New mobile processors amd. Comparison of laptop processors (AMD vs Intel)

When choosing a processor from AMD, you come across a lot of incomprehensible letters and numbers. What do they mean? How do you separate an average processor from a weak one? You will learn about this in our material.

Introduction

Processors before 2010 will not be considered here, as well as server solutions, chips on the AM1 platform, as well as the AMD Ontario line (not currently relevant), so the markings shown in this article may not apply to them.

Here is a video that will help you figure it out, but we still recommend that you read the article, as it is more detailed and will be updated in the future.

Architecture

Chips of the latest 4 desktop architectures are currently on the market, and in the second half of 2016 it is planned to introduce the world to a new Zen architecture with a big jump in performance per clock and reduced to 14 nm, which may help to catch up with Intel in the top segment.

Sockets

Current platforms at the beginning of 2016 include FM2, FM2 + and AM3 +

Processor lines

E - series

Budget entry-level processors for notebooks and netbooks.

E1 has 2 cores on board, and E2 has 4.

Belonging to a particular generation is determined by the first digit:

• 7- Carrizo-L
• 6 - Beema
• 2, 3 - Kabini (excluding old chips before 2012, which have the same number)

Chips of this series are quite small, and if there is a need, you can familiarize yourself with the models on.

APU

AMD processors with integrated graphics core (APU) are divided into lines:

• A4 - 2 cores
• A6 - 2 cores
• A8 - 4 cores
• A10 - 4 cores

A12-8800B falls out of this nomenclature, but you can read about it.

Accordingly, from weaker to more powerful, both in graphics and in the processor part. Here's an example:

The first number indicates the processor cores (generation).

In our case, having the number 7, we get the Kaveri kernels.

It is worth noting that the number 4 in the A4 series on the Richland architecture means a reduced frequency, which leads to a decrease in performance.

850 - indicates performance among similar processors in frequency (more - better)

• P - typical power consumption for mobile processors (35 W)
• B - designation of Pro processors
• M - mobile processor (old designation)
• K - Unlocked for Overclocking
• T - reduced power consumption (stationary PCs)

Interestingly, there are A-processors marked with the FX trademark. As a rule, these are the most powerful laptop processors of the company. They are also based on the APU architecture.

Athlon

Now let's talk about Athlon. In fact, these are the same A - processors, but with a disabled video core for a lower price.

Take as an example

• X4 - stands for 4 processor cores
• 8 - is a pointer to Kaveri kernels (7 - Trinity)

We see no point in pointing to earlier models, since even the top-end Athlon X4 860K chip for this socket demonstrates the results of an average chip by modern standards, so we do not advise you to take these processors in 2016. If at first it suits you, then during the upgrade you will have to change the motherboard, which will cost a pretty penny and recoup the money saved on this solution.

• 60 - as in the previous case, indicates the position of the processor in the line
• K - matters too

Fx

Now let's talk about the fastest AMD processors - the FX series. These chips have great overclocking potential and a very affordable price tag. The main drawback arises from the rather outdated architecture and production technology - energy consumption. The TDP - performance ratio is far behind Intel processors, but the price - performance is at a very good level. The nomenclature below is not valid for the FX 9xxx - they are the same 8xxx, but with an increased clock speed. Here is the chip we chose as an example:

The first number represents the number of cores, in this case 8.

The second indicates the generation

• 3 - Vishera kernels
• 1, 2 - Zambezi kernels

The rest of the numbers indicate the frequency of the chip within the same family, but we believe that it does not matter. We advise you to take the youngest model in the line, since the older ones are exactly the same, but with factory overclocking. Why overpay for factory overclocking, if the "stones" and so good chase?

If you have any questions, you can visit the site, there you can find some useful information.

This article did not provide information about older chips, as well as about server solutions due to the outdated technology (technical process, architecture) in the former and the specificity of the application and the high cost of the latter. We hope that our material has helped you understand the nomenclature of AMD processors and will help you make the right choice.

This article will compare laptop processors from two leading semiconductor manufacturers - Intel and AMD. The products of the first of them are equipped with an improved processor part and, in this regard, have a higher level of performance. In turn, AMD solutions can boast of a more efficient graphics subsystem.

