems. In the past forty years, microprocessors have made huge leaps in performance and size, with Intel stating a current second-gen Intel Core processor has more than 350,000 times the performance of the Intel 4004, with each transistor using 5,000 times less energy. Who knows what the next forty years will bring, but today we can at least celebrate the launch of the Intel 4004 and the digital era.

Hardware Roundup: Intel Core i7 3960X Edition

Category: CPU's
Posted: November 14, 2011 05:51AM
Author: Dale Shuck

As expected, Intel has launched two new members of its Sandy Bridge processor family, the six-core Core i7 3960X and 3930K CPUs, with a third chip with four cores dues out early next year. The six-core Core i7 3960X and 3930K Sandy Bridge Extreme processors are aimed at the enthusiast community with fully unlocked cores which should appeal to overclockers willing to fork out $990 for the Core i7 3960X and $555 for the Core I7 3930K. In this roundup, the Core i7 3960X is covered along with a few X79 motherboards. You can check out our regular hardware roundup for additional reviews on Socket 2011 boards.

Intel Sandy Bridge Extreme Core i7 3960X @ OCC
Intel Core i7 3960X Sandy Bridge-E @ Neoseeker
Intel Sandy Bridge-E Review - Core i7-3960X and X79 Chipset Tested @ PC Perspective
Intel Core i7 3960X Extreme Edition (LGA 2011) CPU @ TweakTown
Intel Sandy Bridge-E Debuts: Core i7-3960X Reviewed @ TechSpot
Intel Core i7-3690X Extreme Edition CPU @ Benchmark Reviews
Intel's Core i7-3960X processor: Sandy Bridge goes Extreme @ Tech Report
Intel's X79 Chipset, Core i7 3960X & DX79SI Motherboard @ Bjorn3D
Intel i7-3960X and Intel DX79SI @ LanOC Reviews
Intel Core i7-3960X - Sandy Bridge E Processor @ [H]ardOCP

NVIDIA Announces Quad-Core Tegra 3 Mobile Processor

Category: CPU's, Mobile
Posted: November 9, 2011 10:00AM
Author: Dale Shuck

NVIDIA has announced the world's first quad-core mobile processor designed to bring PC-class performance to mobiles devices such as phones and tablets. Formerly known by the code name 'Kal-El', the Tegra 3 processor provides up to three times the graphics performance of the predecessor Tegra 2 processor while also offering up to 61 percent lower power consumption.

Based on the ARM Cortex A9 CPU, the Tegra 3 implements Variable Symmetric Multiprocessing technology with four main cores designed for high-performance, 'heavy-lifting' tasks, with a fifth companion CPU core for the easy tasks which require little power. The four main cores also generally consume less power than dual-core processors. Uses where the companion core comes into play include listening to music and video playback. During these tasks, the Tegra 3 completely shuts down the four main cores.

All of this processing power is accompanied by a 12-core NVIDIA GeForce GPU that delivers more realism with dynamic lighting and high-resolution environment so the gaming experience on mobile device can be comparable to playing on a console. Tegra 3 also supports NVIDIA's 3D Vision technology so you can experience 3D when connected to a big screen TV via HDMI 1.4. Over 40 games are expected to become available by the end of 2011, with 15 Tegra 3 games now under development for Tegra Zone, the free Android Market with games optimized for the Tegra processor.

NVIDIA says the Tegra 3 is currently in production and the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime is the first tablet to be developed using the Tegra 3 quad-core processor.

 

Additional YouTube content on the Tegra 3 can be found here:

NVIDIA Tegra 3: Fifth Companion Core
NVIDIA Tegra 3: Glowball Part 2
NVIDIA Tegra 3: Behind the Next-Gen Mobile Games

AMD's Bulldozer Sets Another World Record at 8.58 GHz

Category: CPU's
Posted: November 7, 2011 05:52AM
Author: edwardquilo

AMD retains its crown as the world's highest overclocked CPU with a chip running at 8.58 GHz, courtesy of Taiwanese Andre Yang. Incidentally, Yang is also responsible for pushing his AMD FX-8150 to 8.46 GHz just last week, toppling AMD's own previous overclocking attempt. To be exact, the new world record is 8584.8 MHz, and is awaiting validation in CPU-Z's database. The same hardware from his previous overclocking setup was used, namely an Asus Crosshair V Formula motherboard, with a few adjustments to the core voltage(from 1.992V to 2.076V). 

