MSI's upcoming CULV notebook based on the AMD platform make its first public appearance at an event conducted by AMD in Paris. The Wind U250 is a 12.1-inch notebook is powered by an AMD Athlon II Neo K325 processor that runs at 1.3 GHz, which is aided by 4 GB of memory, DirectX 10.1 compliant graphics, and offers 320 GB of storage. The 12.1 inch display is likely to have a resolution of 1366x768 pixels. It comes with Windows 7 pre-installed. MSI may release it sometime this summer. More images at the source.

AMD let loose no less than six new processor models in its value-mainstream Athlon II series. Spread across its dual-core (X2), triple-core (X3), and quad-core (X4) lines, the new models seek to displace existing ones from their price-points and hold key value market positions. Leading the pack is the Athlon II X4 640. Based on the 45 nm Propus die, the X4 640 has a clock speed of 3.00 GHz (15 x 200 MHz), with 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 4 GT/s HyperTransport 3.0 interface. Built on the AM3 package, the X4 640 supports DDR3 and DDR2 memory standards. It has a TDP of 95W. This chip is priced at $122. The second quad-core model is the energy-efficient Athlon II X4 610e. With a clock speed of 2.40 GHz (12 x 200 MHz), the X4 610e comes with half the TDP of standard models, just 45W. Energy efficiency comes at a small premium, with the X4 610e going for $145 a piece.

The triple-core Athlon II X3 series also gets two additions, with the X3 445 and X3 415e. The X3 445 is based on the Rana die (Propus with one core disabled), and has L2 cache of 512 KB per core. It is clocked at 3.10 GHz (15.5 x 200 MHz), and has a TDP of 95W. It is priced at $87. The energy-efficient X3 415e is clocked at 2.50 GHz (12.5 x 200 MHz), has 45W TDP, and is priced at $102. Dual-core Athlon II X2 chips get the same treatment, with a new fast and energy-efficient model, each. Based on the 45 nm Regor die, the Athlon II X2 has two physical cores with 1 MB of L2 cache per core. The Athlon II X2 260 introduced now, has a clock speed of 3.20 GHz (16 x 200 MHz), 65W TDP, and is priced at $76. The energy-efficient X2 245e is clocked at 2.90 GHz (14.5 x 200 MHz), and has a TDP of 45W. This one goes for $77. All prices are per unit in 1000-unit tray quantities.

AMD introduced as many as five new value-thru-mainstream processors in its Athlon II and Phenom II series. It starts with the energy-efficient Phenom II X4 910e quad-core, which runs at 2.60 GHz, with 65W TDP, and features 8 MB of total chip cache. It is priced at $169. Next up is the Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition dual-core which runs at 3.20 GHz, 7 MB total cache, 80W TDP, and unlocked bus multiplier. This one goes for $99.

Then there's the Athlon II X4 635 quad-core chip which runs at 2.90 GHz, with 2 MB of total cache, and 95W TDP, going for $119. Next, Athlon II X3 440 triple-core processor. This chip runs at 3.00 GHz, with 1.5 MB of total chip cache, and TDP of 95W. It is priced at $84. Lastly, there's the Athlon II X2 255 dual-core chip with clock speed of 3.10 GHz, 2 MB of cache, and 65W TDP. This one goes for $74. All chips come in the socket AM3 package, support DDR2 and DDR3 memory, and are backwards compatible with the AM2+ socket. All prices are in 1000-unit tray quantities.

Lenovo today announced the ThinkCentre A63 desktop, an essential desk side companion for small-to-medium businesses (SMB). The new desktop combines powerful productivity features such as Lenovo's Enhanced Experience for Windows 7 for blazing fast boot-up time and choices for the latest AMD Sempron processors, AMD Athlon II processors and AMD Phenom II processors, all at an affordable price tag starting at $329.

"We know that PCs are the technology backbone for SMBs to run their businesses," said Dilip Bhatia, executive director, ThinkCentre Marketing, Lenovo. "The new ThinkCentre A63 desktop delivers on the three 'P's' that businesses need in today's fast-paced, cost-conscious environment: power, peace of mind and price."

