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AMD updates Fusion A-Series chips, offers overclockers two new options
Just in time for the holidays AMD is fleshing out its lineup of Fusion A-Series APUs. The chips, which only got official in June, already saw their laptop-loving Llanos get a minor spec bump. Now their desktop brethren are catching up. The two stars, though, are clearly the A6-3670K and A8-3870K, which feature unlocked CPU and GPU clocks for the avid overclockers out there. Both are 100W quad-core parts with 600MHz Radeon graphics cores, but the A8 runs its CPU at 3GHz while the A6 starts at a more modest 2.7GHz. The 3870K also has the edge in GPU cores -- packing a grand total of 400 to the 3670K's 320. Head on after the break for the complete PR and all the nitty gritty details of the latest AMD APUs.
HP's 3115m is the Pavilion dm1z rebadged for the business set, starts at $429
You've seen that laptop before. You know you have. Stumped? Okay, here it is. HP just announced the 11.6-inch 3115m for the business market and it is, for all intents and purposes, a rebadged Pavilion dm1z being marketed to a more buttoned-up kind of customer. For starters, it looks just like the newly redesigned dm1, flush trackpad and all. A dual-core AMD E-450 APU, 1366 x 768 display, Beats Audio and battery rated for 11.5 hours come standard. At the entry level, you'll also get a modest 2GB of RAM and 320GB 5,400RPM HDD. Oddly, 5,400RPM drives are as good as it gets here, whereas with the dm1 7,200RPM disks are the gold standard and you can even upgrade to an SSD. IT guys might prefer the this one, though, because it comes with HP's Keyed Cable lock and a Computrace Pro module for tracking and remotely wiping lost or stolen laptops (you'll need to activate this feature yourself). It'll go on sale in the Americas on November 11th with a starting price of $430 -- a thirty-dollar premium over the dm1z. Glossy press shots below -- you know, in case you need a refresher on what this thing looks like. %Gallery-137819%
AMD Fusion tablets running Windows 8 at Build 2011: hands-on with video
You've already seen our in-depth hands-on with Samsung's Series 7 Slate, boasting an Intel processor and running Windows 8, and now it's time to give the other guys a little love. We got a chance to sit down with the folks at AMD, masters of the Fusion APU, before the Expo doors opened here at Build, and it would be an understatement to say that they're excited about getting their x86 chipsets running on Windows 8 machines. As with Samsung's Slate, AMD was showing off a pair of slates we've seen before, specifically the Acer Iconia Tab W500, running on the company's C-50 APU, and MSI's WinPad 110W, sporting the Z-01 APU. This is the first the company's seen of the Metro UI running on its chipsets, and like them, we're impressed with its performance. You'll get the same speedy boot-up here, as well as fast and fluid touch navigation. Unfortunately, they aren't giving up details on future devices, but we should see Brazos powering Windows 8 tablets, desktops , and notebooks in due time. For a look at AMD powering Windows 8, check out our video after break. %Gallery-133736%
HP Pavilion dv6z Quad laptop with AMD Llano innards goes on sale starting at $650
AMD's Llano platform might not satisfy everyone's power-lust when housed in a desktop, but stick one of these all-in-one beauties in a laptop and you're good to go. The new HP Pavilion dv6z Quad notebook -- one of 11 new Fusion-powered models from HP -- is a case in point, having just arrived at the company's online store. The base model promises battery life of up to almost six hours, "discrete-class" integrated Radeon graphics with 512MB of video memory, and a 1.4GHz quad-core processor that can be clocked up to 2.3GHz using AMD's Turbo technology. Oh yeah, and there's the real benefit of switching to AMD: that base configuration costs just $650, versus a minimum of $999 for the Intel-equipped dv6t. For the money, you'll also get 6GB of DDR3 memory, a 640GB 5400rpm HDD, a 1366 x 768 display (yes, a glossy one), HDMI output, and a pair of USB 3.0 ports in addition to two of the USB 2.0 variety. We ought to clarify that the sexy steel gray version on the left will cost you $25 extra, but hey, who wants to be "umber gray?"