Yang also used liquid nitrogen for cooling, although a few sources indicate that the FX-8150 could still be pushed even further with a liquid helium-based cooling solution. 

Hardware Roundup: AMD FX-8150 Bulldozer Edition

Category: CPU's
Posted: October 11, 2011 11:20PM
Author: Dale Shuck

A new CPU launch is generally a much-anticipated event, preceded by lots of speculation and rumor. With today's launch of AMD's new processors with the new architecture, code-named "Bulldozer", we can finally put some of that to rest as we finally have some real numbers to look at. At launch, AMD is unveiling four processors - the FX-8150, FX-8120, FX-6100 and FX-4100. The FX-8150 and FX-8120 are both 8-core offerings clocked at 3.6GHz and 3.1GHz respectively. The FX-6100 is a 3.3GHz 6-core chip followed by the quad-core FX-4100 at 3.6GHz. Prices range from $245 for the FX-8150 down to $115 for the FX4100. So follow along as we look at the reviews from around the Web.

AMD FX-8150 @ OCC
AMD FX-8150 Bulldozer CPU @ Neoseeker
AMD Bulldozer / FX-8150 Desktop Performance @ [H]ardOCP
AMD FX-8150 Processor Review - Can Bulldozer Unearth an AMD Victory? @ PC Perspective
Bulldozer Arrives: AMD FX-8150 @ TechSpot
AMD FX-8150 (AM3+) 3.6GHz Bulldozer CPU @ TweakTown
AMD FX-8150 Bulldozer Processor @ Benchmark Reviews
AMD FX-8150 Bulldozer CPU @ Madshrimps
AMD's FX-8150 'Bulldozer' processor @ Tech Report
AMD FX-8150 CPU: Bulldozer @ Bjorn3D

Donanim Haber Reports AMD FX Prices and Launch Date

Category: CPU's
Posted: September 21, 2011 05:20AM
Author: edwardquilo

VR-Zone spotted a Donanim Haber article announcing the prices and availability of AMD's desktop Bulldozer FX CPUs. While these have not been officially confirmed, these figures give us a fair idea of how these new CPUs will stack up against the competition. All three AMD FX CPUs are reportedly scheduled for launch on October 12th.

Performance-wise, the price of the flagship 3.6GHz FX-8150 ($245) puts it between the Core i5 2500K and Core i7 2600K. The FX-8120 and FX-6100 retails at $205 and $175, respectively. At these price points, the 3.1GHz FX-8120 is then expected to be on par with Intel's Core i5 2500K, and the FX-6100, clocked at 3.3GHz and can be boosted to 3.9GHz, is assumed to replace the Phenom II X6 1100T. Both the FX-8150 and FX-8120 have eight cores (or four Bulldozer modules), and feature a respective Turbo Core boost of 4.2GHz and 4GHz. The three CPUs come with 8MB of L3 cache, as well as either 6MB of L2 cache for the FX-6100, or 8MB for its eight-core siblings.

First AMD FX CPU Benchmark Against Intel

Category: CPU's
Posted: September 15, 2011 07:33PM
Author: edwardquilo

Hardware.info recorded a benchmark that pitted the up-and-coming 8-core AMD FX CPU against an Intel Core i5 in Handbrake. It was not specified which exact CPU models were used, but it is possible that an AMD FX-8100/8120 and Core i5 2400/2500 were used for the test. A video transcode performance comparison resulted in a five minute standard definition conversion at 223 fps in favor of the FX, with the Core i5 trailing at 188 fps. It is evident that AMD's eight cores were responsible for this 19% performance/price advantage in Handbrake. Though Handbrake isn't as heavily multi-threaded as other similar transcoders such as Cinebench or X264, the open-source Handbrake still brings better yields with multiple cores, hence AMD's clear performance lead over Intel's. Still, that's an eight-core difference with Intel's lower four-core count, so this result is an uneven approximation. 

