AMD will launch its first dedicated processor platform Brazos by the end of the year. With the processors Zacate and Ontario AMD targets Intel’s energy-efficient Core 2 processors and Atom. The first detailed benchmarks have been presented and the results are promising.
AMD’s top model on the Brazos platform is the dual-core Zacate model AMD E-350. The processor operates at 1.6 GHz, almost exactly the same as Intel Atom D510, expect that the AMD processor consumes more power, 18 watt vs. 13 watt.
A number of articles have been posted with a couple of different benchmarks each testing these mobile processors, and Intel’s heavier budget circuits. Thes results they get is that AMD with its Bobcat-arkitektur and out-of-order design beats Intel Atom in CPU performance. The difference is the biggest in single-threaded applications where Intel can’t make use of HyperThreading, but even then AMD is the fastest. The CPU performance of E-350 is still far from breathtaking and it gets tougher when Intel’s energi-efficient Core 2 architecture (CULV) steps up, and it will be Zacate’s perhaps biggest competitor.
| APU Model | CPU cores | CPU clock. | GPU (Radeon) | GPU cores | GPU clockf. | TDP |
| AMD E-350 | 2 | 1.6GHz | HD 6310 | 80 | 500MHz | 18W |
| AMD E-240 | 1 | 1.5GHz | HD 6310 | 80 | 500MHz | 18W |
| AMD C-50 | 2 | 1.0GHz | HD 6250 | 80 | 280MHz | 9W |
| AMD C-30 | 1 | 1.2GHz | HD 6250 | 80 | 280MHz | 9W |
The bright shinging star is the graphics performance, with the built-in Radeon HD 6310 GPU sporting 80 streaming processors, just as many found in Radeon HD 5450. Performance is limited by the loaded memory bus, but compared to other mobile graphics circuits – NVIDIA ION included – there not even a fight. Even Intel’s integrated circuits for desktops are beaten by AMD’s minor, which is really impressive.
Considering power consumption AMD is on the right track, where it during idle consumes barely nothing at all. How this will work in the final retail solutions remains to be seen.
Alas, it is just the fastest model of AMD’s Brazos program that is tested. AMD C-50 1.2 GHz and C-30 1.0 GHz are those who will compete against Atom in netbooks, how Brazos handles this will be interesting to see.
Benchmarks can be found at the sites below;