MSI WindPad 100A, 110W, and 120W hands-on (video)
What's this? It looks like the MSI WindPad 100A that we discovered at CES and the WindPad 110W that we first saw at CeBit decided to make an appearance on the show floor here at Computex 2011. Only this time around they brought a new friend along to the party -- namely the MSI WindPad 120W. To refresh your memory, the WindPad 100A is a 10-inch NVIDIA Tegra 2-equipped tablet running Android (Gingerbread here in Taipei, but potentially Honeycomb in the future) while the 110W uses AMD's Brazos platform paired with Windows 7. The Windpad 120W shares the same exact 10-inch chassis as the 110W but swaps AMD's Fusion APU for an Intel Cedar Trail-based chipset together with a tasty serving of WiDi and HSPA wireless. We still have no information about availability or pricing, but for now we invite you to check out the gallery below and hit the break for our hands-on videos. %Gallery-124832%
MSI ships Fusion-based CR650 laptop, Wind Top AE2050 all-in-one PC
AMD's Zacate E-350 APU (better known to casual observers as a member of the Fusion platform) has been shocking critics since its long-awaiting introduction earlier in the year, finally giving people a real alternative to Intel's historically sluggish Atom lineup. In the event that you've been waiting for Fusion-based options from MSI, a couple of previously introduced machines are now making their way out to the shipping docks. First up, it's the 15.6-inch CR650, complete with a dual-core E-350 APU (which includes a Radeon HD 6310 discrete-class graphics chip), an HDMI port, 720p webcam and a downright luscious $499.99 starting price. For those looking for something a wee bit less portable, or for those looking to significantly increase their load, the Fusion-backed Wind Top AE2050 ($679.99) is also shipping to Earthlings in North America. Hit the links below to learn more on each.
Lenovo ThinkPad X120e won't ship until March 8th
We really hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately, that's exactly what we're about to do. Yep, you read that extremely disappointing headline correctly -- while the 11.6-inch Lenovo ThinkPad X120e, which we just recently reviewed and liked quite a bit, was supposed to start shipping on February 15th (that's tomorrow), the ship date has just slipped to March 6th. Lenovo wouldn't give us a reason for the delay or confirm whether it had to do with some of the slight video playback / graphics issues we had, but we do know that those lusting after a ThinkPad sprinkled with some fresh AMD Fusion Zacate will have to wait a few more weeks. Again, our deep apologies for having to tell you this news, but we promise to make it up to you someday, somehow.
MSI CR650 scores an AMD E-350 Zacate APU
There's no question that AMD's new Fusion Zacate platform is pretty killer when it comes to ultraportables or notbooks (as we like to call 'em), but there's no reason the affordable, solid-performing APU couldn't power a budget 15.6-inch system, right? Well, that's certainly the way a few laptop manufacturers see it. Following in the footsteps of Toshiba's Satellite C655D, MSI's decided to cram its 15.6-inch CR650 with AMD's latest Fusion APU. Equipped with a Zacate E-350 CPU with Radeon HD 6310 graphics on the same die (the same chip in the HP dm1 we just reviewed), there's no doubt the rig can handle full HD and light games without a hiccup. We're not exactly drooling over the design, but it does have the basics, including a DVD drive, six-cell battery, HD webcam, and speakers that claim superior SRS sound. It will also be configurable with 250, 320, or 500GB hard drive and DDR3 RAM. There's no word on the price just yet, but our guess it should ring up at under $600 when it finally hits shelves.
Toshiba NB550D with AMD Ontario denied entry to the US
So, this sort of sucks. Remember the AMD Fusion Toshiba NB550D with its Harman Kardon speakers? Well, according to Toshiba it won't be landing in the US anytime soon. According to Liliputing, Tosh has no plans to release the Ontario-powered 10-inch laptop on this side of the pond. Yep, it seems that Toshiba US would prefer to keep Intel's Atom powering its 10-inch NB520 and NB505 netbooks and save AMD's higher end Zacate E-Series for larger systems like its 15.6-inch Satellite C655D. Of course, there's always the Acer Aspire One 522 for those seeking AMD's Bobcat core and ATI Radeon 6250 graphics in a 10-inch chassis, but there's just something about those HK speaker grills that have us wishin' Toshiba would change its mind about this one.