A Dirt 3 gaming benchmark with an unidentified AMD FX CPU and an Intel i7 980X was also performed, using a 2560x1600 resolution and dual Radeon HD 6970s in CrossFire mode. The AMD FX CPU had a slight lead over the Intel chip, with 82.8 fps and 80.8 fps, respectively. As it stands, AMD's demonstrated test indicates that it may yet keep its title as a price/performance favorite. Perhaps as the Bulldozer FX nears its release date, we'll be seeing a more comprehensive benchmark. 

AMD's 8.4GHz OC Crowned the Fastest CPU on Earth

Category: CPU's
Posted: September 13, 2011 08:33AM
Author: edwardquilo

Take that, Intel. An extremely overclocked AMD 8-core FX processor broke the world record of fastest CPU on the planet last August 31, with a lightning speed frequency of 8.429GHz. The achievement brought on a Guinness World Record, a feat made possible with several days of preparation and generous amounts of liquid Helium. This is an impressive attempt, showcasing the overclocking prowess of AMD's upcoming 8-core Bulldozer chip. 

A closer inspection of the overclocking campaign sheds light on how this was made possible, although it might diminish the accomplishment somewhat. You see, only two cores were running all throughout the overclock. Having all the other cores disabled probably helped a lot with the massive frequency boost, along with the frosty temperature of -235 degrees C to keep the CPU chilled. Despite that, a dual core clocked at 8.429GHz is still a tremendous triumph for AMD, and will no doubt generate some well-deserved buzz for the much-awaited Bulldozer FX CPU. Furthermore, the CPU-Z capture indicates that an AMD FX-8150 processor was used for the test, conducted by pro overclocker Sami Mäkinen aka "macci" in Austin, Texas. Luckily for us, OverclockersClub had the chance to witness this momentous AMD event firsthand last August 31, too.  

 

AMD Says Zambezi Parts to Ship in Quarter Four

Category: CPU's
Posted: September 9, 2011 09:53AM
Author: bp9801

I know what you're thinking. The AMD Bulldozer parts have already shipped, but those are the Interlagos server CPUs. The Interlagos is a server-only CPU, meaning there will be no desktop version of it. For that, we are waiting on the Zambezi products to launch, but now it seems those have slipped to quarter four of this year. Do not be alarmed, since the fourth quarter starts pretty soon and we should begin to see products arriving in October. These will be the Bulldozer CPUs that many of you have been waiting for, myself included, so it should not be much longer before we can purchase one. The Zambezi products will carry the FX branding, and in fact the AMD FX website has been live for the better part of three months. That is a little unheard of considering the products aren't even out yet, but AMD will soon correct that. So, when the AMD Bulldozer desktop CPUs launch, how many of you will pick one up?

AMD Rumored to Release Unlocked Multipliers for A-Series Llano APUs

Category: CPU's
Posted: September 8, 2011 05:50PM
Author: edwardquilo

An Xbitlabs news article indicates that AMD is gearing up to provide customers with A-series Fusion Llano APUs that have unlocked multipliers. Designated with the familiar "K" moniker, AMD's lineup will consist of the A8-3870K(clocked at 3.0GHz) expected in Q4 2011, and the A6-3670K(2.7Ghz). These are evidently targeted at performance users and overclockers, although by design the Llano series wasn't intended for such a market. 

As these Llano K chips are scheduled with the same release window as the high-end Zambezi FX line of processors in Q4 2011, these two might find themselves inadvertently competing against each other. Although performance-wise, the FX CPUs should have no problem differentiating its Bulldozer-enhanced architecture against the more mainstream Llano offering. 

Intel Sandy Bridge-E CPUs Coming on November 15th

Category: CPU's
Posted: September 8, 2011 08:04AM
Author: edwardquilo

A Sandy Bridge-E CPU and X79 motherboard combo for early adopters could be arriving sooner than expected. Intel's recent spate of difficulties with the Sandy Bridge-E platform might lead some to speculate a delay of its launch date, but Donanim Haber firmly asserts that the top-end Intel lineup will be released on November 15, 2011. 

The Sandy Bridge-E series consists of the following: Core i7 3820($294), Core i7 3930K($583) and the flagship Core i7 3960X($999). The latter is reported to be faster than the Core i7 990X by 15%. The 3960X also makes use of the X79's quad-channel memory feature, which should allow it to perform very well with applications that rely heavily on memory bandwidth. On the AMD front, its own desktop Bulldozer counterpart might not be available for at least a few months.