Division into niches

Comparison and Intel for laptops will be best performed in three niches:

• Low-end processors (they are also the most affordable).
• Mid-range CPUs that combine both a high level of performance and acceptable energy efficiency.
• Chips with the highest level of performance. In this case, performance, autonomy and energy efficiency fade into the background.

If in the first two cases AMD can provide a worthy alternative to Intel, then the premium segment has been completely dominated by the latter company for a long time. The only hope in this regard is for new processor solutions based on the Zen architecture, which AMD is to present next year.

Intel entry-level products

Until recently, this niche from Intel was occupied by Atom products. But now the situation has changed and entry-level laptops are now based on processors The most modest products of this class include only 2 cores, and the most advanced - 4. The following models are relevant for Q3 2016, which are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 - Current Intel CPU models for entry-level mobile PCs.

There are essentially no fundamental differences between these CPU models. They are aimed at solving the most simple tasks and have the lowest level of performance. Also, this manufacturer of semiconductor solutions has a strong point in the processor part, but the integrated graphics subsystem is very weak. Another strength of these products is a high degree of energy efficiency and improved autonomy due to this.

Mid-range solutions from Intel

Cor i3 and Cor i5 are mid-range Intel processors for notebooks. Comparison of their characteristics indicates that the first family is closer to entry-level solutions, and the second - under certain circumstances, can compete with the most productive chips of this company. The detailed specifications of this product family are shown in Table 2.

Table 2 - Parameters of Intel processors for mid-range notebooks.

The characteristics of this class of CPUs are almost identical. The key difference is the improved energy efficiency of the 7U54. As a result, autonomy in this case will also be better. As for the rest, there are no significant differences between these processors. The price for all chips of this family is the same - $ 281.

Intel premium notebook processors

For the latest generation notebooks, indicates that the most powerful solutions are the i7 family of CPUs. Moreover, in terms of architecture, they practically do not differ from middle-class products. Even the models of video cards are the same in this case. But a higher level of performance compared to middle-class processors is provided by higher clock speeds and an increased size of volatile memory of the 3rd level. The main parameters of the chips of this family are shown in Table 3.

Table 3 - Main characteristics of the i7 CPU family.

The difference between these products is that in the second case, energy efficiency is improved, but at the same time, the performance will ultimately be lower.

AMD Entry-Level Mobile Processors

For notebooks of the two leading manufacturers, these products indicate that Intel, as noted earlier, has a better processor part, while AMD has an integrated graphics subsystem. If in the new laptop the priority is precisely the improved video system, then it is better to pay attention to the laptops of the second manufacturer. Specific chip models by technical specifications are shown in Table 4.

Table 4 - The most recent AMD processors for entry-level notebooks.

Most of these chips have almost identical technical parameters. The key difference here is only in the frequency range and model of the integrated embedded accelerator. It is on the basis of these parameters that you need to make a choice. If you need maximum autonomy, then we choose products with a lower performance. If autonomy comes to the fore, then dynamism will have to be sacrificed for this.

AMD chips for organizing mid-range laptops

FX-9XXXP and A1X-9XXXP are for laptops. Comparison of their characteristics with the entry-level products indicates that they already have 4 compute units versus 2 that are available in the entry-level products. Also, in this case, it can compete with discrete entry-level accelerators. But the weak processor part is the factor that significantly reduces the performance of laptops based on these chips. Therefore, you can look in their direction only when, at the lowest cost of a mobile computer, you need the fastest possible graphics subsystem. The main specifications for this family of CPUs are shown in Table 5.

Table 5 - CPU parameters from AMD for middle class notebooks.

The most difficult comparison is in the entry-level segment of notebook processors. On the one hand, Intel solutions in this case have a lower cost and an improved processor part. In turn, AMD offers mobile PCs with improved graphics subsystem. It is based on the last parameter that it is recommended to buy when choosing an entry-level laptop Pavilion 15-AW006UR from HP. All other things being equal with competing solutions, the video card in this case will have a certain performance margin, and the processor is not that much inferior to the Intel CPU. As a mid-range mobile PC, it is recommended to choose the Aspire E5 - 774 - 50SY from Acer. It has an i5 - 7200U chip, which is only slightly inferior to the flagship products. And other technical specifications are at an acceptable level for a mid-range laptop. Comparison of laptop processors in the niche of the most productive solutions indicated that it is best to buy mobile computers based on 7th generation i7 chips. The most affordable, but at the same time very equipped version of the laptop, is the IdeaPad 510-15 IKB from Lenovo. It is he who is recommended to buy when choosing the most productive mobile PC. At the same time, the price is quite democratic both for this class of devices, and the equipment is excellent.

