"Swift" to Hold AMD's GPU, Core Logic and CPU

Advanced Micro Devices has serious intentions of merging the function of three vital chips, the graphics processing unit, the core logic and the CPU into a single chip, called "Swift", company officials revealed today. The chip is due to emerge in the second half of the next year and is part of the "Accelerated Computing" program AMD boasted with everywhere.

"I keep telling you that it's not all about the CPU. The CPU is important but now there are other blocks that contribute to the experience a consumer gets in a machine", said Mario Rivas, an executive vice president at AMD, during an analyst meeting broadcast on the Internet today.

The new approach is alleged to make the difference in computing performance. The chip is alleged to include a combination of top processors in all the three areas: graphics, logic and central processing. For instance, the new processor will be based on the company's "Stars" processor cores, as well as the latest graphics cores and the northbridge from Griffin.

This electronics "omelet" is AMD's second approach to system-on-a-chip integration, after the company's attempt at launching a new chip, code-named Fusion, that was alleged to show up later next year or even in 2009. The Fusion will integrate the CPU and the graphics processor on a single chip, which not only will increase performance, but will also make the chip more energy-efficient.

Computer industry is now shifting towards mobile applications and researching the integration scenarios will eventually lead to smaller, performing and energy-saving components that can be battery-powered for longer periods of time. Once the chip count inside a laptop goes down, the extra space can be used for including other features or it can be taken out for more compact devices.

Mario Rivas said that the "Swift" processor will be built around the new, 45-nanometer technology, but further details, such as operating speed and performance, are currently not known.