AMD Starts Shipping Bulldozer CPUs for Servers

Category: CPU's
Posted: September 7, 2011 07:12AM
Author: edwardquilo

AMD's much awaited x86 Bulldozer-based CPUs have started revenue shipments for the company's first lineup, code-named Interlagos. The CPU is AMD's 16-core x86 offering, compatible with Opteron 6100 platforms. Production started last August, with OEM customers expected to receive stocks soon. The Interlagos is targeted at general purpose servers with little demand for very high per-core performance, such as database search operations. In comparison, the Interlagos is clocked 25% below its desktop Bulldozer counterpart, code-named Zambezi. The latter is reported to be set for a September 17th announcement. With Intel expected to launch its Sandy Bridge-E series soon, it would be interesting to see how AMD's high-end Zambezi offering stacks up against Intel's. 

Rumors Talks About Another Delay of Ivy Bridge and Bulldozer

Category: CPU's
Posted: September 6, 2011 12:47AM
Author: Tobias Thydal

Both AMD and Intel are supposedly getting ready to launch its new CPU architectures before the end of this year, but now rumors are suggesting that both companies might delay the introductions of the CPUs.

According to the rumors, Intel will cut back on the capital investment for the upgrade of the Fab 24 facility, which would make the factory capable of manufacturing the 22nm architecture. Apparently, Intel is doing it because the PC demand is weakening according to both Forbes and DigiTimes. For most companies, it seems logical to cut back on investments when the market is weakening. But that’s not what Intel has done in the past. Historically, Intel has often chosen to invest and innovate its way out of financial problems or weak demand instead of saving up. Therefore it seems rather strange that it would do the complete opposite now.

AMD’s Bulldozer is also rumored to be delayed. The argument for this is that AMD hasn’t confirmed officially that it shipped its upcoming server-class Bulldozer products for revenue at some point in August. If that was to be true though, it would be quite a strange move by AMD, since Wall Street and all the potential buyers wouldn’t take too kindly on another delay so close to the anticipated launch date.

Sandy Bridge-E CPUs May Ship Without Stock Coolers

Category: CPU's
Posted: August 17, 2011 08:47AM
Author: edwardquilo

A report from VR-Zone indicates that Intel's upcoming CPUs designated "Sandy Bridge-E" which includes the Core i7 3820, 3930K and 3960X processors, will be shipping without its own heatsink and fan solutions. Intel's plan would be to sell LGA 2011-compatible CPU coolers alongside established third-party vendors, which should be readily available by the time the latest Sandy Bridge SKUs come out. While it would have been convenient to include nondescript stock coolers, the idea of waiving this option does make some sense, considering the target market for the high-end CPU. 

Touted as the successors to Intel's LGA 1366 platform in the performance desktop segment, the Sandy Bridge-E processors are reported to have a rated TDP of 130W. However, actual consumption may very well reach 180W at default speeds, prior to any overclocking attempts. Because of this, Intel has warned PSU manufacturers to design its Sandy Bridge-E power supplies to handle a peak current of 23A on the 12v2 rail, and to have at least an efficiency rating of 80 percent. 

Considering the high power requirements, if you're thinking of overclocking this beast, then perhaps your best bet would be to go by way of a water cooling kit. Unfortunately, initial stocks of the Sandy Bridge-E units appear to have succumbed to the cold bug after being exposed to a certain temperature. It is very likely though that this defect could be eliminated by the time the retail versions are released. The Sandy Bridge-E CPUs are expected to have a Q4 2011 launch date. 

AMD FX-8130P Processor Hits 5.1GHz on Air

Category: CPU's
Posted: July 6, 2011 07:19PM
Author: bp9801

The upcoming AMD Bulldozer processors aren't even out yet, but that isn't stopping some performance numbers to leak out. One of the latest leaks is something rather promising, as an AMD FX-8130P processor, the flagship eight-core model, hit 5.1GHz on an air cooler. That number is staggering when you think about it, plus it appears the chip needed 1.59375 volts to hit that speed, but it did do it on an air cooler. There are some screenshots of the feat, plus a video, and the results speak for themselves. The motherboard used was an ASUS Crosshair Formula V and the cooler was a Noctua DH-14, so the hardware seems to be the right kind for an impressive overclock. For the record, the FX-8130P is supposedly clocked at 3.8GHz with a 125W TDP and 8MB L3 cache. The price should be set at $320, which if true, will make it hard to beat or resist.

