AMD to launch netbook platform

March 12, 2010 | 13:54

Tags: #amd-fusion #amd-netbook #atom #fusion #ion #nvidia-ion

Companies: #amd #arm #nvidia

AMD's latest creation is a low-power netbook platform designed to compete with Nvidia's Ion and Intel's Atom.

AMD has finally decided to mount a serious challenge to rival Intel's Atom and Nvidia's Ion with a netbook-oriented chipset of its own.

As reported over on Liliputing, the company is planning a chipset with integrated ATI graphics designed for devices with 12" or smaller screens - in other words, a netbook chipset designed to challenge Intel's dominance in the market.

The part is expected to draw between 10 and 15 watts - that's for the chipset, GPU, and processor - meaning that AMD should be able to get some decent battery life out of a standard netbook design, and possibly even shoehorn its creation into the ultra-portable mobile Internet device and portable media player markets.

Designed as part of AMD's Fusion line, the performance of the integrated graphics chip is expected to be more in-line with a dedicated card - with full 1080p playback facilities and support for 3D accelerated gaming at a decent pace.

While AMD already has several chips aimed at the ultra-portable end of the market - including its Neo MV-40 - none are particularly friendly to battery life, something the company is clearly hoping to change with this latest announcement.

Sadly for anyone looking at getting a netbook in the next few months, AMD's platform won't be available until 2011 at the earliest - leaving the market to Intel and, increasingly, ARM for the rest of the year. How its rivals' products will have evolved in that time is likely to impact on just how successful AMD's somewhat late entry to the netbook game will be.

Would you hold out until AMD's entry has hit the market before buying a netbook, or has Nvidia got it in the bag with its Ion and Tegra chipsets? Share your thoughts over in the forum.
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