AMD updated its CPU market schedules, looking as far as Q4 2010, across various CPU product lines. The update involves phasing out several existing products, adding replacements, and the addition of new products, according to sources in the motherboard industry. To begin with, several Phenom II X4 900 series quad-core processors will be discontinued. The company has reportedly already stopped taking orders for the Phenom II X4 910 (HDX910WFK4DGI, 2.60 GHz), and the 125W Phenom II X4 945 (HDX945FBK4DGI, 3.00 GHz). The latter perhaps is phased out due to its 95W variant (HDX945WFK4DGM). The company will stop taking orders for the 140W Phenom II X4 965 BE in Q1 2010, perhaps because of its 125W variant, for X4 925 around the same time, and for the X4 955 125W in Q2. The company is planning to release a 95W variant of the X4 955 around that time.

The company will also stop taking orders for several Phenom II X4 800 series, X3 700 series, X2 500 series, and Athlon II X4 600 series, and X3 400 series processors, as Phenom II X4 820, Phenom II X3 740 and Phenom II X2 550 will remain. Q4 2009 will see the introduction of the 3.20 GHz Phenom II X2 555, the new Athlon II X4 640 (3.00 GHz, 95W), and the Athlon II X3 445 (3.10 GHz, 95W) will follow in Q2 2010.

The MSI Classic notebook series charm and elegance appear once again. The new large-screen CR610 offers high-performance audio/video while being fashionably light and slender. Specialized craftsman-like techniques give the 45-degree angled edges a smooth, flowing appearance. The case's profile integrates an optical drive and I/O port configuration and design that creates an uninterrupted outline. With a brilliant finish that features a transparent, engraved color film print, the CR610 emits varying color patterns and variations when exposed to light from different angles. The CR610's fashionably expressive exterior radiates a classic sensation.

The CR610 uses AMD's newest Tigris notebook computer platform and comes with Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 7, to provide highly efficient and low power consuming operational capabilities while being capable of outstanding image processing performance. Not only does it possess a strong and powerful image processing core, but the CR610 is fitted with a 16:9 cinematic HD (1366×768) display with high resolution LED backlight so you can enjoy the latest first-class visual feast.

ASRock also introduced the M3A785GM-LE/128M, a value socket AM3 motherboard, supporting AMD Phenom II and Athlon II series processors. Built in the micro-ATX form-factor, the M3A785GM-LE/128M is based on the AMD 785G + SB710 chipset. The CPU is powered by a simple 4 phase circuit, and is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots to support up to 8 GB of memory. The AMD 785G northbridge embeds an ATI Radeon HD 4200 class DirectX 10.1 compliant integrated graphics processor, with 128 MB of onboard DDR3 memory across its SidePort memory interface. It makes use of the chipset's features. The expansion slots on this board include one each of PCI-Express 2.0 x16, PCI-E x1, and two PCI slots. The SB710 southbridge provides six internal SATA 3 Gb/s ports. Display connectivity options include DVI-D and D-Sub. 6 channel audio, and gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of the package. Availability and pricing are yet to be known.

AMD expanded its value processor lineup under the Athlon II banner, with as many as eight new models. The list includes energy-efficient quad-core models, inexpensive triple-core ones, and budget dual-core offerings. All models are based on socket AM3, and are compatible with AM2(+) sockets. The dual-channel memory controllers on these chips support both DDR2 and DDR3 memory standards. This expansion clearly demarcates the target market of the Athlon II series: sub $150.

The quad-core Athlon II X4 parts are based on the Propus die, which has 512 KB of dedicated L2 cache per core, and a HyperTransport 4.0 GT/s system interface. The new Athlon II X3 triple-core models are most likely produced by disabling one of the four cores on the Propus die. The energy efficient Athlon II parts come with the "e" suffix for the model number, and offer lower rated TDP. Following are the details of these new parts:

