AMD unveils 6th generation A-Series processor

• Says it brings innovative computing experiences to notebooks and all-in-ones
• World’s first high-performance Accelerated Processing Unit in an SoC design

AMD Inc has announced its 6th Generation A-Series Processor, which it said was the world’s first high-performance Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) in a System-on-Chip (SoC) design.
 
Previously codenamed ‘Carrizo,’ the 6th Generation AMD A-Series Processor takes advantage of extensive AMD processor and graphics intellectual property, enabling computing experiences not possible before, the company said in a statement.
 
The new processor delivers premium streaming entertainment, unmatched smooth online gaming, and innovative computing experiences, with all-day unplugged performance (defined as more than eight hours’ idle battery life), AMD claimed.
 
The company touted a number of technology firsts: The world’s first High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) hardware decode support for notebooks; the first Heterogeneous Systems Architecture (HSA) 1.0-compliant design; and the first ARM TrustZone-capable high-performance APU.
 
The new processor harnesses up to 12 compute cores – four CPUs (central processing units) plus eight GPUs (graphics processing units) – leveraging AMD ‘Excavator’ cores and the third generation of AMD’s Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture.
 
The result is a groundbreaking processor that boasts more than twice the battery life of its predecessor, up to two times’ faster gaming performance than competitive processors, innovative computing experiences enabled through HSA, and a premium Microsoft Windows 10 experience with support for DirectX 12, AMD claimed.
 
“The notebook remains the ideal, versatile, connected hub in people’s lives – the one device that does it all and does it well, and today’s consumer shouldn’t have to pay a premium to enjoy high quality streaming video, superior online gaming, and powerful content management,” said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager of products at AMD.
 
“That changes today with the 6th Generation AMD A-Series Processor, designed to deliver exceptional experiences never before seen in a mainstream notebook, truly making innovation available to everyone,” he added.
 
Notebooks featuring the 6th Generation AMD A-Series Processor will be available from top OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) starting in June.
 
Related Stories:
 
AMD launches Opteron X-Series to take on Intel’s Atom
 
Continuous success stories out from AMD Penang
 
AMD unveils 2013 Elite A-Series APU for Desktops
 
 
For more technology news and the latest updates, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Like us on Facebook.