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AMD Launches Turion Mobile Processor
justforaday writes "Earlier today, AMD launched their Turion mobile processor, which is based on the AMD64 architecture. This is set to compete directly with Intel's Centrino (Pentium-M) line of processors. Chips will initially be clocked between 1.6 and 2.0 GHz. Looks like we should be seeing some nice low-powered 64-bit notebooks in the near future."
It's not like AMD has been stellar in the mobile processor world before this. Centrino has been a no-brainer for a while in the laptop world.
I really wish we could complete that ratio.
No, I'm not saying that Intel is as bad as Microsoft (although those recent anti-trust actions might make one wonder). I'm just saying that look how well things have turned out for the consumer on the processor front because there's a viable alternative.
Wouldn't it be cool to have a competitor for Microsoft the way AMD competes with Intel?
No. How long have you been following CPU pricing? It's always high for the first offerings. By this time next year you'll see half that line discontinued and the remainder heavily discounted.
Rule #1 regarding technology: As soon as it hits store shelves, it's already obsolete.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
This should be a very interesting product for the silent computing community (check SilentPCRReview) if some manufacturer decides to make desktop motherboards for it. People are already using Mobile Athlon XP's and Pentium-M's in desktop computers because of their relatively low heat output.
My own wish would be to some day have a passively air cooled computer. Running an Athlon64 passively with only one big slow (=nearly silent) case fan is already feasible with carefully managed airflow inside the computer case. Turion could be theoretically cool enough to cool with convection airflow if the potential is realized with wellmade motherboards.
that's not too bad, compared to the 25w of intel's pentium-m.
also remember than intel understates their peak power while amd overstates theirs. dont recall who did the test, i think it was the german c't mag who found the discrepancies between claimed and actual power consumption.
Better get used to lugging a massive battery if you plan to really get the most out of that 64 bit CPU.
What? Peak use is 25W-35W. Pentium Ms use 22W, but then you also have a northbridge and a southbridge. Whereas most Athlon-64 based (and therefore Turion 64) have only one other chip (other than the CPU). At the least, they're about the same in terms of power usage.
The Doormat
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