HP Pavilion dm1z (with AMD Fusion) review
It's crazy to think we've been writing about and waiting for AMD's Fusion platform for close to five years now. Believe it or not, it was back in 2006 that the chipmaker first started talking about its "new class of x86 processors" and the idea of an Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) -- a chip that would combine a CPU and a fairly powerful ATI GPU onto the same die. The company promised to have the silicon ready in two years' time, but when 2008 rolled around, it was clear that all it was prepared to release was a series of roadmap slides. Now, don't get us wrong, those charts and graphs made us pretty giddy about the superior graphics and improved battery life that AMD was promising to bring to affordable ultraportables, but then a year later, when AMD still had only PowerPoint slides to show for itself, we started to think "Fusion" was no more than a drunken fantasy. And it only got worse -- from 2009 to mid-2010 the company continued to talk up its never-before-seen and highly-delayed chips. (Just a read through the Engadget archives from that period pretty much illustrates that we had lost hope and started to think the chips would never see the light of day.) But then in June of 2010 the unthinkable happened -- AMD finally demoed its first Fusion Bobcat cores, and proved, at least from afar, that the soon-to-arrive ultrathin laptop solution would chew through Aliens vs. Predator, support DirectX 11, and use a lot less power than its previous platforms. It seemed almost too good to be true -- AMD looked ready to stick to its timing and deliver the first Fusion Brazos platform by early 2011. So, what the heck does Fusion and AMD's history of promises about the platform have to do with HP's new Pavilion dm1z? Almost everything. HP's newest 11.6-inch not-quite-a-netbook (or a notbook as we like to call it) is the first Fusion system to hit the market, and with a dual-core 1.6GHz E350 Zacate processor and AMD Radeon HD 6310 GPU on the same chip it promises... well, everything AMD has promised for so long. According to HP and AMD, the system should last for over nine hours on a charge, play full 1080p content, and perhaps more importantly, not fry our laps as some previous AMD Neo-powered systems have done. For $450, it sounds like a true no-sacrifice system, but is it? Has AMD finally delivered an Intel Atom- / ULV-killer and has HP put it in a no-fuss chassis? We've spent the last week putting this system through the paces -- hit the break to find out if it has been worth the wait! %Gallery-114432%
Acer Iconia Windows 7 tablet hands-on
Acer has made something very clear here at CES -- it's going to enter the tablet market much like it entered the netbook one, with lots of options. In addition to the Android tablets (it's got 4.8-, 7-, and 10-inch versions) and the dual-screen Iconia, the company will be bringing its 10.1-inch Windows 7 tablet to the US market for about $550 in the coming months. Just as we had heard, the tablet will use AMD's Fusion platform and will come with a keyboard dock. We got a chance to check out the whole package and the dock / tablet fit together in a unique fashion -- the tablet and keyboard are surrounded by magnetic borders that latch onto each other. When you pull 'em apart you can attach the tablet via USB to the keyboard or just use it on its own. The whole attachment mechanism felt very flimsy on the two units we saw at the show and the entire thing felt very top heavy when docked. The chiclet keyboard is different from Acer's typical variety, but we really like the addition of the pointing stick in the center for navigating Windows 7. We didn't get to spend too much with the working unit but we were able to fire up Engadget in Internet Explorer 9 and scroll down the page rather smoothly. It's unclear whether Acer will be using a skin on top of Windows 7 since we saw it on display in Microsoft's booth and all of those tablets were running stock Windows. It should be rather interesting to see how AMD's Fusion platform performs in a tablet and how it impacts the battery life, but until we can bring you a full review we leave you with the gallery below. %Gallery-113472%
