AMD's Ultrabook-Equivalent Platform Up To 20% Cheaper

[btarunr]

While many might think that "Ultrabook" is a generic term for a new performance ultra-portable notebook form-factor, it is a registered trademark of Intel, which governs the specifications of what qualifies to be an Ultrabook. Intel will launch a well-defined Ultrabook platform based on its third-generation Core processor family, codenamed "Ivy Bridge", later this year. Meanwhile, AMD is finalizing a performance ultra-portable specification of its own, powered by its next-generation "Trinity" accelerated processing units (APUs), which it will call "Ultrathin".

Ultrathin will be designed to offer competitive CPU performance to Ultrabook, and superior GPU performance to it, at target prices 10-20 percent lower than Ultrabook. In 2012, while Intel bagged about 75 design wins for its Ultrabook platform, AMD claims to have already won 20. AMD's Ultrathin platform will have advantages over Intel's Ultrabook with regards to platform and component costs. The average AMD Ultrathin with $100~$200 cheaper than the average Intel Ultrabook. Some notebook vendors are concerned that a competitive platform to Intel Ultrabook could result in a price-war between the two platforms, and end up reducing the prices of the now profitable-looking performance ultraportable segment.



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[imitation]

Nice! While AMD's CPUs can't keep up to Intel's high-end offerings, it's always good to have a choice in the segment where it really matters.
In the end, competition is the best thing that the consumer could wish for, and AMD's been doing a decent job of keeping the pressure up.

 

[kajson]

This is what i've been waiting for, a superlight affordable laptop that can actually play some games. Though for me this is where AMD could really make a fortune.

A price war would be lovely ofc

 

[NC37]

With Trinity coming, its just gonna be even better. Come on Apple, make a Trinity Mac so I can have the PC performance I want and be able to run the Mac apps I still use on my iBook .

 

[cdawall]

Hmmm I want one.

 

[xenocide]

Nice! While AMD's CPUs can't keep up to Intel's high-end offerings, it's always good to have a choice in the segment where it really matters.

Ultrabooks are the segment that really matter?

This confuses me greatly...

 

[joyman]

I really can't wait to see some ready notebooks with trinity already... Nice last year for this world this will be

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

Why on earth would vendors be worried about AMD vs Intel competition? It hurts Intel and AMDs profits, not the vendors. The vendor cut should remain they same.

 

[Fourstaff]

AMD's power consumption figures in the mobile market is no where close to Intel's, they are going to need to work extra hard if they want to challenge Intel at all in the battery life segment which is unfortunately the most important part.

 

[Hokum]

My Acer 522 lasts for over 8 hours on battery. I don't think AMD are that bad in the old power usage side...

 

[djisas]

Fourstaff, didnt they show up a 7 or 14w part playing dirt, playing FHD and converting movie at the same time??
Those are the parts that will go and compete with Intel's ones, the one that showed a movie of an f1 game...

 

[Super XP]

Why on earth would vendors be worried about AMD vs Intel competition? It hurts Intel and AMDs profits, not the vendors. The vendor cut should remain they same.

They are talking about Ultrabooks being sold today. By this news alone, they may be forced to cut current inventory prices.

Anyhow good job AMD, bring on the competition.

 

[gorg_graggel]

Some notebook vendors are concerned that a competitive platform to Intel Ultrabook could result in a price-war between the two platforms, and end up reducing the prices of the now profitable-looking performance ultraportable segment.

god beware! there's gonna be competition!

anyone else has the impression that companies see competition being a principle of capitalism as a good thing only when they are one the "winning" side of things?

 

[imitation]

Ultrabooks are the segment that really matter?

This confuses me greatly...

That was in contrast to Intel's dominance in the high-end sector, referring to low-end and mainstream parts (that includes affordable ultrabooks).

 

[btarunr]

Why on earth would vendors be worried about AMD vs Intel competition? It hurts Intel and AMDs profits, not the vendors. The vendor cut should remain they same.

Because if there's only one platform vendor, they can overprice and get big margins. If there are two platform vendors, and the solution of one is cheaper than the other's while maintaining good cost-performance, it can cause the vendor of the costlier platform to cut prices, resulting in a downward spiral of prices between both vendors. In the process, the notebook vendors' margins shrink.

It's not just Intel and NVIDIA that seek monopoly, but everyone else in the PC ecosystem that wants the two to hold monopoly.

 

[Fourstaff]

Fourstaff, didnt they show up a 7 or 14w part playing dirt, playing FHD and converting movie at the same time??
Those are the parts that will go and compete with Intel's ones, the one that showed a movie of an f1 game...

I am not convinced until they show me actual products.

 

[Atom_Anti]

looking forward to Ultrathins, cannot wait buy one. I'm just confused if the ability will be greater than the current Llano laptops, than who gonna buy ultrabooks?? AMD's solution runs cooler, more powerful (in the areas where we need more power) and cheaper...

 

[meirb111]

i am still waiting for sotware for usage of Stream technology for a few years now not much with
it, if you compare it to cuda software

 

[MikeMurphy]

Ultrabooks are the segment that really matter?

Yes.

 

[Cheeseball]

i am still waiting for sotware for usage of Stream technology for a few years now not much with
it, if you compare it to cuda software

Stream is a dead dog, especially since the CUDA compiler became OSS.

 

[Jermelescu]

fourstaff, didnt they show up a 7 or 14w part playing dirt, playing fhd and converting movie at the same time??
Those are the parts that will go and compete with intel's ones, the one that showed a movie of an f1 game...

17w apu.

 

[amd/atifiend]

ultrathin?? lol. I'm an AMD fan and all but it sounds more like a contraceptive than a computer.

 

[amd/atifiend]

Because if there's only one platform vendor, they can overprice and get big margins. If there are two platform vendors, and the solution of one is cheaper than the other's while maintaining good cost-performance, it can cause the vendor of the costlier platform to cut prices, resulting in a downward spiral of prices between both vendors. In the process, the notebook vendors' margins shrink.

It's not just Intel and NVIDIA that seek monopoly, but everyone else in the PC ecosystem that wants the two to hold monopoly.

very well put.

 

[v12dock]

Stream is a dead dog, especially since the CUDA compiler became OSS.

The GCN architecture is designed to make computing on the GPU much more steam line.

They threw away stream and designed someone that will hopefully be standardized

 

[Shihab]

Ultrabooks are the segment that really matter?

This confuses me greatly...

More important than tablets IMO. Might even replace netbooks at some point. Assuming AMD's move drops the prices considerably.