Radeon HD 5670 "Redwood"

AMD's DirectX 11 Evergreen family is now proceeding to mainstream arena. We're getting to see the Radeon HD 5670, which should start for about $99. Nicknamed "Redwood", it contains half the execution resources of Juniper, the GPU in Radeon HD 5700-series cards, with the same 128-bit memory interface.

According to AMD, the 5670 will draw just 14W at idle and 61W under a typical load. That means no PCI Express power connectors and hopefully low noise levels, despite the spartan-looking single-slot cooler. The core of the new card runs at 775MHz with 400 stream processors for the core and 1GHz with either 512 MB of 1GB of GDDR5 memory.

AMD advertises Eyefinity support, too, but the maximum number of supported displays is limited to four, and the reference card will only connect up to three displays.

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AMD's prized primate, Louie, shows just how easy it is to upgrade your PC with a new ATI graphics card, letting you play the latest games. Want to learn more? Check out http://links.amd.com/SoEasy

World’s First Mobile Graphics with DirectX 11 Support

AMD today introduced its lineup of next-generation DirectX 11-capable ATI Mobility Radeon™ Premium graphics. AMD has based the Mobility Radeon HD 5800 series on the same 40-nm Juniper silicon as the desktop Radeon HD 5700 series. The Mobility 5700 and 5600 series are both based on Redwood, while the 5400 series is based on Cedar.

There's no Cypress here. That chip specifically for desktop cards like the Radeon HD 5870, and it's basically too big and too hot for laptops.

Speaking of power efficiency, the new Mobility 5000 lineup features "improved engine and memory clock scaling and clock gating," which helps lower power consumption at idle. AMD allows real-time switching between integrated and discrete graphics processors, too, so users can disable their discrete Radeons in order to get longer battery life. The switching technology supports both Intel and AMD platforms.

Other features include Eyefinity hexa-display capability, which you'll find on Mobility 5800-, 5700-, and 5600-series GPUs. Those who opt for Mobility 5400-series parts will be limited to quad-display setups. All of these GPUs also support up to 1GB of GDDR5 RAM, although you may see some of the lower-end parts with smaller amounts of DDR3 or DDR2 RAM. The choice will likely be up to laptop makers.

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge

AMD today celebrated an expansion of its business relationship with leading computer manufacturer Lenovo, which is introducing new AMD platform-based laptops. The innovative PC manufacturer this week introduced the first commercial ThinkPad laptops based on VISION Pro Technology from AMD, a new extension of VISION Technology from AMD, that are designed to appeal to key enterprise, SMB and government segments: the ThinkPad X100e, an entry ultraportable starting under $449, and the ThinkPad Edge Series laptops designed for the SMB, starting from $579.

Priced right and engineered for small business, ThinkPad Edge is truly mobile and reliable, with features:
* Powerful AMD dual-core processors
* Windows® 7 operating system
* Gigabit LAN, WWAN with GPS, 802.11bgn WiFi, Bluetooth and WiMAX options
* Thin and light with a 13.3" widescreen
* Spill-resistant keyboard
* Up to 7.8 hours of battery life
* Worry-free ThinkVantage® Technologies
* Enhanced multimedia and HD audio
* Low-light-sensitive Web camera
* Three USB ports (1 powered), 5-in-1 media card reader and HDMI
* Various services and warranty options

The ThinkPad® Edge 13" model features a progressive new design, with clean lines and bold color and finish choices. For more, visit HERE.

Lenovo also plans this quarter to introduce a new IdeaPad based on the 2009 AMD Mainstream Notebook Platform, targeted at the consumer mainstream volume market.

Vision Pro Technology

On January 5th, AMD announced VISION Pro Technology, a new commercial PC platform brand that delivers a superior visual computing experience, and can help businesses increase productivity and gain competitive advantage by enabling visually stunning communications, marketing and sales materials.

