AMD Fusion APUs Accelerate More Than 50 Leading Software Applications

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Software Developers Embrace New Family of Processors to Enhance PC Computing Experiences

SUNNYVALE, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/07/11 -- AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced growing support from the PC software community with more than 50 mainstream applications currently accelerated by the new AMD Fusion Family of Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). The groundbreaking AMD Fusion APUs, available in PCs since early this year, help remove hardware barriers to allow software developers to deliver the most immersive computing experience possible.

Leading software companies including Adobe, ArcSoft, Corel, CyberLink and Microsoft offer applications that demonstrate exceptional visual performance, power efficiency and speed on PCs that are powered by AMD Fusion APUs as a result of such features as stutter-free HD video playback, breakthroughs in computational horsepower to handle the most demanding applications,(1) DirectX 11-capable graphics and all-day battery life.(2) AMD Fusion APUs, including the currently available AMD C-Series, E-Series and Embedded G-Series processors, accelerate applications ranging from video creation and playback, to 3D graphics and DirectX®11 games.(3)

"The huge number of applications that are ideally suited to benefit from the performance and stunning graphics offered by AMD Fusion processors is testament to our close collaboration with leading software developers," said John Taylor, director of Client Product and Software Marketing, AMD. "We anticipate doubling the number of applications in the next few months as we approach the launch of the A-Series 'Llano' APU, the next member of the AMD Fusion family that is designed to enable more than 500 GFLOPs of parallel processing power in mainstream notebooks and desktops."(4)

Although some developers are skilled at leveraging parallel programming for high-performance computing applications, most mainstream PC software previously has been limited to relying on either the CPU or GPU. AMD Fusion APUs help remove these limitations by incorporating multi-core CPU (x86) technology, a powerful DirectX®11-capable discrete-level graphics and parallel processing engine, a dedicated high-definition video acceleration block, and a high-speed bus -- all on a single die. This design brings supercomputer-like performance to everyday computing tasks to allow applications to take full advantage of the available processing power of both the CPU and GPU, and do so faster than previous designs in the same class.(1)

"Whether you're making an HD movie or watching one, you want great software powered by a processor that offers the speed, responsiveness and battery life you need to accomplish your goals," said Shawn Cadeau, senior vice president, Global Marketing, Corel. "By taking advantage of the advances forged by AMD Fusion APUs, Corel software products like WinDVD and VideoStudio Pro X4 will provide consumers with a more immersive, enjoyable and creative video experience. AMD is a great partner and we look forward to continuing to work together to break down barriers and drive consumer adoption of video on the PC."

"The visual performance that consumers can experience when running our PowerDVD application on APU-powered systems is nothing short of stunning, due in large part to the DirectX 11-capable graphics, AMD's Unified Video Decoder and HD 2.0 features of the APU," said Alice H. Chang, chief executive officer of CyberLink. "We're excited to work side-by-side with AMD to deliver this unparalleled computing experience and anticipate consumers to embrace the evolution of PC technology."

A broad range of applications can be accelerated by AMD Fusion APUs, including popular software from such leading companies as:

New generations of desktop, notebook and tablet PCs, as well as HD netbooks based on AMD Fusion APUs also offer the VISION Engine from AMD. Selecting a PC equipped with the VISION Engine and software from AMD partners means Internet browsing is a fast, application-like experience; 1080p HD video playback is gorgeous, smooth and quiet; standard definition video looks high-definition; 2D content can be converted into stereoscopic 3D; even the most graphics-intensive websites load quickly; manipulating HD content is fast and easy; and 3D gaming at HD resolutions is fast and life-like.(5)

AMD Fusion Developer Summit
As a leader in heterogeneous computing and a champion for industry standards, a key initiative for AMD is to help software developers learn how to leverage the potential performance improvements offered by the latest hardware technology and APU-based PC platforms. To that end, AMD will host the AMD Fusion Developer Summit to discuss industry standards and explore how to best optimize applications for heterogeneous computing.

The inaugural AMD Fusion Developer Summit (AFDS) will be held June 13-16, 2011 in Bellevue, Washington. AFDS will gather developers, academics and emerging innovators to learn more about heterogeneous computing, APU technology, parallel processing and developer programs like the AMD Fusion Fund.

Supporting Resources

About AMD
AMD (NYSE: AMD) is a semiconductor design innovator leading the next era of vivid digital experiences with its ground-breaking AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). AMD's graphics and computing technologies power a variety of solutions including PCs, game consoles and the servers that drive the Internet and businesses. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, AMD Athlon, Radeon and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

(1) Based on performance per watt comparisons between AMD Fusion APUs and the AMD Athlon™ II P320 CPU combined with the ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4250 GPU. In testing conducted by AMD performance labs, AMD Fusion APUs demonstrated the following: A-Series -- up to approximately 500 GFLOPS; E-Series/C-Series -- up to approximately 90 GFLOPS at 18/9 W. In comparison, the AMD Athlon™ II P320 CPU and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 GPU deliver a combined total of 74 GLOPS at 38 W.

(2) In testing conducted by AMD performance labs the 2011 Low Power platform reference design "Zacate" E-350 demonstrated up to 641 minutes or 10.68 hours "all-day" battery life while idle and up to 249 minutes or 4.15 hours as an "active" metric using 3DMark '06. The reference design consisted of an AMD Dual-Core Processor E-350, 1.6Ghz 2C, 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3-1066 system memory 14.0" display @ 1366x768, Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit, 62Whr Li-Ion battery. The 2011 AMD C-50 Dual-Core Accelerated Processor demonstrated up to 735 minutes or 12.26 hours "all-day" battery life while idle and up to 379 minutes or 6.31 hours as an "active" metric using 3DMark '06. The reference design consisted of an AMD Dual-Core processor C-50, 1.0Ghz 9W, 2GB (1x2GB) DDR3-1066 system memory, AMD Radeon™ HD 6250 Graphics with 10.1" @ 1024x600, 6-cell Li-Ion, 62.2 Whr battery. LED Backlight Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. All testing performed using a 6-cell Li-Ion, 62.2 Whr battery. AMD defines "all day" battery life as 8+ hours of idle time.

(3) Requires application support for AMD Accelerated Parallel Processing (APP) technology. AMD Accelerated Parallel Processing technology works with applications designed to take advantage of GPU acceleration capabilities.

(4) Theoretical peak performance of the A-Series "Llano" APU.

(5) Additional hardware (e.g. Blu-ray drive, HD or 10-bit monitor, TV tuner, HDMI connector, 3D enabled panels, 3D-enabled glasses/emitter, Blu-ray 3D drive) and/or software (e.g. multimedia applications, 3D content, 3D middleware, 3D games) are required for the full enablement of some features. Not all features may be supported on all components or systems -- check with your component or system manufacturer for specific model capabilities and supported technologies.

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Contact:
Jo Albers
AMD Public Relations
(512) 602-3526
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Source: Advanced Micro Devices

Released March 7, 2011