AMD's Netbook APU Supports Virtualization!

I am running VirtualBox on the Acer Aspire 722 netbook to host some VMs, and am surprised to find that the tiny Ontario APU actually supports not only 64 bit but also AMD-V!! This allows my Windows VM to run in dual core mode.

I think the APU supports nested paging also.

This is great.

In comparison, Intel's stuff is a crap. A Intel based notebook I bought last year has some important visualization feature missing. Now, the tiny Acer netbook with AMD will accompany me in my travels -- it is not super fast, but it has all the important features.

It will take Intel at least two more years to catch up with the current AMD technology.

AMD : Unlimited Growth

There is one small detail people may have missed during AMD's earnings call. AMD will say bye to SOI. According to interim CEO Thomas Seifert: "At the 28-nanometer node, all of our products will be based on bulk process technology, providing increased flexibility to work across these 2 committed and valued partner."

What does it mean? It seems TSMC will be able to FAB more of AMD's CPU parts which traditionally use SOI technology.

AMD stock seem have only one way to go: UP!

Technology: Fusion for server, desktop, notebook, media center, tablet and game console -- one chip low power solution

Competition : years behind, poses no foreseeable challenge

FAB capacity: unlimited, with GlobalFoundries and TSMC bulk process

UP potential: New CEO, Bulldozer desktop, Bulldozer server, Trinity, Tablet, ARM license, Apple...

Price Target: $$$

The writing is on the wall. Even perpetual naysayer Hans Mosesmann upgraded AMD to "outperform", saying “[APU] is an important segment of the market in which AMD can expand into areas such as tablets and even smartphones over time."

AMD should just get Rick Bergman as CEO

AMD is very very bullish about its future. Six millions Brazos sold in 2Q11. Half of AMD CPUs in 3Q will be Fusion. Bulldozer will be out next month (August). AMD is working on a tablet CPU based on Trinity. Fusion is the future.

Investors can't trust any outsider to run this great technology company.

It was an insult to everyone to even approach Pat Gelsinger, an old Intel guy who left Intel allegedly due to the failed Larrabee project.

Richard Bergman

There's Interlagos, which is our server-based products, which will begin shipping initial production next month. Likewise, there is a desktop version called the Zambezi, which is geared more towards the desktop enthusiast market. That will also begin initial production and shipments next month.

... And as Thomas mentioned, there is an inflection point coming with the 28-nanometer process technology... And the Trinity part, that's a product geared for 2012. We put out a pretty interesting power specification.

Thomas Seifert

in 2013, we plan to introduce an optimized tablet APU capable of redefining what users will expect from a tablet...We will put a very convincing tablet roadmap in front of us.

This video (link) shows AMD is out for blood.

Shocking: Student banned from college classes for Intel Core i7

This is truly shocking. A student was banned by two professors from classes because his $1099 Intel Core i7 notebook overheats and makes a lot of noise. It seems that Intel's 32nm has fusion technology too -- thermally.

http://reviews.bestbuy.com/3545/2821755/hp-pavilion-laptop-intel-core-i7-processor-17-3-display-steel-gray-reviews/reviews.htm

See also, Core i7 MacBook Pro 2011 overheats to the boiling temp of 92 C when multitasking (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2769886?start=0&tstart=0). It seems Intel's fusion tech is indeed thermal in nature.

Copied below:

Posted by: aeb91

from portland, or

on07/16/2011

Value for Price

1.0

Display

4.0

Performance

1.0

Convenience

1.0

i purchased this computer going into my first year of college as a journalism student. i needed a computer with an i7 processor, and chose this one because of its portability compared to other computers with the same specifications. i've never regretted anything more. this computer was the bane of my school year. after spending over 1,000 dollars, i was left with a computer that not only paled in comparison to my old 300 dollar toshiba, but also was completely unusable.

the fan was so noisy that two of my professors banned me from using it in class. and despite all the fan noise, the computer still overheated two or three times a day, despite being on a cooling fan. most of the time, it was too hot to touch when i wasn't running anything more than microsoft word. forget running photo shop or premiere pro like i needed for my classes. this computer was completely useless to me.

AMD APUs are amazing

The APUs are amazing pieces of technology. I just bought an Acer Aspire 722 Netbook with a C50 APU (1GHz dual core). Without GPU acceleration on VLC, 720p video is fine, but 1080p stutters. But with GPU acceleration enabled, 1080p is super smooth, and the CPU usage dropped to around 30%.

Now you naysayers may not know what 1080p is, but just remember this simple fact: no Intel netbook can even do 720p Youtube (unless it's equipped with Nvidia ION2). Not too long ago, I made the mistake of buying a DELL netbook for around $400, and was dismayed to find that it couldn't handle even 720p Youtube. What a piece of junk. Luckily, there were people on ebay who are willing to buy that junk for half of the price. So I sold it before it became totally wasted.

The more amazing thing is battery life of the new AMD APU netbook. I tried to run down the battery on this little thing, and eventually got tired and it still had 1 hour 30 minutes left.

Another advantage of AMD APUs is it is fully AMD64 capable. I also have a Lenovo Intel Core Notebook, and the Intel CPU can't fully handle VirtualBox, it is missing some feature for 64 bit virtual machines. Again this deficiency makes the Intel notebook useless, because one of my virtual machines is 64 bit Linux...

Choose AMD the technology leader and not the Intel copycat, you will be better off.

Be young, have fun, get AMD Fusion. (disclosure, I do not run AMD's marketing division).

BTW: did I say HD video image quality is much better on AMD too?

See what others say about AMD Fusion

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pavilion+Laptop+/+AMD+A-Series+Processor+/+14%22+Display+/+4GB+Memory+/+320GB+Hard+Drive+-+Pewter/2715258.p?id=1218346636604&skuId=2715258#tabbed-customerreviews

Paul O smashed his chair seeing this picture

DX11 Vision APU compute for the People of America.

Intel simply does not have the know-how.

Bulldozer engineering sample frags Sandy Bridge

Read it here. The 3.2GHz Bulldozer leads Sandy Bridge by about 36%.

http://www.fudzilla.com/processors/item/23381-bulldozer-performance-figures-are-in

Just realized how obsolete Intel has become

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/pc-components/3289363/amd-a8-3850-apu-review/


AMD LLANO APU 39x faster than Intel in graphics.
LLANO APU supports modern DX11, Intel does not.
LLANO APU supports 3D video, Intel does not.
LLANO APU supports OpenCL acceleration via GPU, Intel does not.
LLANO APU runs 1080p video at 66 watts, Intel needs 72 watts.

Intel is obsolete.