Outcomes

Comparison of processors for notebooks of two leading chip manufacturers today clearly and clearly indicates that the leading positions in most cases are occupied by products from Intel. AMD, in turn, lags significantly behind its direct competitor. The only market segment where parity is still maintained is entry-level mobile products, where AMD has a worthy alternative. In all other cases, it would be more correct to purchase notebooks based on Intel CPUs. The current situation can be radically changed by the release of processors based on the Zen architecture in 2017. But time will tell whether AMD will succeed in doing this. Now it is most correct in the niche of mid-range and premium mobile PCs to rely on Intel solutions. Although their price is somewhat overpriced, the level of performance more than compensates for this shortcoming.

AMD launched new mobile processors and announced desktop chips with integrated graphics at a special event ahead of CES 2018. And Radeon Technologies Group, a division of AMD, announced the Vega mobile discrete graphics chips. The company also revealed plans to move to new technical processes and promising architectures: graphics Radeon Navi and processor Zen +, Zen 2 and Zen 3.

New processors, chipset and cooling

First Ryzen desktops with Vega graphics

Two Ryzen desktop models with integrated Vega graphics will go on sale on February 12, 2018. The 2200G is an entry-level Ryzen 3 processor, while the 2400G is an entry-level Ryzen 5 processor. Both models dynamically boost frequencies by 200 and 300 MHz from 3.5 GHz and 3.6 GHz base frequencies, respectively. In fact, they replace the ultra-budget Ryzen 3 1200 and 1400 models.

The 2200G has only 8 graphics units, while the 2400G has 3 more. The 2200G graphics cores go up to 1,100 MHz, while the 2400G has 150 MHz more. Each graphics unit contains 64 shaders.

The cores of both processors bear the same codename as mobile processors with integrated graphics - Raven Ridge (lit. Raven Mountain, a rock in Colorado). But nevertheless, they plug into the same AMD AM4 LGA socket as all other Ryzen 3, 5 and 7 processors.

Reference: AMD sometimes refers to processors with integrated graphics as non-CPU (Central Processing Unit, English Central processing unit), and APU (Accelerated Processor Unit).
AMD desktop processors with integrated graphics are labeled with a G at the end, following the first letter of the word graphics ( English graphics). Both AMD and Intel mobile processors are marked with a U at the end, the first letter of the words ultrathin ( English ultra-thin) or ultra-low power ( English ultra-low power consumption) respectively.
At the same time, do not think that if the model numbers of the new Ryzen begin with the number 2, then the architecture of their cores belongs to the second generation of the Zen microarchitecture. This is not the case - these processors are still in the first generation.

New Ryzen mobiles with Vega graphics

AMD already brought the first mobile Ryzen to market last year, codenamed Raven Ridge. The entire Ryzen mobile family is designed for gaming laptops, ultrabooks, and hybrid laptop tablets. But there were only two such models, each in the middle and senior segments: Ryzen 5 2500U and Ryzen 7 2700U. The younger segment was empty, but right at CES 2018, the company fixed it - two models were added to the mobile family at once: Ryzen 3 2200U and Ryzen 3 2300U.

AMD VP Jim Anderson Showcases Ryzen Mobile Family

The 2200U is Ryzen's first dual-core CPU, while the 2300U is quad-core as standard, but both run in four threads. At the same time, the base frequency of the 2200U cores is 2.5 GHz, and the lower frequency of the 2300U is 2 GHz. But with increasing loads, the frequency of both models will rise to the same rate - 3.4 GHz. However, the power ceiling can be lowered by laptop manufacturers, because they also need to calculate the energy costs and think over the cooling system. There is also a difference between the chips in the size of the cache: the 2200U has only two cores, and therefore half the cache of 1 and 2 levels.

The 2200U has only 3 graphics units, while the 2300U has twice as many, as well as processor cores. But the difference in graphics frequencies is not so significant: 1000 MHz versus 1 100 MHz.

