Next-Generation Mobile APUs Extend AMD Performance Leadership

[btarunr]

Designed to enable the best user experience on today's most popular and innovative PCs, AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced its 3rd-generation Mainstream and Low-Power Mobile Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). Combining category-leading compute performance with unique features and rich user interactions, the 2014 AMD Mainstream and Low-Power Mobile APUs (formerly codenamed "Beema" and "Mullins," respectively) are the ideal choice for consumer and commercial client devices alike.

These new mobile APUs feature up to four newly-designed x86 CPU cores with updated, industry-leading AMD Radeon graphics and a hardware-level data security solution based on the ARM Cortex-A5, all on a single, power-sipping system-on-chip (SoC). Products based on these new APUs are already announced by Lenovo and Samsung, with many more expected on-shelf in time for the 2014 back-to-school shopping season.



"When designing our 2014 Mainstream and Low-Power APUs, we were determined to once again set the standard in graphics and total compute performance in fanless form factor categories -- and we've done just that," said Bernd Lienhard, AMD corporate vice president and general manager, Client Products. "These processors combine the latest core technologies -- including the first-ever ARM-based security solution on an x86 processor -- with user experiences that will delight consumer and commercial buyers alike in a package that's impressively energy efficient."

The new accelerated processors come equipped with the latest hardware features, impressive performance increases, and enable differentiated software experiences for more natural user interaction, a best-in-class video streaming experience, and a full Android experience on Windows-based PCs using BlueStacks software optimized for AMD.

Unmatched Feature Set
The 2014 AMD Mainstream and Low-Power Mobile APUs are designed for consumer and commercial mobile devices of all shapes and sizes, from fanless tablets to 2-in-1s like detachable and convertible notebooks, to small-screen and ultrathin laptops. They feature up to four x86_64 "Puma+" CPU cores and AMD Radeon R Series graphics based on Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture, which enables fast performance, outstanding image quality and low power consumption. Additional power management features integrated into the APUs include:

• AMD Enduro technology that enables longer battery life;
• AMD Start Now technology for quick boot-up and resume from sleep mode;
• AMD Turbo Core technology that senses when a computing task requires more performance.

Enhanced Security
And, marking AMD's first implementation of ARM-based technology into processors designed for consumer and commercial client devices, the 2014 AMD Mainstream and Low-Power APUs feature an AMD-developed platform security processor (PSP) based on the ARM Cortex-A5 featuring ARM TrustZone technology for enhanced data security. These are the first and only x86 processors available to integrate an ARM core for security. The integrated PSP taps into the open standards-based ARM TrustZone ecosystem and partitions the new processors into two "virtual CPUs" -- a "secure world" and a "normal world" based on the type of data being processed -- and ensures secure storage and processing of sensitive data and trusted apps including online payments, digital rights management and enterprise- and web-based services.

Category-leading Performance
The 2014 AMD Mainstream and Low-Power APUs deliver category-leading compute power and a best-in-class gaming experience. Through the robust feature set of these new APUs and engineering prowess, they exhibit impressive performance improvements when compared to the previous generations and to the competition.
2014 AMD Mainstream APUs:

• Up to 100% better graphics performance over the previous generation ("Kabini")
• Up to 20% power reduction versus the previous generation ("Kabini")
• Increased memory support from the previous generation to DDR3-1866
• Up to 50% better graphics performance and up to 7x the compute performance versus Intel Pentium ("Haswell U")
• Up to 3x the graphics performance and over 35% better system performance than Intel Pentium ("Bay Trail M")

2014 AMD Low-Power APUs:

• Over 2x the graphics performance-per-watt and nearly 2x the productivity performance-per-Watt versus the previous generation (formerly codenamed "Temash")
• Better graphics performance than Intel Core i3
• Three times the compute performance of Intel's Atom processor

Differentiated User Experiences
Along with the array of hardware features and performance enhancements, these new processors also have several unique software capabilities to help consumers and business users get more out of their PCs:

• AMD Gesture Control - enables touch-free control of popular apps using hand gestures
• AMD Face Login - uses facial recognition for logging into popular websites
• Premium BlueStacks optimized for AMD - brings a full, seamless Android experience to Windows PCs
• AMD Quick Stream Technology - delivers virtually uninterrupted streaming video
• AMD Perfect Picture - boosts image quality automatically for enhanced color, contrast and resolution
• AMD Steady Video technology - helps smooth shaky, jittery videos with a single click
• These new mobile APUs will be joined by the top-of-the-line "Kaveri" APU, which is expected to be in market mid-2014.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[john_]

The last years AMD was either delivering better performance at worst or equal power consumption, better power consumption at worst or equal performance, big disappointments and major facepalms.
Mullins and Beema looks to be the first product that it is much better in power consumption and at the same time better in performance. Combine this to the very interesting AM1 platform(hoping to see Beema there with just a BIOS update) and AMD finally have an ace in it's hands.


PS If you are going to argue about overall performance, there are plenty of i5s or i7s to play with.

 

[Hilux SSRG]

That's some really good power efficiency claims. I hope Amd can back it up with benchmarks.

 

[john_]

That's some really good power efficiency claims. I hope Amd can back it up with benchmarks.

AnandTech Portal | AMD Beema/Mullins Architecture & Performance Preview

AMD Mullins And Beema APU Review - Tablet Processors

Mullins A10 Micro-6700T has a maximum 2.2 GHz clock rate and a 4.5 W TDP

A first look at AMD's Mullins mobile APU - The Tech Report - Page 1

 

[Jorge]

These are definitely segment leading APUs which is good for consumers who are smart enough to vote with their wallet. Intel is currently spending a billion dollars per year to try and buy this market segment with "incentives" because their products can't compete. If consumers vote for the best products at the lowest cost then they'll chose AMD and that will allow AMD to continue to deliver superior products at affordable prices. If consumers are apathetic then they deserve to be fleeced by Intel.

Even though Vishera is a lot of performance for the costs, AMD needs to get their desktop CPUs up to speed.