News Bits: AMD Netbook Processor, Intel Atom Dual-Core, Dell Vostro A860

AMD 'Conesus' Netbook CPU on the way

AMD is planning to introduce a netbook CPU in January 2009, codenamed Conesus. The CPU will feature two cores and 1MB of L2 cache. The chip will be built on AMD's new 45nm manufacturing process and have an onboard DDR2 memory controller. AMD is targeting netbook customers who want a fuller PC experience with this chip.

Full Story (TrustedReviews.com)
Special thanks to forum member atthegates for submitting this bit

Dell launches Vostro A860 laptop

Dell today introduced the Vostro A860 notebook, starting at $379. It features a 15.6-inch display and Intel Celeron and Pentium Dual-Core processors. The full specifications include:

• Intel Celeron 560 (2.13GHz/1MB L2/533MHz FSB) or Pentium Dual-Core T2390 (1.86GHz/1MB L2/533MHz FSB) processors
• Windows Vista Home Basic or Business
• 15.6-inch 1366x768 display
• 120 or 160GB 5400RPM hard drives
• Intel GMA X3100+ graphics
• Standard 802.11b/g wireless
• 4- or 6-cell batteries
• Weight: 5.4 lbs (w/ 4-cell battery)
• Dimensions: 1.2" (H) x 14.8" (W) x 10" (D)

Dell Product Page
Via (Laptoping.com)

Intel Atom 330 dual-core bencmarked, less than impressive

PC Pro has benchmarked the new Intel Atom 330 dual-core processor and found it to be less than impressive. It has the same 1.6GHz clockspeed and 533MHz FSB of its single-core counterparts. It shows up as four processors in Windows since it has Hyper-Threading technology.

In benchmarks, the only tests the 330 did significantly better in versus the single-core Atom N270 were the multitasking ones. In some tests, it was actually slower.

The 330 has a TDP of 8W, double that of the N270, so it will be interesting to see how it affects battery life.

Full Story (PCPro.co.uk)
Via (Engadget.com)

ASUS depending on style to help notebook sales

ASUS plans to depend on more style-oriented products to keep its sales up next year, not lower prices. Notebook average selling prices (ASPs) are expected to fall about ten percent next year, but ASUS hopes it will not have to drop its prices that far.

ASUS is expected to introduce several new slimmer, more stylish products at CeBIT 2009.

Full Story (DigiTimes.com)

Intel to phase out older notebook CPUs

Intel is planning to phase out several older notebook processors in this upcoming January. The processors on the chopping block include:

• Intel Core 2 Extreme X7800/X7900
• Intel Core 2 Duo T7800/L7700

Full Story (DigiTimes.com)

 

It's about time AMD got into this netbook insanity.

 

Hopefully the amd chip will rape the intel one.

 

Thanks for the updates, Chaz!

hmmm...What took AMD so long? = netbooks = about time!!!!



Cin

 

They were just kidding.... http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-10097479-64.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Why sell it as a $30ish "netbook" processor if you can market as a competitor to the Intel C2D Low and Ultra-low Voltage processors that sell for $250+!?

Besides, Intel has the netbook market cornered. With netbooks starting at barely $300, AMD would have a hard time making a case for OEM's to choose their product. To do so, it would have to meet or exceed the Atom's performance and sell for less. Hardly the formula for great profit margins!

The netbook craze will subside eventually anyway. If the Conesus processor is a good perfomer, perhaps AMD can figure out how to make all of their processors competitive with their Intel counterparts. Considering that a 2.0GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T3200 meets or exceeds the performance the 2.1GHz AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80, they definitely need to focus their efforts and resources there! The T3200 runs cooler and lasts longer on battery, too!

 

Wow Allfiredup, I didn't have any idea Intel outperformed AMD that much lol. I guess I'll buy intel only from now on. Perfect timing for suggesting a new lappy for my niece.

 

After reading the article from CNET, I would have to agree with the route that AMD has chosen to follow this time round. Just a heads up, this is a long response post. Here are some reasons why...