• Athlon II X2 235e: 2.70 GHz, 2 MB (2 x 1 MB) L2 cache, 45W TDP, US $69
• Athlon II X2 240e: 2.80 GHz, 2 MB (2 x 1 MB) L2 cache, 45W TDP, US $77
• Athlon II X3 400e: 2.20 GHz, 1.5 MB (3 x 512 KB) L2 cache, 45W TDP, US $97
• Athlon II X3 405e: 2.30 GHz, 1.5 MB (3 x 512 KB) L2 cache, 45W TDP, US $102
• Athlon II X3 425: 2.70 GHz, 1.5 MB (3 x 512 KB) L2 cache, 95W TDP, US $76
• Athlon II X3 435: 2.90 GHz, 1.5 MB (3 x 512 KB) L2 cache, 95W TDP, US $87
• Athlon II X4 600e: 2.20 GHz, 2 MB (4 x 512 KB) L2 cache, 45W TDP, US $133
• Athlon II X4 605e: 2.30 GHz, 2 MB (4 x 512 KB) L2 cache, 45W TDP, US $143

AMD today announced new AMD Business Class technology for desktop PCs designed for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs), large enterprises and the public sector. The new 2009 AMD Business Class Desktop Platform, offered as part of AMD Business Class technology, delivers the benefits of the latest AMD CPUs, chipsets and graphics hardware to business users. AMD Business Class technology, including platforms configured with AMD Phenom II and AMD Athlon II 45nm processors, AMD 7-Series chipsets and ATI Radeon HD 4000 series graphics processors, offers superior value, advanced visual productivity, and support for essential manageability, security and virtualization features.

"Businesses require stable, reliable and powerful PCs that can meet their growing and evolving needs," said Chris Cloran, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of AMD's Client Products. "AMD Business Class technology for desktop PCs provides our OEM customers with superior value and flexibility, enabling them to deliver advanced system security features and energy efficiency for quiet computing that businesses need."

AMD is adding to its value dual-core processor lineup with a new high-speed part. The Athlon II X2 255 (PIB model: ADX255OCK23GQ) is based on the 45 nm Regor die, and packs a clock speed of 3.10 GHz (15.5 x 200 MHz). Each core has a dedicated L2 cache of 1 MB (2 MB total cache), and the TDP is rated at 65W. Based on the socket AM3 package, it supports DDR3 and DDR2 memory standards. Expected to be out soon, the Athlon II X2 255 could displace the Athlon II X2 250, while being priced lower than the Phenom II X2 550.

The latest in AMD's almost deliberate series of processors that unlock into powerful / more capable processors is the Athlon II X4. Some of the earliest batches of these sub-$150 quad-core processors can be converted to more powerful Phenom II X4 chips using a simple trick. When unlocked, the chip will be equipped with 6 MB L3 cache. Supposed to have been based on the "Propus" core that physically lack a L3 cache, apparently early batches continue to use the "Deneb" core with L3 cache locked (using moist threads instead of a padlock). Currently there's no information as to which specific batches of Athlon II X4 620 and Athlon II X4 630 work. The trick works on some motherboards that support the Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC) feature. Simply set the ACC option in the BIOS setup to "Auto" from its default value of "Disabled", and you're done.

It has been done over and over again, and each time new AMD processors successfully unlock disabled cores (dubbed "defective"), it only makes us wonder if it is a deliberate attempt by the company to make buying its cheaper processors potentially rewarding. It has been discovered that AMD's recently announced Sempron 140 single-core processor can be transformed into a dual-core Athlon II X2 series processor with a simple, well-known trick. This comes as no surprise, as the "Sargas" core the processor is based on, is made by disabling one core on the Regor dual-core die.

The trick requires a motherboard with AMD SB710 or SB750 southbridge that supports the Advanced Clock Calibration feature. Not all motherboards, however, support this mod. By simply enabling the feature in the BIOS setup program, the system will be able to address both processor cores, with the complete feature-set of Athlon II X2. The staff behind the feat over at Thai techsite VModTech tested for the unlocked core's stability with much success. At 3.71 GHz (13.5 x 275 MHz @ 1.536 V), the processor stood SuperPi, WPrime, and WinRAR bandwidth tests. Validation can be found here. At around $40, here's the cheapest ticket to a dual-core processor that looks $80 Intel processors in the eye.

