CES: AMD says Puma notebook processors will ship in Q2

Computerworld - Advanced Micro Devices Inc. announced at the International Consumer Electronics Show today that its new laptop processor platform, code-named Puma, will ship in the second quarter of this year.

Trying to generate some positive buzz after months of taking it on the chin for missed product-release dates and poor financials while rival Intel Corp. hit its stride, AMD said its new notebook platform will optimize battery life while bearing up to hefty graphics demands.

Puma will include the new ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3000 series of discrete graphics chips for high-definition gaming and video in laptop PCs, which were also announced today. In the Puma platform, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3000 series graphics processor will meld with AMD's Turion Ultra notebook processors and the forthcoming AMD RS780 chip set.

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"ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3000 series from AMD showcases our technology leadership by delivering customers the most feature-rich family of notebook graphics solutions we've ever produced," said Matt Skynner, vice president of AMD's Graphics Products Group, in a statement. "These new mobile graphics give leading notebook manufacturers like Asus the ability to create solutions with outstanding new features including next-generation quality, yet battery-efficient, visual experiences in notebooks."

AMD noted that it's new platform is geared to give long battery life through power improvements and low average energy use; better performance per watt; and support for Microsoft DirectX 10.1, a group of application development interfaces for gaming and multimedia software.

While AMD was making its platform announcements, rival Intel was unveiling 16 new processors, including the first 45-nanometer mobile Penryn chip. All of the chips are based on Intel's new 45nm technology, as well as its new transistor formula. Of the 16 processors being announced today, five are for laptops and seven are for desktops, while four are designed for servers, according to Intel.

Read more about processors in Computerworld's Processors Knowledge Center.