14 DAY TRIAL // Even though Intel was the first, and is still the only, provider of central processing units with integrated graphics, it should be noted that the idea of such processors is quite old. In fact, Advanced Micro Devices has been developing the Fusion technology for years, which should take the Form of the Llano APU by next year. AMD is also working on what is known as the Ontario chip/SoC (system-on-chip), which should power new mobile PCs and electronics.
The Ontario system-on-chip is powered by the Bobcat micro-architecture and has two x86 cores, as well as integrated graphics with support for DirectX 11 and a DDR3 memory controller. The Bobcat architecture itself is single-threaded with out-of-order execution and boasts SSE, SSE2, SSE3 technologies, x86-64 and virtualization. Basically, the Ontario should pack 90% of current mainstream performance in half the die size and, according to an AMD vice president, will likely breathe some life into the newborn slate market, among other things.
“Think about the advantages you get from a power performance and a form-factor perspective when you can take GPU and CPU and put them on the same die. You get enormous power efficiencies which is going to enable, not only things like tablet and slate, but these great experiences when you use it,” Leslie Sobon, vice president of marketing at AMD, said in an interview with Techradar.
"The form factor is one thing but you have to be able to have a great experience with a tablet. Multi-task, watch flash videos; there are things you are going to want to do as a user. People know what they want and web video is pretty much in the top three of every wish list. They might not think of it as web video – they certainly don’t think of it as Flash – all they know it when they go to YouTube they want it to work. They don't want it to flicker and all the better if they can get it in HD or upscale it and that kind of thing,” Ms. Sobon added.