1)

As Allfiredup stated, Intel has the netbook market pretty much well covered especially at this late in the game especially now that VIA has dropped chipset R&D and the Nano is pretty much an after thought. If AMD wanted to compete, it would have been more logical to have something ready to release either just after the launch of the Intel Atom 270 single core, or, at the latest, right before or at the same time as the new Intel Atom 330 dual core. Since most of your major manufacturers have already built the first round of netbooks already around the Intel platform, why waste time, money, and R&D on the market especially when you are already losing money overall in the market currrently?

2)

By focusing on the new upcoming platform, it allows them to work towards what CNET was thinking. Most people want light and small, but most also want powerful and not much smaller than about 13". If you put it into a time frame reference, 5 to 10 years ago the desktop and personal computer where the big thing. About 3-5 years ago, people started to have a true notebook alternative that, while still expensive for the time, was still feasible for some. As popularity shifted, this lead to the progression we are seeing today. The last 2 to 3 years main stream middle income families could now afford notebooks because there was more competition and demand by the consumers to where prices have fallen to where you can walk into an local electronics store and pick up a good budget notebook for around $450 to $550. Yes, it will lack additional software but there are ways around that.

Today, you have the early adopters who have their 3 to 5 year old notebooks coming in wanting an upgrade. I should know because, as a PC Technician, I get the old Dell and HP "Bricks" all the time. Most of these customers want 2 things. They want more power and speed for running up to date and current application that they use on a regular basis and they want something usually smaller and lighter. While the first issue is easily addressed with any new laptop, as it will be leaps and bounds better than their previous unit, the second is a bit more complicated.

The first step the industry took was to take the standard 15.4" and streamline it to lighten it up. This helped to shave a few pounds, but there is only so much you can take off the notebook. The next step was to create smaller units. This would become the ultraportable market. While this helped to provide a much smaller and, subsequently, lighter notebook, the technology at the time meant that you had to pay through the nose to own one. Even today, there are still clear examples such as the Sony Z and TT line and few models from the likes of Toshiba, Fujitsu, etc. So, the next step for the industry was to create something small, light, and cheap. Asus was the first to get this formula right (I am not including PDA/Cell Phone style PCs for the sake of simplicity) with the EEE PC. It was new, it was unique, and it was cheap. Now, you have everyone making their own variant but aside from cosmetic differences, they are all essentially built in a similar formula.

So, what becomes the next logical step for the industry? Well, considering notebooks are only gaining in popularity and market share (last records I saw a while ago showed desktops down to 30% total overall market share), it is safe to assume that 13" to 14" is going to become the new standard over the next year or two with 15.4" becoming labeled a "Desktop replacement" and the 17" gradually dwindling in number. Sure, manufacturer's will continue to sponsor "special models" and "business models" that may venture towards an irregular screen size or specific feature to meet a core market of people (think gaming desktop PCs about 3 to 5 years ago), but for the most part the real winner of the next big notebook revolution will be the company that can make a powerful 13" notebook, but sell it within the $500 to $750 range. Even now, there are already a few models out there that I can think of that are pushing the envelope towards this thought (think Lenovo U330 or the 13" Toshiba/HP models) The kicker has always been to sacrifice CPU and GPU power for cost effectiveness.

So, to bring the idea home, you have AMD making statements and reports that they are designing the next generation of CPU and GPU for just this market. Think about it for a sec. If AMD can bring a noteworthy challenger to the notebook market within Q1 to Q2 of next year that is at least on par with the current and upcoming Intel flavors, they have a good chance to make a better stand in the notebook market. Better still, if they can manage an "Athlon" upset like they did a few short years ago, they would easily be back in business. They have already setup the way for their GPUs (both integrated and dedicated) to be platform leaders, now it is just the CPU that is holding them behind. I wouldn't put it by AMD to bring out a competitor 13" notebook that is the size of a Lenovo U330, but has the power of a mid-range to high end system.