The first mobile Ryzen PRO

For Q2 2018, AMD is slated to release mobile versions of the Ryzen PRO, an enterprise-grade processor. The specifications of the mobile PROs are identical to the consumer versions, with the exception of the Ryzen 3 2200U, which hasn't received a PRO implementation at all. The difference between desktop and mobile Ryzen PRO is in additional hardware technologies.

Ryzen PRO processors are full copies of regular Ryzen processors, but with additional features

For example, TSME is used to ensure security, hardware-based RAM encryption "on the fly" (Intel only has software-intensive SME encryption). And for centralized fleet management, the open standard DASH (Desktop and mobile Architecture for System Hardware) is available - support for its protocols is built into the processor.

Laptops, ultrabooks and hybrid notebooks with Ryzen PRO should primarily be of interest to companies and government agencies that plan to purchase them for employees.

New AMD 400-series chipsets

The second generation of Ryzen relies on the second generation of system logic: the 300th series of chipsets is replaced by the 400th. The flagship of the series is expected to be AMD X470, and later there will be simpler and cheaper sets of circuits, such as the B450. The new logic has improved everything about RAM: reduced access latency, raised the upper frequency limit and added headroom for overclocking. Also, in the 400 series, the USB bandwidth has increased and the power consumption of the processor, and at the same time, its heat dissipation has improved.

But the processor socket has not changed. The AMD AM4 desktop socket (and its mobile non-removable AMD FP5) is a particular strength of the company. The second generation has the same connector as the first. He will not be replaced in the third and fifth generations. AMD has promised, in principle, not to change AM4 until 2020. And for the 300 series motherboards (X370, B350, A320, X300 and A300) to work with the new Ryzen, you just need to update the BIOS. Moreover, in addition to direct compatibility, there is also the opposite: old processors will work on new boards.

At CES 2018, Gigabyte even showed a prototype of the first motherboard based on the new chipset - the X470 Aorus Gaming 7 WiFi. This and other motherboards based on X470 and lower chipsets will appear in April 2018, along with the second generation of Ryzen on the Zen + architecture.

New cooling system

AMD also introduced the new AMD Wraith Prism cooler. While its predecessor, the Wraith Max, was backlit in solid red, the Wraith Prism features on-board RGB lighting around the fan perimeter. The cooler blades are made of transparent plastic and are also illuminated in millions of colors. Lovers of RGB lighting will appreciate it, and haters can simply turn it off, although in this case the point of buying this model is leveled.

Wraith Prism is a complete replica of Wraith Max, but backlit with millions of colors

The rest of the characteristics are identical to the Wraith Max: direct contact heat pipes, programmed airflow profiles in acceleration mode and almost silent operation at 39 dB under standard conditions.

There is no word yet on how much the Wraith Prism will cost, whether it will come bundled with processors, and when it will be available to buy.

New Ryzen laptops

In addition to mobile processors, AMD is also promoting new laptops based on them. In 2017, the HP Envy x360, Lenovo Ideapad 720S and Acer Swift 3 models came out on Ryzen mobiles. In the first quarter of 2018, the Acer Nitro 5, Dell Inspiron 5000 and HP series will be added to them. They all run on last year's Ryzen 7 2700U and Ryzen 5 2500U mobiles.

The Acer Nitro family is a gaming machine. The Nitro 5 line is equipped with a 15.6-inch IPS-display with a resolution of 1920 × 1080. And some models will be added a discrete graphics chip Radeon RX 560 with 16 graphics units inside.

The Dell Inspiron 5000 line of laptops offers 15.6 and 17-inch models with either hard drives or solid state drives. Some models in the line will also receive a discrete graphics card Radeon 530 with 6 graphics units. This is a rather strange configuration, because even the integrated graphics of the Ryzen 5 2500U have more graphics units - 8 pieces. But the advantage of a discrete card can be in higher clock speeds and separate graphics memory chips (instead of the RAM section).

Reduced prices for all Ryzen processors

Plans until 2020: Navi graphics, Zen 3 processors

2017 was a watershed year for AMD. After years of troubles, AMD completed the development of the Zen core microarchitecture and released the first generation of CPUs: the Ryzen, Ryzen PRO and Ryzen Threadripper family of PC processors, the Ryzen and Ryzen PRO mobile processor families, and the EPYC server family. In the same year, the Radeon group developed the Vega graphics architecture: based on it, the Vega 64 and Vega 56 video cards were released, and at the end of the year, the Vega cores were integrated into Ryzen mobile processors.