Graphics matter more than ever in business communication and innovative companies are leveraging balanced PC platform technology to generate and view rich visual presentations including videos and 3D graphics to communicate winning ideas.

Commercial PCs based on VISION Pro Technology from AMD offer out-of-the-box support for multiple monitors, seamless viewing of videos, use of video conferencing software, and the performance necessary to create and view rich presentations with embedded video and 3D graphics.

Additional industry support comes from HP which offers VISION Pro Technology from AMD on select models of its HP ProBook line of business notebooks. The HP ProBook 4415s, ProBook 6445b, and ProBook 6545b are powered by VISION Pro Technology from AMD, enabling these notebooks to deliver compelling PC-based visual support for all forms of business communications including sales presentations, webcasts, and videoconferences.

Security features supported by VISION Pro Technology include the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), AMD’s Enhanced Virus Protection (EVP), and key Windows® 7 Professional features3. AMD client virtualization technology [AMD Virtualization™ (AMD-V™) technology] provides the full, chip-level optimization needed to support legacy applications under Windows XP Mode3.

Find out more about Lenovo and their new ThinkPad Edge and ThinkPad X100e notebooks featuring VISION Pro technology from AMD.

PCP+ Baby Raptor

The legendary Baby Raptor :

* AMD™ 790GX + AMD™ SB750 Chipset
* Supports AMD™ AM3/AM2+/AM2 series processors
* Supports Dual Channel DDR2/DDR3
* Integrated ATI Radeon HD 3300 GPU
* Onboard sideport memory 128MB DDR3
* Support AMD OverDrive (AOD) Technology
* Support Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC) Technology
* Supports ATI Hybrid CrossFire Technology
* Supports ATI CrossFireX Technology
* High-polymer solid electrolysis aluminum capacitors
* Integrated Serial ATA2 3 Gb/s with RAID function
* Integrated Gigabit LAN
* Integrated ALC883 HD Audio CODEC with 8-CH
* Supports Blu-ray/Full HD DVD playback
* CPU Vcore 7-Shift
* Onboard DVI Port/HDMI port/VGA port/e-SATA port
* Micro ATX Form Factor (245mm x 245mm)

PCP+ Canibal

PCP+ just unleashed the new AMD785G series motherboard, nickname "CANIBAL". Specifications:

* AMD785G+SB710 Chipset
* Socket AM3
* Support Up to AMD Phenom II X4 965BE 140W TDP Processor
* 4x DDR3 1333 MHz (4GB per DIMM, 16GB Total)
* 100% Japanese Full Solid Capacitors
* Integrated ATI Radeon HD 4200 GPU 700 Mhz (With Directx 10.1)
* SidePort Memory 128MB GDDR3
* Support AMD OverDrive Technology
* Support Advanced Clock Calibration
* Support ATI Hybrid CrossFire Technology
* Support ATI CrossFireX Technology @8x8 PCIE 2.0
* Onboard Power, Reset, Clear CMOS & 3D Sound Button
* 4+1 Power Phase with Heatsink Cooler
* Integrated Serial ATA2 3Gb/s with RAID function
* Integrated Gigabit LAN and e-SATA
* Integrated ALC888 HD Audio CODEC with 8.0 CH
* Support Blu-ray/Full HD DVD playback
* CPU Vcore 7-Shift / DVI Port/ Debug Port/ HDMI port/ VGA port
* Ready for Windows® Vista™ & Windows® 7™
* AMD™ GAME! Ready
* Micro ATX Form Factor

Asus Eee PC 1201T is AMD-based

So far, Asus has stuck with Intel's Celeron and Atom processors for its Eee PC line of netbooks. That could soon change, since Asus is preparing a 12.1", Eee PC-branded system based on AMD's Congo ultraportable platform.

Eee PC 1201T, has a 12.1" 1366x768 display, a 1.6GHz Athlon Neo MV-40 processor, 802.11n Wi-Fi, up to 320GB of mechanical storage, and a six-cell battery rated for up to four hours of run time. It has weight of 3.2 lbs (1.46kg) and a thickness of 1.07"-1.3".