ARM Chips to Rival PS3 and Xbox 360

Category: CPU's
Posted: July 6, 2011 03:25PM
Author: Nick Harezga

ARM, the most popular chip designer for mobile devices, has stated that it believes its Mali GPU will be able to match the performance of the PS3 and Xbox 360 within 18 months. ARM was able to accomplish this using several techniques, and not just throwing more transistors at the problem. ARM had to think outside the box as battery technology isn't able to keep up with CPU technology. ARM uses a combination of "very aggressive power management and multiple GPUs that can power up as required." The current Mali core, the Mali-400MP, already appears in the Samsung Galaxy S II, but the Mali T604 is where the design should really begin to shine. As the first core to support GPGPU functionality with support for OpenCL, it will open the possibilities for server deployment as well as superb mobile graphics.

HP Launches Llano-based Pavilion dv6z Quad Edition Laptops

Category: CPU's, Prebuilts
Posted: July 4, 2011 02:40AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Hewlett-Packard has launched its latest line of Pavilion dv6z Quad Edition laptops, this time with a twist. The Palo Alto-based company has added AMD processor configurations to its Quad Edition laptops for the first time, with previous releases being Intel-exclusive. HP has added five options from AMD's recently released Llano-series of Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). The new APUs range from the low-end A6-3400M running at 1.4GHz, to the high-end A8-3530MX clocked at a higher 1.9GHz. It is worth noting that the stock speeds can be increased to between 2.3 and 2.6GHz on selected cores using AMD Turbo technology. Processors aside, the dv6z Quad Edition laptops feature up to 16GB of memory backed by up to 1TB of 5400RPM storage, and are equipped with either an 1366x768 or 1920x1080 15.6" screen. Additional graphics options include a 512MB or 1GB GDDR5 Radeon video card. Connectivity options include HDMI 1.4, VGA, two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports, along with a webcam and optical drive (DVD or Blu-Ray). As always, 802.11b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth support come as standard. The Quad Edition laptops have a sleek design featuring an island-style keyboard, and will be available in either dark umber or steel gray color schemes. Windows 7 Home Premium is the operating system of choice. The Quad Edition laptops are available now, priced from $650.

Hardware Roundup: AMD Llano A8-3850 Edition

Category: CPU's
Posted: June 30, 2011 03:06AM
Author: Dale Shuck

If you haven't been following AMD closely over these past several months, then the announcement of the A8-3850 Llano APU may come as a surprise. Even more surprising, or more likely confusing, is the array of new terminology and monikers like 'APU', 'Fusion', 'Llano' and 'Lynx'. Fusion is AMD's marketing name for a new series of processors, or accelerated processing units (APU) that combine the CPU, GPU and other functions onto a single die. The latest AMD processors, or APUs, are codenamed Llano, and are based on the K10 core. The desktop platform is codenamed 'Lynx' and today we have a roundup of reviews on the first APU for the Lynx platform - the A8-3850. The new APU is manufactured using a 32nm SOI process and is a quad-core processor clocked at 2.9GHz. Also onboard the package is a Radeon HD 6550D GPU clocked at 600MHz. As mentioned, the Lynx platform comes with a new FM1 socket and A75 chipset. Take a moment to check out some of the reviews from around the Web using the links below.

AMD A8-3850 Llano APU @ OCC
AMD A8-3850 Llano APU @ TechSpot
AMD A8-3850 Llano Desktop Processor Review - Can AMD compete with Sandy Bridge? @ PC Perspective
AMD A8-3850 (Llano) APU and A55/A75 Chipset @ TweakTown
AMD A8-3850 Llano APU & Gigabyte A75M-UD2H @ Neoseeker
AMD's A8-3850 Fusion APU @ Tech Report
AMD A8-A3850 APU and Lynx plattform preview @ Bjorn3d

