AMD is hoping the introduction of its performance mobile processors will help turnaround its weak financial position and falling marketshare.
The chip maker has just released its latest Turion 64 X2 dual-core processors for notebooks, with support from technology partners nVidia and Broadcom. The chip arrives a week before Intel plans to roll out its dual-core Centrino products and has been designed to work with the graphics-intensive Windows Vista operating system.
Unlike the first mobile X2, which was built on the 90 nanometre (nm) production process, this is the first one to be produced on the 65nm process and boasts a 25 per cent improvement on battery life to around five hours.
Chris Cloran, vice-president of AMD’s mobile division, said: “Our next generation mobile processors, combined with superior graphics and wireless technologies demonstrate our commitment to an open platform strategy, which enables our OEM customers to design the ultimate mobile platforms. PC users today expect more from their computers and the Better by Design programme features the superior technologies and leading-edge performance buyers seek to meet the demands of their ever-expanding digital lifestyle.”
AMD’s Better By Design initiative is designed to allow newer processors and chipsets to be offered with a wider array of third-party technologies, which should appeal to PC manufacturers. For instance, the new processor can be fitted out with integrated graphics chipsets from rivals ATI and nVidia while OEM manufacturers will be able to pick wireless solutions from Atheros, Broadcom, Marvell Qualcomm and RealTek.
Dr. Edward Frank, vice president of research and development at Broadcom, said: “Broadcom’s strategy is to provide superior integrated wireless solutions that allow consumers to stay connected in more places and in more ways than ever before. We work with AMD to offer high-performance technologies that improve the PC experience by giving consumers more ways to share content wirelessly.”
The news comes as Intel has been celebrating stealing marketshare back from AMD and talking up its technology plans for the rest of the year.
Paul Otellini, Intel chief executive, said: “We introduced our fourth-generation Centrino last week, a platform code-named Santa Rosa.”
He also unveiled a tiny new processor for hand-held PCs and other mobile devices code-named Silverthorn.
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