The Congo platform brings two advantages over the Atom and GMA 950 combo found in majority of netbooks: the Athlon Neo processor has a full-featured core with out-of-order execution, and the AMD780-based chipset offers Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics—a considerably more powerful solution than anything in Intel's portfolio.

MSI announces Neo X2-based X-Slim X430

This time, MSI has introduced a new member of its X-Slim family with an Athlon Neo X2 processor and Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics, AMD's latest second-generation Ultrathin Platform Congo.

Equipped with 14-inch, 1366x768 display, MSI has still managed to keep it thin and light. A weight of 3.3 lbs (1.5kg) and a thickness of only 0.96" (24.5mm) at the machine's thickest point. Internally, the new X-Slim also features 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a choice of 320GB or 500GB hard drives, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Windows 7 Home Premium, and a battery with either four or eight cells.

MSI blends graceful and gentle feather-like lines into a special luminous exterior that features customizable colors around the frame. This gives the X430 a design that embraces a metro fashion sense and displays the individual taste and professional self-confidence that is representative of MSI's craftsmanship and skill. The X430, an ultra-thin, power-saving platform with AMD's latest VISION technology, provides dual-core processing performance and consumer-friendly pricing.

Read MSI News HERE. Product Catalogue HERE.

Lenovo Readies World’s First AMD-Based ThinkPad

Lenovo is getting ready to unveil the first ever ThinkPad computer with a microprocessor from Advanced Micro Devices. Neither IBM, the original creator of ThinkPad brand, nor Lenovo have ever used AMD chips inside their laptop line.

Lenovo ThinkPad X100e is based on AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 (single-core, 1.60GHz, 512KB cache, 15W, 65nm SOI) and AMD 780V core-logic with integrated ATI Radeon DirectX 10-supporting graphics core. The laptop features 11.6” display with unknown high-def resolution, media card reader, 3 USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 0.3MP webcam and so on. The mobile computer may be equipped with up to 4GB DDR2 memory; up to 500GB hard drive; various connectivity options, including WWAN, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS and so on, reports Netbooknews.de web-site.


Considering that this is still a ThinkPad, the X100e is equipped with high-quality spill-resistant keyboard, UltraNav trackpoint, business OS support, basic manageability functions and some other functions.

Lenovo plans to offer its ThinkPad X100e globally starting at $449 starting early January, 2010.

Hemlock Reclaiming the Speed Crown

AMD has launched their new Radeon HD 5000 series to great success. The Radeon HD 5870 might be the fastest single GPU yet, but it is not the undisputed fastest graphics card. While it is certainly a match for the GeForce GTX 295, it doesn't exactly beat it.

Deviating from the usual "X2" suffix, the new Radeon HD 5970, codenamed Hemlock, is ATI's biggest, boldest and most powerful graphics card yet. The Radeon HD 5970 essentially squeezes two Cypress chips onto a single GPU, and as such the card boasts a whopping transistor count of 4.3 billion, 3200 stream processors, 160 texture mapping units and 64 raster operator units. This makes the new Hemlock card, the most powerful graphics card in existence.


The card comes equipped with 2GB of GDDR5, which is split between the two GPUs, giving it an effective memory capacity of 1GB. The card will be selling for $600, at least so long as vendors and retailers hold the line on MSRP. AMD’s official guidance for this card is that the minimum requirements are a 650W power supply, and they recommend a 750W power supply.

For a size comparison here are all the Radeon HD 5000 series cards lined up. From top to bottom you have the Radeon HD 5970, 5870, 5850, 5770 and the 5750. You can clearly see how large the Radeon HD 5970 is compared to the other cards. It was one inch longer than the Radeon HD 5870! At 12.125" in length Radeon HD 5970 is very long and isn't going to fit in all the cases on the market today.


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