Dr. Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, assures that the company will release 7nm processors before 2020

New items not only attracted the interest of fans, but also captured the attention of ordinary consumers and enthusiasts. Intel and NVIDIA had to fend off hastily: Intel released the Coffee Lake six-core processors, the unplanned second "so" of the Skylake architecture, and NVIDIA expanded the 10th series of Pascal graphics cards to 12 models.

Rumors about AMD's future plans have been piling up throughout 2017. So far, Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, has only indicated that the company plans to surpass the 7-8% annual productivity growth rate in the electronics industry. Finally, at CES 2018, the company showed a roadmap not just until the end of 2018, but up to 2020. The basis of these plans is to improve chip architectures through the miniaturization of transistors: a progressive transition from the current 14 nanometers to 12 and 7 nanometers.

12 nanometers: the second generation of Ryzen on Zen +

The Zen + microarchitecture, the second generation of the Ryzen brand, is based on a 12 nanometer process technology. In fact, the new architecture is a revised Zen. The technological production rate of GlobalFoundries factories is being transferred from 14nm 14LPP (Low Power Plus) to 12Nm 12LP (Low Power). The new 12LP process technology should provide the chips with a 10% increase in performance.

Reference: The GlobalFoundries factory network is AMD's former manufacturing facility, spun off in 2009 and merged with other contract manufacturers. In terms of market share for contract manufacturing, GlobalFoundries shares the second place with UMC, significantly behind TSMC. Chip developers - AMD, Qualcomm and others - order production both from GlobalFoundries and other factories.

In addition to the new technical process, the Zen + architecture and chips based on it will receive improved AMD Precision Boost 2 (precise overclocking) and AMD XFR 2 (Extended Frequency Range 2) technologies. In Ryzen mobile processors, you can already find Precision Boost 2 and a special modification of the XFR - Mobile Extended Frequency Range (mXFR).

The Ryzen, Ryzen PRO and Ryzen Threadripper family of PC processors will be released in the second generation, but there is no information yet about the generation update of the Ryzen and Ryzen PRO mobile family and the server EPYC. But it is known that some models of Ryzen processors from the very beginning will have two modifications: with and without graphics integrated into the chip. The entry-level and mid-range Ryzen 3 and Ryzen 5 models will come in both variants. And the high level Ryzen 7 will not receive any graphical modification. Most likely, the codename Pinnacle Ridge is assigned to the architecture of the cores for these particular processors (literally, the sharp crest of a mountain, one of the peaks of the Wind River ridge in Wyoming).

The second generation Ryzen 3, 5, and 7 will begin shipping in April 2018 alongside the 400 series chipsets. And the second generation Ryzen PRO and Ryzen Threadripper will be late until the second half of 2018.

7 nanometers: 3rd generation Ryzen on Zen 2, discrete Vega graphics, Navi graphics core

In 2018, the Radeon group will release discrete Vega graphics for laptops, ultrabooks, and laptop tablets. AMD does not share specific details: it is known that discrete chips will work with compact multilayer memory such as HBM2 (integrated graphics use random access memory). Separately, Radeon emphasizes that the height of the memory chips will be only 1.7 mm.

Radeon executive reveals integrated and discrete Vega graphics

And in the same 2018, Radeon will transfer graphics chips based on the Vega architecture from the 14 nm LPP process directly to 7 nm LP, completely leaping over 12 nm. But first, the new graphics units will only ship for the Radeon Instinct line. This is a separate family of Radeon server chips for heterogeneous computing: machine learning and artificial intelligence - the demand for them is provided by the development of self-driving cars.

And already at the end of 2018 or the beginning of 2019, ordinary consumers will wait for the products of Radeon and AMD on the 7-nanometer process technology: processors on the Zen 2 architecture and graphics on the Navi architecture. Moreover, the design work for Zen 2 has already been completed.

AMD partners are already getting acquainted with the chips on Zen 2, who will create motherboards and other components for the third generation Ryzen. AMD is gaining such momentum due to the fact that the company has two teams jumping over each other to develop promising microarchitectures. They started by doing Zen and Zen + in parallel. When Zen was completed, the first team moved to Zen 2, and when Zen + was completed, the second team moved to Zen 3.