AMD Plans to Phase Out Current AM3 CPUs Fairly Quick

Category: CPU's
Posted: June 29, 2011 11:44AM
Author: bp9801

AMD is planning for its APUs and AM3+ CPUs to carry the company for a while, but what of the current AM3 CPUs? Well, if a leaked roadmap is anything to go by, the current AM3 CPUs will be phased out fairly quick once the A-Series APUs and AM3+ CPUs launch later this year. The AM3 Phenom II CPUs will be the first one to go, as AMD projects to rely solely on the AM3+ products by the fourth quarter of this year. However, since the AM3+ products aren't quite out yet, we should see the AM3 ones stick around just a bit longer. The AM3 Athlon II CPUs will be around longer than the Phenom II CPUs, but by the start of next year those will be replaced by the A-Series. What we'll be left with is the E-Series at the entry level, the A-Series at the mid-range, and the AM3+ CPUs at the high-end, though the E-Series and AM3+ are expected to hold about half the market combined with the A-Series making up the difference.

The current E-Series products will also be phased out by the fourth quarter, with the E-240 being the first to go and the E-300 replacing it, while the E-350 will be replaced with the E-450. The E-450 has a 50MHz bump on the speed, but it will pack a more powerful GPU and support for 1333MHz DDR3 RAM. If you are planning on using the E or A-Series for an HTPC, you should know that only the A-Series is capable of Blu-ray 3D playback. Of course, if you have no interest in that then you can go ahead and use the E-Series, but it is something to consider.

AMD Launches Fusion A-Series Chips

Category: CPU's
Posted: June 14, 2011 01:53PM
Author: bp9801

AMD has been talking about its Llano platform for a couple of years now, and finally we are seeing the fruits of its labors. The Fusion A-Series is the latest chips from AMD to pack a CPU and a GPU on the same die, and while we already have the low-power versions in netbooks, the A-Series is designed with desktops and mainstream laptops in mind. The A-Series APUs take direct aim at the Intel Core 2011 offerings and claim to offer superior graphics and better battery life. For laptop users, these new chips mean that you can still get a discrete graphics solution and it will give you a 75% increase when paired together. AMD calls that solution "Dual Graphics," and it will mean gamers won't be left in the dark when wanting a powerful laptop.

There are seven laptop APUs launching today, ranging from the dual-core A4 to the quad-core A6 and A8, and each are stereoscopic 3D enabled, carry USB 3.0 support, DirectX 11 graphics, and support for 1600MHz DDR3 memory. Each can also run with low-power 1333MHz DDR3L memory for when you need to stress better battery life. Speaking of battery life, AMD is promising more than ten and a half hours of resting time with power gating. It also points out that its quad-core A8-3510MX APU can go three and a half hours longer than an Intel dual-core Core i5-2410M CPU. The dual-core A4 chips will compete with the Intel Core i3 offerings, the quad-core A6 APUS with the Core i3 and i5 chips, and finally the quad-core A8s will square off with the i5 and i7 processors.

The graphics range from 240 to 400 shader cores and either a 400 or 444MHz clock speed. Processor clock speeds seem to be pretty good, ranging between 1.4GHz and 2.1GHz, plus the Turbo speed is quite nice. These should be appearing in laptops soon, with hopefully some desktop versions launching before long.

Model	x86 cores	L2 cache	Shader cores	Clock speed (base/max)	GPU clock speed
A4-3300M	Dual-core	2MB	240	1.9GHz/2.5GHz	444MHz
A4-3310MX	Dual-core	2MB	240	2.1GHz/2.5GHz	444MHz
A6-3400M	Quad-core	4MB	320	1.4GHz/2.3GHz	400MHz
A6-3410MX	Quad-core	4MB	320	1.6GHz/2.3GHz	400MHz
A8-3500M	Quad-core	4MB	400	1.5GHz/2.4GHz	444MHz
A8-3510MX	Quad-core	4MB	400	1.8GHz/2.5GHz	444MHz
A8-3530MX	Quad-core	4MB	400	1.9GHz/2.6GHz	444MHz

 