It is kind of ironic about the competition cycle when it comes to technology. Company A releases an awesome product that blows Company B's product out of the water. Company B works to quickly develop a competitive alternative while simultaneously trying to see the future and work towards a new product to meet that future idea or goal. Company A, mean while, continues to update its products, but doesn't necessarily strive towards a future product. Company B released their new revolutionary product and, suddenly, Company A is behind. Having switched sides, the process repeats.

BBGus

 

I hope not, I like my EEE 901 a lot, and plan on getting a new netbook next year when Atom's successor is out.

 

why intel's phasing out core 2 extremes? hope they retain the Quads..

 

Because the newer X9000, which is built on 45 nm instead of 65 nm, is compatible with Santa Rosa, so there's no need for the other two Santa Rosa extreme processors. All that's really changing is that the older, larger-process, less L2-cache processors are being phased out - you'll still have just as good of options to choose from.

There's the X9100 for Montevina, still, as well. And the T9500 is the same as the T7800 except for more L2 cache and 45 nm instead of 65 nm. So no one's losing out here, unless for some reason you prefer larger-process CPU's.

Disappointing to see Dell going 16:9 as well. I really don't see the point - most movies are either 2.40:1 or 1.33:1. And who really spends that much time watching a movie on a laptop? I'd guess TV's are still where most people watch their movies, and unless you start getting 25-inch laptops TV's will probably stay on top for the bigger screen if nothing else.

 

Not super-impressed, Dell. Doesn't look that great, and no dedicated graphics? Or maybe there will be an option. At any rate, unless you can put out something like the Vostro 1400, with a high-range processor and decent dedicated graphics available, and in a nice 14.1" size, with a magnesium alloy frame, I'm going to turn to the Latitudes/ThinkPads/Asus for my next purchase.

I don't see the point of this new Vostro. :GEEK:

 

It is also worth reading the Inquirer's take on the AMD Netbook CPU.

John

 

hope amd's new cpu will be better than intel's. its time to buy a netbook

 

I'm basing the comparison between the Intel T3200 and the AMD ZM-80 on the following two reviews from Cnet.com-

DELL Inspiron 1525-139B
Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit
2.0GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T3200
3GB DDR2-667 RAM
Intel GMA X3100 integrated graphics
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/dell-inspiron-1525-139b/4505-3121_7-33309973.html

AND

HP Pavilion dv5-1004nr
Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
2.1GHz AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80
4GB DDR2-800 RAM
ATI Radeon Mobility HD 3200 integrated graphics
http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/hp-pavilion-dv5-1004nr/4505-3121_7-33088546.html

The T3200 has a 667MHZ FSB and 1mb of L2 cache. The next step up is the T5800 with the same 2.0GHz clock speed but an 800MHz FSB and 2mb L2. HP's dv4-1125nr has the T5800 and 4GB of RAM and it outperformed the T3200 substantially and mopped the floor with the AMD ZM-80-equipped dv5-1004nr.

I'm a bit surprised that the two entry-level Intel processors (T3200, T5800) can outperform AMD's top model (Turion X2 Ultra). Stepping down to the non-Ultra Turion X2 (2.0GHz RM-70) and it gets even worse. The ATI HD 3200 integrated graphics is the only bright spot of the AMD-based systems.

The price advantage of AMD vs. Intel-based HP notebooks still seems to be a factor in retail configurations. However, on HP's website, configuring a dv5t and dv5z or dv4t and dv4z with similar specs and the AMD models cost $50 more at the moment! (selecting the 2.0GHz T3200 for the "t" models and the 2.0GHz RM-70 for the "z" models).

I remember when I bought my first AMD Athlon desktop back in 2000. Even the Pentium 4 couldn't touch it! Without the competition, it's very possible that Intel processors wouldn't perform as well as they do today. I'd like to AMD catch up....or at least try harder!

 

The DELL Vostro A860 may start at $379, but that model has a 2.13GHz Celeron processor, 1GB RAM and a CD-RW drive. They're only offered in fixed configurations and the next step up is $479 and it has the 1.86GHz Pentium Dual-Core T2390 and DVD RW...but still 1GB of RAM and a 120GB Hard Drive. Windows Vista Home Basic is the only O/S available on any A860.

