AMD mobile platform

The AMD mobile platform is an open platform for laptops from AMD. Though little marketing was done on this platform, it has been competing with the Centrino platform in the segment to gain more marketshare. Each platform has its own specification, catching up the latest technology developments. Since the acquisition of ATI, AMD began to include Mobility Radeon GPUs and AMD chipsets as part of the requirements of the mobile platform, the first of such platforms is the "Puma" platform.

Implementations

Initial platform

Launched in 2003, the initial platform for mobile AMD processors consists of:
* Processors - Socket 754
**Mobile Sempron single-core 32-bit processor (codenamed "Dublin", "Sonora", "Roma"), or
** Mobile Athlon 64 single-core 64-bit processor (codenamed "ClawHammer", "Odessa", "Oakville"), or
** Turion 64 single-core 64-bit processor (codenamed "Lancaster"); and
* D-sub and HyperTransport 1.0 support

Kite platform

Introduced in 2006, the "Kite" platform consists of:
* Processors - Socket S1
** Mobile Sempron single-core 64-bit processor (codenamed "Keene"), or
** Turion 64 single-core 64-bit processor (codenamed "Richmond"), or
** Turion 64 X2 dual-core 64-bit processor (codenamed "Taylor", "Trinidad"); and
* Wireless IEEE 802.11 b/g mini-PCIe WiFi adapter; and
* DDR2-667 SO-DIMM; and
* DVI and HyperTransport 1.0 support

Kite Refresh platform

AMD used "Kite Refresh" as the codenamed for the second-generation AMD mobile platform introduced in February 2007.

The "Kite" Refresh platform consists of:
* Processors - Socket S1
** Turion 64 X2 dual-core 64-bit "Hawk" family processor 65 nm (codenamed "Tyler"), or
** Mobile Sempron single-core 64-bit processor 65nm (codenamed "Sherman"); and
* Wireless IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/draft-N support, mini-PCIe Wi-Fi adapter; and
* DDR2-800 SO-DIMM; and
* Hybrid hard drives support; and
* HDMI, HyperTransport 1.0 and PCI Express 1.0 support
* Alert Standard Format (ASF) 2.0 support ( [http://www.dmtf.org/standards/mgmt/asf/ ASF page] )
* Trusted Platform Module (TPM) support

Puma platform

The "Puma" platform introduced in 2008 with June 2008 availability for the third-generation AMD mobile platform consists of:
* Processors
** Dual-core 64-bit codenamed "Lion" of processors, named "Turion Ultra", or
** Mobile Sempron single-core 64-bit processor (codenamed "Sable"), with the followings:
*** Split-power planes and linked power management support and
*** Support for possible low voltage processors; and
* Wireless IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n mini-PCIe Wi-Fi adapter; and
* Mobility Radeon HD 3000 series GPU on 55 nm process
* AMD M780 series chipset
** ATI Hybrid Graphics
*** Hybrid CrossFire
*** PowerXpress
** Hybrid hard drives support; and
** HyperFlash - memory modules on motherboard with ReadyBoost support; and
** DisplayPort, HyperTransport 3.0 and PCI Express 2.0 support
* DDR2-800 SO-DIMM; and
* Desktop and mobile Architecture for System Hardware (DASH) 1.0 support ( [http://www.dmtf.org/standards/mgmt/dash/ DASH page] )
* Trusted Platform Module (TPM) support

hrike platform

To be introduced in 2009, the "Shrike" platform [ [http://download.amd.com/Corporate/MarioRivasDec2007AMDAnalystDay.pdf AMD Financial Analyst Day presentation] , presented by Mario Rivas, page 22 of 28. Retrieved December 14, 2007] supports:
* Upcoming generation processor based on the "Fusion" project, codenamed "Swift", including:
**made on 45 nm process for the whole processor
**DDR3-1333 SO-DIMM support
**Socket FS1
**one full DirectX compliant GPU core in processor comparable to current high-end video cards,
**Unified Video Decoder (UVD); and
* New mobile GPU core codenamed "M90" family (presumably the Radeon R800 generation).
* Hybrid hard drives support; and
* HyperFlash - memory modules on motherboard with ReadyBoost support; and
* DisplayPort
* Desktop and mobile Architecture for System Hardware (DASH) 1.0 support
* Trusted Platform Module (TPM) support
* Ultra-wideband (UWB) support