Model	Radeon graphics	TDP	Max DDR3/DDR3L
A4-3300M	HD 6480G	35W	1333MHz/1333MHZ
A4-3310MX	HD 6480G	45W	1333MHz/1333MHZ
A6-3400M	HD 6520G	35W	1333MHz/1333MHZ
A6-3410MX	HD 6520G	45W	1600MHz/1333MHz
A8-3500M	HD 6620G	35W	1333MHz/1333MHZ
A8-3510MX	HD 6620G	45W	1600MHz/1333MHz
A8-3530MX	HD 6620G	45W	1600MHz/1333MHz

AMD Announces Pricing for FX Series Processors

Category: CPU's
Posted: June 10, 2011 04:48PM
Author: bp9801

It was just a few days ago that AMD announced its FX series of processors, the high-end parts that include the first eight-core CPU available for consumers. Today, AMD has announced the prices for those processors, and if you were expecting it to match the Intel prices, you would be wrong. The top-of-the-line FX-8130P, the eight-core beast, will carry a street price of $320, far below the price of high-end Intel CPUs. The FX-8130P is slated to carry a 3.8GHz stock speed with a Turbo 2.0 mode of 4.2GHz while carrying a 130W TDP, but AMD has not confirmed the actual clock speeds. It also appears that AMD is targetting the back-to-school timeframe for a launch of the processors, so it looks like we shouldn't have too long of a wait to get our hands on them. AMD is once again targetting the gamers with the FX processor series, hoping you will pair it with a 9-Series motherboard and Radeon HD 6000 video card. AMD is also working with its partners to ensure that both applications and games can take advantage of all eight cores in the flagship model.

AMD Revives FX Processor Line at E3

Category: CPU's
Posted: June 7, 2011 04:37PM
Author: Nick Harezga

AMD announced that it will be releasing the FX line of processors, geared toward high performance users. The FX line always featured the most powerful AMD processors, and also the most expensive. The first line to bear the FX moniker will be the "Scorpius" platform, featuring the AMD 9-series chipset and Radeon HD 6000 graphics cards. After that will be the "Zambezi" platform, an unlocked, native eight-core processor.

Also announced was the addition of several titles to the Gaming Evolved program. This program aims to provide the best experience to gamers by working directly with developers on support for Eyefinity, AMD Dual Graphics, and native AMD HD3D support. The new titles to be added to this initiative include Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Dragon Age 2, Shogun 2: Total War, and DiRT 3.

Intel Xeon Reaches 4GHz

Category: CPU's
Posted: June 6, 2011 11:09PM
Author: edwardquilo

Intel's June 2011 spec sheet indicates without much fanfare that its most recent four-core Xeon E3-1290 processor runs at 3.6GHz, and will reach a clock speed of 4GHz with Turbo Boost running on one core. With these specs, it's easy to speculate that a 4GHz desktop version may not be too far off. The Xeon E3-1290 could set you back at an introductory price of $885. Intel previously withdrew its single-core 4GHz processor years ago, citing power consumption and leakage as its issues. On the AMD front, it has processors that run at 3.7 GHz, with the soon-to-be-released Zambezi processors expected to reach 4GHz speeds as well.

Passwords Secure? Think Again

Category: CPU's
Posted: June 3, 2011 06:15PM
Author: Tyrium

Everyone likes to think that their passwords are uncrackable. However, if programs like "ighashgpu", a free password cracking tool, are any indication, all your passwords might be just about as useful as an ice cube in the Arctic. Ighashgpu uses a computer's GPU instead of its CPU to run password guesses. While this may seem unimportant, GPUs have been shown to crack passwords at mind boggling speeds compared to a standard CPU. Even long passwords involving upper and lowercase letters as well as symbols quickly fall victim to the too when running GPU guesses. Still, that's not even the scary part. Your most well thought out passwords could become worthless against even a low-end GPU. For the exact numbers, check here. You may find yourself more than a little surprised and a lot more conscious of how vulnerable you really are.
 

 

Development of 2nm Transistor

Category: CPU's
Posted: June 1, 2011 07:32PM
Author: zackhaf

A new leap has been made in the race to create ever smaller transistors. Chungbuk National University, located in South Korea, has successfully created a 2nm transistor, which is drastically smaller than that of the currently used 32nm transistor. This smaller size would allow for a much higher transistor count in future processors. Such a small size could offer added benefits for mobile computing by allowing a lower power usage and even smaller processing units than are currently available. Such technology could drastically change the current evolution of computing power.