7 nanometers "plus": the fourth generation of Ryzen on Zen 3

While one AMD department is tackling the problems of mass production of Zen 2, another department is already designing the Zen 3 at the technology standard designated as "7nm +". The company does not disclose details, but according to indirect data, it can be assumed that the process technology will be improved by complementing the current deep ultraviolet lithography (DUV, Deep Ultraviolet) with a new hard ultraviolet lithography (EUV, Extreme Ultraviolet) with a wavelength of 13.5 nm.

GlobalFoundries has already installed new equipment to move to 5nm

Back in the summer of 2017, one of the GlobalFoundries factories purchased more than 10 lithographic systems from the TWINSCAN NXE series from the Dutch ASML. With partial use of this equipment within the framework of the same 7 nm process technology, it will be possible to further reduce power consumption and increase the performance of chips. There are no exact metrics yet - it will take some more time to debug new lines and bring them to acceptable capacities for mass production.

AMD expects to start organizing sales of chips at the rate of "7 nm +" from processors on the Zen 3 microarchitecture by the end of 2020.

5nm: 5th Gen Ryzen on Zen 4?

AMD has not made an official announcement yet, but one can safely speculate that the next frontier for the company will be the 5 nm process technology. Experimental chips at this rate have already been produced by a research alliance of IBM, Samsung and GlobalFoundries. Crystals based on the 5 nm process technology will require not partial, but full-fledged use of rigid ultraviolet lithography with an accuracy of more than 3 nm. This permission is provided by the models of the TWINSCAN NXE: 3300B lithographic system purchased by GlobalFoundries from the ASML company.

A layer as thick as one molecule of molybdenum disulfide (0.65 nanometers) exhibits a leakage current of only 25 femtoamperes / micrometer at 0.5 volts.

But the difficulty also lies in the fact that the 5 nm process will probably have to change the shape of the transistors. Long-established FinFETs (fin-shaped transistors) may give way to promising GAA FETs (gate-all-around transistors). It will take several more years to set up and deploy mass production of such chips. The consumer electronics sector is unlikely to receive them before 2021.

Further reduction of technological standards is also possible. For example, back in 2003, Korean researchers created a 3 nanometer FinFET. In 2008, a nanometer transistor was created at the University of Manchester based on graphene (carbon nanotubes). And the research engineers at the Berkeley laboratory in 2016 conquered the sub-nanometer scale: in such transistors, both graphene and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) can be used. True, at the beginning of 2018, there was still no way to produce a whole chip or substrate from new materials.

Sergey Pakhomov

Notebook sales have long outstripped desktop PC sales, and today the majority of home users are targeting notebooks. The retail network offers a huge variety of laptop models on both Intel and AMD platforms. On the one hand, such an abundance is pleasing to the eye, but on the other, the problem of choice arises. As you know, the performance of a computer is largely determined by the processor installed in it, but it is not so easy to understand modern processor families and conventions. And if everything is more or less clear with the designations of mobile processors from Intel, then AMD has a complete mess with this. Actually, it was this circumstance that prompted us to compose a kind of guide to mobile processors from AMD.

The lineup of AMD notebook processors is more than varied (see table). However, if we talk about modern processors, which makes sense to focus on, then we can restrict ourselves to considering only 45-nm processors of the Phenom II, Athlon II, Turion II, V-series, Sempron families with the following core code names: Champlain, Geneva and Caspian.

The processors codenamed Champlain were announced by the company quite recently - in May 2010, while the 45 nm processors codenamed Caspian were announced in September 2009.

The AMD mobile processor family includes both quad-core and tri-, dual- and single-core models.

Each processor core has a 128KB L1 cache, which is divided into a 64K dual channel data cache and a 64K dual channel instruction cache. In addition, each processor core has a dedicated L2 cache of 512KB or 1MB.

But AMD mobile processors are deprived of the third level (L3) cache memory (unlike their desktop counterparts).

All AMD mobile processors feature AMD 64 (64-bit support) technology. In addition, all AMD processors are equipped with the MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, and Extended 3DNow! Instruction sets with Cool'n'Quiet power-saving technologies, NX Bit virus protection, and AMD Virtualization technology.

