Tuesday, August 24th 2010
AMD's Bobcat Takes Aim at Key Consumer Low-Power Market Segments
AMD's answer to a lot of Intel's processors in the low-power category, be it the Core i3/i5 "Clarkdale", Core CULV, or even the Atom, seems to have finally taken shape with "Bobcat". This processor is a major design overhaul, as it integrates a number of key components, including a GPU. Since the GPU component is so complex and integrated with the rest of the processor at such a level, AMD decided to name the processor an "Accelerated Processing Unit" or APU. Beyond just driving video and 3D graphics, the GPU component of Bobcat is designed to lend a hand to the CPU cores whenever needed.
The GPU doubles up as a raw SIMD engine array that works with applications over OpenCL and ATI Stream technologies to step up performance. The "Bobcat" Fusion APU integrates x86 processor cores with a high-performance switch that doubles up as a memory controller, which connects to a SIMD engine, a UVD display controller, and platform interfaces that include connection to the southbridge chipset and display I/O.
The x86 processor cores are redesigned to cut unnecessary fat (read: caches). It features smaller, but lower latency L1 caches (32 KB L1-I and 32 KB L1-D), advanced branch prediction, full out of the order instruction execution and load/store engines, and a high-performance FPU. The processor supports the AMD64 x86-64 ISA compliant instruction set. As far as SIMD instruction sets go, it seems to have done away with SSE4a and implemented SSSE3 (Supplementary SSE3) ISA instruction set. AMD-V is present to add virtualization support.
As far as energy efficiency goes, the design allows AMD to create cores that draw less than 1W of power. The performance-watt equation is a watershed: AMD expects a chip with 90% of the performance of the current notebook CPUs to have less than half the die area, and a fraction of the power draw. The chip is designed to be deployed in a number of packages to suit various designs.
AMD is targeting the lower-mainstream and entry-level PC segments, netbooks and nettops, and cloud-computing clients with the Bobcat architecture. These chips branded under the "Fusion" brand name will be marketed in 2011.
The GPU doubles up as a raw SIMD engine array that works with applications over OpenCL and ATI Stream technologies to step up performance. The "Bobcat" Fusion APU integrates x86 processor cores with a high-performance switch that doubles up as a memory controller, which connects to a SIMD engine, a UVD display controller, and platform interfaces that include connection to the southbridge chipset and display I/O.
AMD is targeting the lower-mainstream and entry-level PC segments, netbooks and nettops, and cloud-computing clients with the Bobcat architecture. These chips branded under the "Fusion" brand name will be marketed in 2011.
33 Comments on AMD's Bobcat Takes Aim at Key Consumer Low-Power Market Segments
1w is the minimum they can do is all I seem to recall.
"the design allows AMD to create cores that draw less than 1W of power."
That's rather open if you think about it, "Allows" and "to create cores" implies that they have the potential to create such a chip, but it doesn't implicit state that the 1w chip will be the one that was 90% of the performance or current procs.
Whilst AMD are less shitty then nvidia/intel from a business stand point they are still a business so function end communicate like one.
Best to take things with a pinch of salt XD
Just hope that RL won't deflate the actual product too much.
AMD's buying ATi was a good move after all; they gave AMD a financial hand up now with the HD5000 series and AMD is on a role and might be returning the favor soon when nVidia retaliates. If this sort of tag teaming keeps up, it's gonna be a tough act to follow for Intel and nVidia who're fighting each other (motherboards, etc) almost as much as they are AMD.
ATi has been producing loss ever since it was bought, only the last quarter or so ATi has been doing profit. ATi has simply cost AMD several billions they could've used for other things like expanding a fab or R&D. It might even have been better if nV had bought AMD back then...
For $5.0B less AMD could've hired a boatload of engineers and given them a 5-year program to make it happen.
I want more laugh :laugh::roll::roll::roll:
CPU + GPU...
Think:
Intel has "basic" GPU integrated in their Core 2010 series...
Now think again:
AMD has ATI. -> AMD could make incredible CPUs with powerfull ATI graphics integrated.
Now imagine:
An Six Core AMD CPU integrating an ATI 5000 SERIES (5750 whatever) GPU...
Result:
That would make Intel regret.
Why hasn't AMD moved like this yet?
:ohwell:
too bad intel larabe was quite a failit will be powerful for HTPC and for laptop