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AMD Hardware

AMD Launches Carrizo Mobile APU With Excavator CPU Cores, Integrated Southbridge 46

MojoKid writes: AMD previously only teased bits of detail regarding their forthcoming 6th Generation A-Series APU, code named "Carrizo," as far back as CES 2015 in January and more recently with AMD's HSA (Heterogenous System Architecture) 1.0 spec roll-out in March. However, the company has officially launched the product today and has lifted the veil on all aspects of their new highly integrated notebook APU. Carrizo has been optimized for the 15 Watt TDP envelope that comprises the bulk of the thin and light notebook market currently and it brings a couple of first to integrated notebook chip designs. AMD's Carrizo APU is the first SoC architecture to fully support the HSA 1.0 specification, allowing full memory coherency of a shared memory space for both CPU and GPU up to 32GB. It's also the first integrated chip to include full support in hardware for H.265/HEVC HD video decoding and finally, Carizzo is also the first AMD APU to have a full integrated, in silicon, Southbridge controller block. So, with its CPU, GPU, memory controller, Northbridge, Southbridge, and PCIe 3.0 links, Carrizo is truly a fully integrated System On A Chip. The company is claiming a 39% CPU performance lift (combination clock speed and IPC) and up to a 65% in graphics, versus their previous generation Kaveri APU. AMD notes laptops from major vendors will begin shipping in the next few weeks.
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AMD Launches Carrizo Mobile APU With Excavator CPU Cores, Integrated Southbridge

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  • Does it run Linux? (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Sorry, have to ask. AMD fired quite a few Linux developers over last few years, so I'm not sure if this APU is even fully supported on Linux.

    I don't just mean graphics, I mean OpenCL support, peripheral support, etc. etc

  • Right now, my dream laptop is a Carrizo with a 1080 panel and a DisplayPort output for around $600 or so. That would let me do some casual gaming, as well as drive a 30" monitor for productivity stuff. I am not holding my breath, however. Just about the only machines with DisplayPort are gaming machine (at least $1000), or business-class machines sporting Intel (with integrated Intel graphics which suck for gaming).

    Come on, HP or Asus. Make my dream come true.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by CajunArson ( 465943 )

      Everytime AMD comes out with a new mobile part we see the usual requests for products revolving around a wish for the "cheap" AMD parts to be coupled with high-quality cases/displays/RAM/storage/cases/etc./etc. to get a premium product that's super cheap.

      It never happens.

      Instead, the OEMs look at AMD's advertising of "cheap cheap cheap!" and run with it for the rest of the components in the system.

      It's not just a conspiracy either, because while AMD parts are cheaper than (some) Intel parts, when you factor

      • by harrkev ( 623093 )

        But.... if you want a machine with reasonable gaming performance without the expense of a separate graphics chip, AMD is the only game in town. I don't want the best. I just want something reasonable.

        You can get an HP Envy with an AMD FX processor right now. If they throw a Carrizo FX in there (likely to happen) and add a DisplayPort interface (rather less likely), I would be quite happy. I am just bothered that DisplayPort is relegated to the expensive machines only. 30" monitors are downright cheap t

        • You might faintly hope for some USB 3 type C shit there, where they can wire Displayport to.

          I'd want a 1600x900 panel though, as 1080p is just stupidly thin.

        • by armanox ( 826486 )
          Last I heard there were no plans for a new FX chip.
          • by rdnetto ( 955205 )

            Last I heard there were no plans for a new FX chip.

            It's a little unclear if it'll be part of the FX lineup, but apparently AMD will be releasing a new line of CPUs next year under the codename Zen. The core count will go up to 16, so it sounds like it'll definitely be a spiritual successor to the FX line, even if it's not part of it. (That is, it could actually be competitive against an i7.)

            Source: http://www.fudzilla.com/news/p... [fudzilla.com]

      • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

        Actually, in my experience, an AMD GPU can easily turn a $1200 laptop into a $600 laptop.

      • Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • Even if I buy a "high end" laptop, I would rather have better integrated GPU than a better CPU. To me it's just a bonus that the AMD parts are so much cheaper. But as you say, it's nearly impossible to get a high end laptop with an AMD chip in it.
    • You can get something like this from HP. And HP Envy is available with AMD FX APUs. Changing the screen to 1080p is a $50 option, and you still should end up with under $600 laptop. Personally though, I would prefer to configure a laptop with a mobile Intel Core i5 and a $50 optional dedicated GPU. This combo may cost $100 more, but will slaughter AMD system in every respect.

      You should also take AMD's claims with a grain of salt. I recall the disappointment that was the Kaveri parts once they hit the test l

      • Where AMD currently shines is in laptops without dedicated graphics. IGP performance is much more of a bottleneck than CPU performace is (where AMD doesn't currently shine).

        So if you take an AMD laptop with an IGP, it will beat the core i5 with dedicated graphics in size, power consumption, and price.

        What sucks is that not many manufacturers make laptop models with AMD chips, and when they do they are usually coupled with terrible components.

  • by Chirs ( 87576 ) on Wednesday June 03, 2015 @05:20PM (#49834775)

    We'll have to see what the benchmarks look like, but it has potential at least.

    • Intels broadwells integrated graphics cream this

      • by Anonymous Coward

        No, Intel's broadwell Iris Pro graphics CAN cream this, in desktop form factor. The weaker Gen8 graphics incarnations most certainly do not beat Carrizo or Kaveri, and certainly not at the same price point.

        The only incarnations of Broadwell Iris Pro I've seen to date that clearly beats AMD's offerings are the i7-5775C and i5-5675C. You won't see those in many laptops.

    • by Kjella ( 173770 )

      Whenever a company "launches" a computer part without any reviewers getting a sample, that's at least one strike against it. It tells me they'd rather you read their marketing material than an actual review. Do you think they don't have any ready? Of course they do. So add 2+2... Or maybe a counterpoint, when was the last time you were really impressed by a paper launch? If you got it, you're not afraid to show it off. AMD is really good at Powerpoint, but it's easy to look good on paper.

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