So, let's take a closer look at the families of modern AMD mobile processors. And we will start, naturally, with a look at the AMD Phenom II family of quad-core processors.

AMD's mobile quad-core processor family is the 900th Phenom II series.

All Phenom II 900-series processors have 2 MB L2 cache (512 KB per processor core) and an integrated DDR3 memory controller. In addition, all of these processors use 128-bit FPUs. The differences between the Phenom II 900 series quad-core processors are in clock speed, power consumption, and supported memory. For its processors, AMD indicates another rather strange and, in our opinion, absolutely illogical characteristic - Maximum processor-to-system bandwidth (MAX CPU BW). We are talking about the total bandwidth of all buses between the processor and the system, or rather, the total bandwidth of the HyperTransport (HT) bus and the memory bus. If, for example, the processor works with DDR3-1333 memory, then the memory bus bandwidth is 21.2 GB / s (in dual-channel mode). Further, if the bandwidth of the HyperTransport (HT) bus is 3600 GT / s, which corresponds to the bandwidth of 14.4 GB / s, then the total bandwidth of the HyperTransport bus and memory bus will be 35.7 GB / s. Of course, it would be more logical to indicate in the processor specification the maximum memory frequency supported by the processor, but ... that is, that is. Fortunately, knowing the bandwidth of the HyperTransport bus and such a parameter as MAX CPU BW allows you to unambiguously determine the maximum memory frequency supported by the processor.

So, back to the 900 series Phenom II family of quad-core processors. The head of this family is the Phenom II X920 Black Edition (BE) model with an unlocked multiplier. This processor has the highest clock speed (2.3 GHz) in the family of quad-core mobile processors from AMD and is the hottest with a power consumption of 45 watts. The HyperTransport bus bandwidth is 3600 GT / s, and the MAX CPU BW setting is 35.7 GB / s. As you can easily calculate, this means that the built-in DDR3 memory controller supports memory with a maximum frequency of 1333 MHz (in dual-channel mode).

Another two models of AMD's quad-core mobile processors are the Phenom II N930 and Phenom II P920. The Phenom II N930 is clocked at 2GHz and has a power consumption of 35W, while the Phenom II P920 is clocked at 1.6GHz and has a power consumption of 25W. For both processor models, the HyperTransport bus bandwidth is 3600 GT / s, but the Phenom II N930 processor supports DDR3-1333 memory, and the Phenom II P920 processor only supports DDR3-1066 memory.

AMD's tri-core mobile processor family is the 800-series Phenom II processor. Today there are only two triple-core mobile processors: the Phenom II N830 and Phenom II P820, both equipped with 1536 KB L2 cache (512 KB per processor core) and an integrated DDR3 memory controller. The difference between these models lies in the clock speed, power consumption and the maximum frequency of the supported DDR3 memory. So, the Phenom II N830 processor operates at a clock frequency of 2.1 GHz with a power consumption of 35 W, and the maximum frequency of DDR3 memory supported by the processor is 1333 MHz. The Phenom II P820 processor is clocked at 1.8GHz with a power consumption of 25W and supports DDR3-1066 memory.

Along the way, we note that if the letter "P" is present in the marking of AMD processors, it means that the processor's power consumption is 25 watts. The presence of the letter "N" indicates the power consumption of the processor at 35 W, and the letter "X" - 45 W.

The Phenom II family of dual-core processors is the 600 series. There are two models in this series today: Phenom II X620 BE and Phenom II N620. Both have 2MB L2 cache (1MB per core) and 3600 GT / s HT bus bandwidth. At the same time, both processor models support DDR3-1333 memory (MAX CPU BW is 35.7 GB / s). The difference between the processors is that the Phenom II X620 BE has a power consumption of 45 W and a clock speed of 3.1 GHz. In addition, this processor has an unlocked multiplier. The 35W Phenom II N620 is clocked at 2.8GHz.

Finishing the review of mobile processors of the Phenom II family, we note once again that it includes four, three and dual-core processors with a 128-bit FPU, the power consumption of which can be 45, 35 or 25 watts. All of these processors have HT 3600 GT / s bus bandwidth and support DDR3 memory with a maximum frequency of 1333 or 1066 MHz. The L2 cache size depends on the number of processor cores and is 512 KB (for quad and triple-core models) or 1 MB (for dual-core models) per processor core.