This product was originally intended for "developing" markets- (India, China, South America), but I don't see it selling well in the U.S. Being cheap and being a good value aren't the same in this case!

The $529 configuration of the A860 upgrades to 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive. But $524 will buy the Vostro 1510 with those same specs PLUS a 1.8GHz T5870 in place of the T2390 (800MHz FSB vs. 533MHz, 2mb L2 vs. 1mb). And the 1510 is configurable.

The Vostro A860 is cheaper (and uglier) than the HP G60, but the Vostro is probably the better performer...the G60 is pathetic.

 

A kickass netbook would be:
Dual core atom (Single die , Not two) Putting both cores on the same die and using a shared L2 cache should lower TDP to about 2.5-3w , Then an increase in clock speed from the current 1.6ghz to about 2.6ghz = a 62.5% increase in power which equates to 4.065w, But remember , It can still downclock to 800mhz and achieve below 1w power consumption and because of the single die method it will idle with a lower power consumption then previous atoms.

The same 945 chipset core as its more than enough for atom, Shrunk to 45nm (as its currently on 130nm I think lol) with the ICH7 southbridge integrated onto the same 45nm die, Also the inclusion of the updated X3100 on the chip instead of the old terrible 950 (the X4500 would be overkill , LOOL).

Then , You have two chips for the whole system:
Atom dual core 2.6ghz , Shared 512kb L2 , 45nm 4-5W TDP, <1w Idle.
NB+SB combo , 945 structure , 45nm , x3100.

Which would use much less power then previous systems at idle , And less even under load , And it would be possible to decode 1080 for HD! , Finally it would elimiate the southbridge and allow for a smaller cooling assembly , meaning a smaller mainboard , thinner notebook , And more possibilities.

Edit:
Of course , In a few years time it will be possible to include a 4-8 core atom , memory controller , gpu , southbridge all on one chip at 32nm or 22nm and have a extremly low TDP , then a intel SSD and some DDR3 memory , And youll get like a 6w TDP for the whole system. But what I said is more realistic ,as something to take over the market right now .

 

thx for news Chaz

 

What the heck is X3100+?

 

Nailed it.

 

When AMD comes out with an equal performing CPU to Intel, I am there! AMD needs to at least match Intel and I will buy one over an Intel.

 

Yeah...

I thought it was news that AMD dropped out of the netbook race.

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-yukon-congo-netbook-atom,6598.html

 

or altleast with in 10% with lower power consumption

 

I thought AMD's netbook CPU was the Athlon 64 2650e?

 

The Everun Note already sports a 1.2GHz Turion X2.

 

Now if they update it with the 780G it would whoop atom's arse easily (which can't even run 1080P without pause)

 

The Athlon 2650e is a budget low end CPU. I think that it is the successor to the Sempron series. That's just my guess.

That would be great, but you have to realize that netbooks are about heat and power consumption. The 780G chipset would draw too much power defeating the purpose of a netbook's "long battery life". Also, wouldn't running a 1080p video on a 7-11'' netbook defeat the purpose of high-definition?

 

I play 720p content on my 800x480 screen. Means I don't have to download two copies of everything.

 

I wish Dell would make an inspiron like the Vostro A860

 

While the specs are pure meh, I do admit that the style is pretty nice, just the right amount of splash.

Make it a 14' inch non 16:9 system with decent specs and I would be sold.

 

They might do better if they just published information on their laptops. I went Sony because I literally *could not* get spec information on their laptops. Their laptop web-site is absolutely insane. It boggles the mind that they spend millions developing laptops and then produce a web-site which comprehensively fails to inform customers what products they sell. Furthermore, I couldn't even *contact* them to tell them the problems I was facing.

ASUS deserve to do badly - it is an appropriate fate for bad companies; let the good companies prosper for the benefit of us all.

 

Personally, I shudder looking at it, as it reminds me of my old, cheap plastic, small, flimsy touchpad, wobbly latches Inspiron 2200.