AMD introduces Puma, laptop solution!

For the next few months, the big battleground is likely to be in notebook computer platforms, where both companies have new offerings, many of which are being rolled out at this week’s Computex show in Taiwan. AMD today formally introduced its new notebook platform, which has been referred to under the code-name of Puma, though officially it’s just the next generation notebook platform. The CPU is the Turion X2 Ultra chip (formerly code-named “Griffin”), which basically is two K8 cores (the same cores used in the Athlon processors) with some interesting new features: independent dynamic cores let the chip set different power levels for each core and the integrated “north bridge” chip, power optimized HyperTransport 3; a a mobile-optimized memory controller designed for DDR-800 memory.

The heart of the platform is the new 7-series chipset with support for the ATI Mobility Radeon 3000 family of graphics and Wi-Fi support from a third-party chipset (such as Atheros, Broadcom, or Marvell). The graphics come in several flavors. Most distinctive is the HD 3000 integrated graphics solution, which includes support for Avivo HD (for better hardware-assistend HD decode). AMD believes this will far outperform Intel’s integrated graphics. AMD says this solution will offer three times the 3D performance, 5 times the HD quality, and 40% faster wireless than Intel’s solution. I’m a bit skeptical on some of these numbers, but the proof will be in the final notebooks.

Source: PC World, InfoWeek, Martin

Intel’s Centrino 2 delayed to July!

Sources close to Intel have confirmed earlier reports that Intel’s Montevina notebook platform, referred to as Centrino 2, will see a substantial delay. Montevina will not make it to Computex next week and will miss its originally planned debut date later in June. Intel has decided to delay Centrino 2, providing AMD with an opportunity to pitch its Puma platform and Turion Ultra processor. Intel’s engineering and manufacturing engine has been running flawlessly over the past two years, taking away AMD’s room to breathe. But, of course, mistakes are bound to happen at some point and Intel is now being confronted with an issue serious enough to officially delay the launch of Centrino 2. Analyst Doug Freedman claimed that the company had a “mis-step in the completion of FCC certification” for the next-generation Centrino processor with support for the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard. F

reedman said that 802.11n support may see a slower ramp as Montevina can only be shipped with support 802.11 a/b/g for now. Freedman also noted that Intel faces problems with its integrated graphics chipset, which is causing failures in OEM notebooks. “We believe the potential impact is to lower-end systems as higher-end notebooks are designed with discrete graphics cards. In fact, the impact on [Intel] is a possible improvement in mix within the chipset business; however, it is offset by the yield loss related to the functional issues.” Our sources at Intel told us that Centrino 2 is no scheduled for a July 14 launch with “some chipsets”. A “couple of weeks later” the company will be shipping the full line of chipsets, as the company needs “a few extra days” for tasks such as antenna testing.

Source: TG Daily, Martin