AMD reveals the “Puma”

Last week, US-based Advanced Micro Devices introduced its next-generation Turion notebook platform, designed to compete with Intel’s Centrino-branded products.

The overall platform, codenamed Puma, is expected to be available in high-end notebooks in mid-2008. The package is comprised AMD’s 64 X2 dual-core “Griffin” processor and a new mobile chipset, called the RS780. The chip package will include support for 802.11n, HyperTransport 3.0, and PCI Express 2.0.

Different from previous Turion processors, the Puma package supports DirectX version 10 (DX10), which is Microsoft’s latest graphics application programming interface. DX10 is exclusive to Windows Vista, the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system.

Intel won’t have support for DX10 in notebooks until it ships a chipset codenamed Montevina in the second half of 2008. Intel’s chips, however, already have technology for faster booting of the operating system and loading of applications.

The Puma platform is an interim step toward AMD’s goal of combining the core and graphics processing units on one piece of silicon. Codenamed Fusion, the combo microprocessor is scheduled to ship in 2009. Fusion stems from AMD’s US$5.4 billion (AU$6.5 billion) acquisition of ATI Technologies last July.

Source: iTnews

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