Eagle platform

Planned for 2010 [ [http://www.computerbase.de/news/hardware/komplettsysteme/notebooks/2008/mai/amd-notebooks_auf_puma_shrike_eagle/] , German news from Computerbase, see the second picture]
* first AMD mobile quad-core processor
* 32 nm cores
* DDR3-1600 support
* integrated DirectX 10.1 GPU
* SB800/900 Southbridge

Open platform approach

On February 2007, AMD had announced the "Better by Design" initiative to continue the success of the open platform approach [ [http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/DownloadableAssets/Dec-06A-DayMartySeyer.pdf AMD Open Platform Approach] from AMD Analyst day presentations, slide 32] for desktop back in early 2003 after the launch of Athlon 64 processors with a lack of chipset being developed by AMD, and open the platform to chipset vendors such as VIA, SiS, NVIDIA and ATI. The initiative also includes platforms succeeding the "Kite Refresh" mobile platform.

Under the "Better by Design" initiative, AMD introduced a three-cell arrow sticker to identify mobile platform products, which the top cell being the processor (as Turion 64 X2). The middle cell for graphics accelerators as NVIDIA or ATI (as a result of retaining the use of "ATI Radeon" branding for graphics [ [http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/DownloadableAssets/Dec-06A-DayHenriRichard.pdf Retaining the ATI brand] from AMD Analyst day presentations, slide 7] ), including onboard graphics (IGP), while the last cell representing the wireless (Wi-fi, IEEE 802.11 standard) or LAN solutions, provided by one of the following companies: Airgo, Atheros, Broadcom, Marvell, Qualcomm, and Realtek.

The stickers to be used will be further classified by the system performance according to the processor performance, and into five classes, each having different colours as well as different logos for each component, listed as follows:

Market analysis

According to AMD figures in December 2007, AMD mobile platform gained 19% unit share in the market and about 23% revenue share of the firm during Q3 2007 while competing with the Intel Centrino platform. Figures for Q1 and Q2 2007 are 15% and 17% unit share, accounting for 14% and 16% of the company's revenue respectively. [ [http://download.amd.com/Corporate/MarioRivasDec2007AMDAnalystDay.pdf AMD Financial Analyst Day 2007 presentation] , presented by Mario Rivas, page 7 of 28. Retrieved December 14, 2007]

Criticism

AMD's mobile platform, even as recent as the Turion 64 X2 platform, has been criticized as consistently performing worse than Intel's Centrino in all areas: system speed, heat dissipation, and battery life. [ [http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/dual-core-notebook-cpus-explored,1553-12.html Dual Core Notebook CPUs Explored] ]

ee also

* Turion 64
* Turion 64 X2
* Turion Ultra
* List of AMD Turion microprocessors
* List of AMD Sempron microprocessors
* List of AMD Athlon 64 microprocessors
* Centrino

References

External links

* [http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ComputingSolutions/0,,30_288_14711,00.html AMD Better by Design page]
* [http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/32095/135 TGDaily: AMD announces details of next-gen mobile processor "Griffin"]
* [http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=39691 The Inquirer: AMD Bulldozer to demolish Intel Santa Rosa]
* [http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/DownloadableAssets/Dec-06A-DayMartySeyer.pdf AMD mobile platform rodamap] from AMD Analyst day presentations, slide 29
* [http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/DownloadableAssets/Better_by_Design_Mobile_Event_Presentation.pdf AMD Better by Design event presentation]