Researchers from Rice University and other institutions have unveiled an "inexact" computer chip that is built to allow for errors. The design forsakes 100 percent accuracy in an effort to save power; in its current form, the chips are claimed to be up to 15 times more efficient than current technology.
AMD has confirmed that it is readying a six-core processor, codenamed Thuban, that is geared for consumer desktops. The component is based on the company's six-core Opteron series that was recently announced for server configurations.
AMD has introduced several new processors, the Athlon II X4 620 and 630, that have been added to the company's 'mainstream' desktop platform. The 620 component represents AMD's first quad-core processor to ship for less than $100, while still integrating the latest 45nm process architecture.
On the heels of its C7-based OpenBook reference design, VIA Technologies on Thursday formally introduced its VIA Nano processor family based on the "Isaiah" architecture. VIA claims that the Nano family, which uses Fujitsu’s 65 nanometer process, offers as much as four times the performance of its previous-generation within the same power and thermal envelope, while offering pin-compatibility with VIA C7 processors. Introduced in January, the new low-power CPU features out-of-order processing, a large 1MB L2 cache, and an improved FPU for 2-4 times the performance of the previous-generation C7 processor at the same clock speeds. While already sampling the chips to vendors, VIA says expects to ship the low-power (L-series) and ultra-low-power (U-series) Nano chips in the third quarter in speeds up to 1.8GHz.
Hoping to garner a greater mobile marketshare, AMD says that around 100 laptop designs will be based around the Puma laptop chip platform, which is scheduled to launch in June. A company spokesman told PC World that the launch will feature twice as many designs as the launch of its last mobile platform. With plans to launch Puma during the Computex trade show, the platform will offer greater power efficiency, improved graphics, and AMD's upcoming Turion X2 Ultra "Griffin" processor. The report notes that Puma also includes a chipset with integrated graphics (an ATI Radeon HD3400) and integrated wireless connectivity (via a third-party chipset) supporting 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n Wi-Fi networking.
AMD engineers this week said that the company plans on introducing new 12-core processors later this year. The first processors based on 45nm Shanghai platform are due later this year and will be nearly identical to the B3 variant of the Socket 1207 Opteron (Barcelona) shipping today, according to DailyTech. The processors will reportedly use the faster HyperTransport 3.0 for inter-CPU communication and will debut later this year as a "native six-core" Shanghai derivative, currently code-named Istanbul. That processor, the report claims, is "clearly targeted at Intel's recently announced six-core, 45nm Dunnington processor." A few months later, Shanghai and its derivatives will also get twin-die per package treatment, allowing for up to 12-cores per package, the report says.
Apple earlier this month quietly updated its MacBook Pro by offering a larger hard drive as well as faster processor speeds via its build-to-order shopping option. A new test using Geekbench 2 results for the MacBook Pro 2.2GHz, 2.4GHz, and 2.6GHz models reveal slight speed differences as expected, driving the tester to conclude that the performance gains of the fastest MacBook Pro are only worth the money to those users who require maximum CPU speeds.
Apple should buy AMD, according to a report that outlines the ten reasons to do so. Financial analysis website Seeking Alpha has created a top ten list of reasons that it thinks Apple should buy processor manufacturer AMD. The report argues that Apple's best features, such as its system architecture, operating system, and applications will compliment AMD's multi-core CPUs and energy saving technology. The new AMD Spider chip that combines the processor and graphics chipset would be a benefit, and with Apple's unique position, they could still sell to AMD's current customers and it would not compete with either of the companies' customer bases. Intel would gain a more balanced competitor, and he says that Apple's solid financial situation could speed up AMD/ATI's technology innovation process.