The next 45nm Champlain mobile processor family is the Turion II dual-core processor family, which comes in two models: Turion II N530 and Turion II P520. These processors differ from each other only in clock speed and power consumption. The Turion II N530 is clocked at 2.5 GHz and has a power consumption of 35W, while the Turion II P520 is clocked at 2.3 GHz and has a power consumption of 25W. In all other respects, the characteristics of these processors are the same. So, both models are equipped with 128-bit FPUs, have 2 MB L2 cache (1 MB per core), and the HT bus bandwidth is 3600 GT / s. In addition, both processor models support DDR3-1066 memory. Note that the dual-core processors of the Turion II 500 series in their characteristics practically do not differ from the dual-core models of the Phenom II 600 series processors. The differences are only in the clock frequency and the maximum frequency of the supported memory. Actually, it is not very clear why these two processor models had to be separated into a separate Turion II family, because they could be attributed to the Phenom II family of dual-core processors.

The next family of AMD dual-core mobile processors based on the Champlain core is the Athlon II family, which also comes in two models: Athlon II N330 and Athlon II P320. These processors are really very different from the dual-core Phenom II and Turion II processors. First of all, they have cut their L2 cache to 1 MB (512 KB per core). In addition, these processors have 64-bit FPUs, and the HT bus bandwidth is 3200 GT / s. In addition, these processors only support DDR3-1066 memory. The differences between the Athlon II N330 and Athlon II P320 are the clock speed and power consumption.

Single-core mobile processors based on the Champlain core are represented by the V-Series family, which today includes only one model - the V120 with a clock speed of 2.2 GHz and 512 KB L2 cache. This processor is endowed with 64-bit FPUs, and the HT bus bandwidth is 3200 GT / s. In addition, the V120 processor supports DDR3-1066 memory and has a power consumption of 25W. In general, in terms of its characteristics, the V120 processor is a single-core version of the Athlon II P320 processor.

All of the AMD mobile processors we've reviewed are 2010 processors (announced by the company in May) aimed at performance and general-purpose notebooks as well as entry-level notebooks. However, AMD also has a range of processors with lower power consumption - they are targeted at ultra-thin notebooks and netbooks. Also announced in May, these dual-core and single-core 45nm processors are codenamed Geneva and include the Turion II Neo, Athlon II Neo and V-Series.

Dual-core processors of the Turion II Neo series (Turion II Neo K665, Turion II Neo K625) have a power consumption of 15 W, dual-core and single-core processors of the Athlon II Neo series (Athlon II Neo K325, Athlon II Neo K125) have a power consumption of 12 W, but the power consumption of a single-core the V105 processor is only 9 watts.

The dual-core Turion II Neo series processors feature 128-bit FPUs and 2MB L2 cache (1MB per core). The throughput of the HT bus is 3200 GT / s.

Athlon II Neo series processors have 64-bit FPUs and 1MB L2 cache per core, and HT bus bandwidth is 2000 GT / s. Well, the single-core V105 processor differs (except for the clock frequency) from the single-core Athlon II Neo K125 in the halved L2 cache.

Note that all Geneva processors support DDR3-1066 memory in dual channel mode.

In addition to mobile processors Champlain and Geneva, AMD also offers other mobile 45nm processors. We are talking about processors with the code name Caspian, which were announced in September 2009 and are not outdated yet. Caspian mobile processors are represented by the Turion II and Turion II Ultra dual-core processor families, the Athlon II dual-core processor family and the Sempron single-core processor family.

All Caspian dual-core processors have a power consumption of 35W and single-core processors have a power consumption of 25W. In addition, all Caspian processors only support DDR2-800 memory (in dual-channel mode).

The Turion II and Turion II Ultra processor families are equipped with 128-bit FPUs, and the HT bus bandwidth is 3600 GT / s. The difference between the Turion II Ultra and Turion II processors is that the Turion II Ultra processors have 2 MB L2 cache (1 MB per core), while the Turion II processors have 1 MB (512 KB per core).

The Athlon II and Sempron processors have 64-bit FPUs and 512KB L2 cache per core. In addition, the HT bus bandwidth for these processors is 3200 GT / s.