Nearly six weeks into the introduction of the Athlon II X2 250, AMD added two new models in the series to choose from the Athlon II X2 240 and 245 are clocked at 2.80 GHz and 2.90 GHz respectively, and occupy two lower places in the series. The 240 has a bus multiplier of 14.0x 200 MHz, while 245 is a notch higher, at 14.5x 200 MHz. The chips are based on AMD's 45 nm Regor core, which is a monolithic dual-core, with two physical cores on a die, and no L3 cache. The L2 cache per core instead, has been increased to 1 MB, which makes it 2 MB of total external cache for the chip. It uses a lavish 4.0 GT/s HyperTransport 3.0 system interface, and comes in the AM3 socket package that supports DDR2 and DDR3 memory standards. The two will be out soon and will be priced around the US $65 mark.

AMD's 45 nm desktop processor lineup involves three basic core designs codenamed Deneb, Propus, and Regor. Deneb is the flagship design, which features four cores, two 64-bit DDR2(/DDR3) memory controllers, and a large L3 cache of 6 MB. When one core is disabled, the Phenom II X3 "Heka" processor is yielded, when 2 MB out of the 6 MB of L3 cache is disabled, Phenom II X4 800 series processor is yielded, and when two out of four cores are disabled, Phenom II X2 500 is yielded. To cater to sub-$100 market better, AMD needed to cut the manufacturing costs while maintaining a reasonable level of performance, and substantially low TDP ratings. Hence the company designed the Propus quad-core chip, which physically lacks an L3 cache. The lack of L3 cache chops the transistor load on the die, as well as its TDP. AMD further plans to yield a triple-core Athlon II X3 "Rana" processor using this die, by disabling one of the four cores. The third die design, Regor, features no more than two cores physically, and lacks an L3 cache. As an added bonus, the L2 cache per core is doubled to 1024 KB (2 MB total L2 cache), and HyperTransport multiplier set high (10 x 200 MHz).

Some of AMD's first products based on Propus have surfaced thanks to a leak from a motherboard manufacturer. It reveals an initial lineup of four models, including two low-wattage ones. Enter Athlon II X4 600e, 605e, 620, and 630. These chips' clock speeds range between 2.20 and 2.80 GHz. Unlike with Regor, each core on the Propus keeps 512 KB of L2 cache, which makes it 2 MB of total L2 cache. The most surprising part of the specs is the TDP of the low-wattage chips, with the 2.20 GHz 600e and 2.40 GHz 605e, is 45W. In comparison, it took a clock-speed of 2.00 GHz for the previous-generation 65 nm Agena core to reach a TDP rating of 65W. The 2.60 GHz 620 and 2.80 GHz 630 have TDP ratings of 65W. We reckon these chips to hit shelves in this quarter. Below is a die-shot of the Propus core. It bears quite some resemblance to its 65 nm ancestor.

Bringing its acclaimed 45 nm technology to new high-volume processor designs, AMD today announced two new dual-core desktop processors. Building on 10 years of AMD Athlon processor innovation, the new 45 nm AMD Athlon II X2 250 processor gives mainstream consumers exceptional performance, efficiency and value. For enthusiasts and overclockers, AMD also announces the AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition processor, the first ever dual-core AMD Phenom II CPU. With this latest addition to the AMD Phenom II processor family, users can now experience the power of AMD platform technology, codenamed "Dragon," with dual-, triple- and quad-core configurations.

After launching its 45 nm desktop CPU with its high-end CPUs such as Phenom II X4 940 and 955 Black Edition, AMD is preparing two distinct lines of mainstream and value processors: the energy-efficient line denoted by an "e" next to the model number, and the standard variant. Close to a decade into using the "Athlon" CPU brand name, the company finally chose to place a "II" next to it to denote a generation bump. The Athlon II keeps up with the Phenom II line, to make it slightly easier for consumers to discern which generation the processors belong to. The lower-end variants of the K10.5 "stars" core, that lacks L3 cache will be using this brand-name.

Taking advantage of the 45 nm core, Phenom II 900e series processors will operate in clock-speeds between 2.50 and 2.40 GHz, with complete 6 MB L3 cache. The rated TDP for the chips is 65 W. The triple-core Phenom II X3 700e series processors models 700e and 705e will operate in the same clock-speeds, with the same rated TDP. The Athlon II X4 600e and Athlon II X3 400e series processors in the making, 605e, 600e, 405e, and 400e, operate at speeds between 2.20 and 2.30 GHz. With no L3 cache to address and lower clock-speeds by the notch, the rated TDP is even lower, at 45 W.