Griffin is the processor of the next generation mobile platform from AMD. When we last heard about the changes Griffin had gone through, it was mainly talk about the memory controller and how it had been updated to behave more or less precisely like the one used in the upcoming Phenom series. The actual core wasn’t mentioned to any significant degree and it seems there was a reason for it. The cores are namely the same as with the current generation. But since the K8 is a rather efficient core it’s hard to complain, it’s just a bit misleading to call it next generation, when it’s more like generation 1.5.
However, the new memory controller of Griffin will not only improve the power usage of the processor but also remedy some of the current generation’s lack of ability to reduce power usage. So in reality it’s not just an improvement but also fix. Overall, Griffin does look promising and is slated for launch in the middle of next year. If it will lead to any significant changes in the laptop market remains to be seen.
