An AMD representative may have claimed that it’s time to put an end to the Intel vs. AMD rivalry, but that time has yet to come–especially to entry-level gaming laptops.
Even if AMD is not making much progress in the desktop segment, the situation in laptops is quite different. For the gamer on a budget, AMD definitely offers a very interesting alternative in low-cost laptops with its Llano-series processor/graphics chip combos (APUs). While they still have problems competing with Intel in terms of processing power and power efficiency, the company is way ahead when it comes to graphics and this is far more obvious in laptops when compared to the likes of Intel’s integrated graphics or even laptops with entry-level dedicated GPUs.
In the more advanced versions of AMDs Fusion platform, the APUs are combined with discrete graphics in a Crossfire solution, which at least on paper are very competitive at the comparably low asking price. The most well-known laptop that uses these chips is probably the AMD version of HP’s 15.6-inch Pavilion, the dv6z. This one ships with a variety of quad-core AMD APUs in combination with Crossfire-enabled dedicated graphics chips and starts at just $529.99, although this is without the important HD 6750M graphics part which adds $75 to the price tag.
AMD now expands the Llano lineup and adds several more models that widens the range of available clock speeds and specifications. The new top model is the A8-3550MX, which has four CPU cores clocked at 2GHz (2.7GHz in Turbo mode) as well as 400 Radeon stream processors. Here’s the full list of new laptop chips:
- A8-3550MX: Four CPU cores, 2.0 GHz CPU base (2.7 GHz Turbo Core), 45W TDP, 400 Radeon Cores, 4 MB L2 cache
- A8-3520M: Four CPU cores, 1.6 GHz CPU base (2.5 GHz Turbo Core), 35W TDP, 400 Radeon Cores, 4 MB L2 cache
- A6-3430MX: Four CPU cores, 1.7 GHz CPU base (2.4 GHz Turbo Core), 45W TDP, 320 Radeon Cores, 4 MB L2 cache
- A6-3420M: Four CPU cores, 1.5 GHz CPU base (2.4 GHz Turbo Core), 35W TDP, 320 Radeon Cores, 4 MB L2 cache
- A4-3330MX: Two CPU cores, 2.2 GHz CPU base (2.6 GHz Turbo Core), 45W TDP, 240 Radeon Cores, 2 MB L2 cache
- A4-3320M:Two CPU cores, 2.0 GHz CPU base (2.6 GHz Turbo Core), 35W TDP, 240 Radeon Cores, 2 MB L2 cache
- A4-3305M:Two CPU cores, 1.9 GHz CPU base (2.5 GHz Turbo Core), 35W TDP, 160 Radeon Cores, 1 MB L2 cache
- E2-3000M: Two CPU cores, 1.8 GHz CPU base (2.4 GHz Turbo Core), 35W TDP, 160 Radeon Cores, 1 MB L2 cache
