Computerworld AMD News

The end of Moore's Law on the horizon, says AMD

(Ian Paul) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMT

Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku believes Moore's Law has about 10 years of life left before ever-shrinking transistor sizes smack up against limitations imposed by the laws of thermodynamics and quantum physics.

AMD to lay off 15% of workforce

(Agam Shah) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:45:00 GMT

Chip company Advanced Micro Devices on Thursday said it would lay off 15% of its workforce as it tries to inch back to profitability at a time when the PC market is slumping.

Intel slashes chip's power usage while boosting performance

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 19:42:00 GMT

Intel said it has improved performance and graphics in the upcoming version of its Core chip line, while also slashing power consumption by a whopping 41%.

Flash storage can help some IT operations, despite cost

lmearian@computerworld.com (Lucas Mearian) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT

A small but growing universe of enterprise IT shops are adopting -- or at least evaluating -- flash storage technology, and they're finding that it can be cost-effective in spite of its high price tag.

IT execs explain their moves to solid-state storage

lmearian@computerworld.com (Lucas Mearian) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 10:07:00 GMT

The adoption of flash storage in the enterprise is boosting database performance, cutting in half the time needed for nightly full backups and providing users with real-time responses. Here's how four companies chose to up their game with flash.

HP Envy Sleekbook 6-1010us review: A low-cost ultrabook alternative

briannadel@compuserve.com (Brian Nadel) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

HP's new Envy Sleekbook 6-1010us offers an alternative to higher-priced ultrabooks: It's not as fast, but it's got a fine display and great audio.

U.S. regains supercomputing crown, bests China, Japan

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 10:41:00 GMT

The U.S., once again, is home to the world's most powerful supercomputer after being knocked off the list by China two years ago and Japan last year.

Intel's first Ivy Bridge chips emerge

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:00:00 GMT

The first batch of Intel processors based on Intel's Ivy Bridge microarchitecture -- 13 quad-core chips designed to run high-end desktop and laptop computers -- were finally unveiled late last month. Insider (registration required)

Druva, TeamDrive update data services

lmearian@computerworld.com (Lucas Mearian) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:01:00 GMT

Cloud file-sharing service provider Druva and backup company TeamDrive announced upgrades to their respective mobile data services that include either a combined repository for all data regardless of the device or security through encryption.

AMD's new CEO likes basketball and the chip maker's future

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:59:00 GMT

Since being hired last August, Rory Read, Advanced Micro Devices CEO, has been reshaping the company.

Overclock Your Graphics Card

(Marco Chiappetta) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:49:00 GMT

Many PC gamers eagerly await the release of next-generation graphics cards, hoping that the new hardware will boost frame rates and enhance eye candy in the latest games. However, while a graphics card upgrade is almost always a good way to increase game performance or improve image quality, new cards tend to be expensive--and they aren't always necessary.

HP releases 'power user' thin client

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:28:00 GMT

Calling a thin client a device for power users may seem like an oxymoron, but Hewlett-Packard is giving it a try.

AMD execs tout firm's tablet plans

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:47:00 GMT

With new CEO Rory Read at the helm for about six months, Advanced Micro Devices has turned its attention to the lucrative and burgeoning tablet market.

HP Envy 15: A great laptop marred by serious flaws

(Jason Cross) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:57:00 GMT

The new Envy 15, which HP released right at the end of 2011, finally features a whole new design. For the most part, it's great, but a few nagging issues keep the system from being an easy recommendation.

How to Install a CPU Cooler

(Marco Chiappetta) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:42:00 GMT

You don't need an electrical engineering degree to properly install a cooler on your CPU. As is the case when installing many PC components, however, the procedure involves some subtleties that can have a measurable impact on the computer's performance.

Sony VAIO S Series: Mediocre performance in a thin, sexy chassis

(Sarah Jacobsson Purewal) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:21:00 GMT

Although the VAIO S Series offers mediocre general performance and modest graphics speed, it's also light, thin, stylish, and very portable.

Intel surges further ahead of Samsung in chip market

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:23:00 GMT

Intel has taken on a challenge from Samsung Electronics head-on by picking up the pace and regaining its long-held dominance in the worldwide chip market.

AMD moves away from Intel rivalry, rethinks course

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:51:00 GMT

After years of fighting Intel and not fairing so well, Advanced Micro Devices is no longer going to focus on its main chip rival.

Cray to build supercomputer with new AMD chips

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:49:00 GMT

Cray Inc. is building a supercomputer for federally funded scientific research under a contract valued at $188 million that was originally won by IBM.

First look: Dell Opteron server cranks up the cores with AMD 'Interlagos'

(Paul Venezia) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:02:00 GMT

New 16-core AMD Opteron 6200-series CPUs in the Dell R715 bring huge bang for the buck to wide virtualization workloads, but not until your OS supports it

Global chip market strengthens as Intel, AMD compete

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:34:00 GMT

Global computer chip revenue showed strong signs of life in the third quarter, jumping 16.1% compared to the same period in 2010.

Apple quietly updates MacBook Pro laptop line

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:58:00 GMT

Apple today quietly refreshed its workhorse MacBook Pro line of laptops, boosting the speed of the machines' processors and in some cases the size of their hard disk drives.

AMD's Bulldozer Disappoints: Why That's Good News

(Bruce Gain) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:48:00 GMT

AMD's latest-and-greatest chip may lag slightly behind Intel's competing Core i5, as initial PCWorld performance-testing indicates. But these disappointing results hide benefits that AMD's "Bulldozer" FX CPU will likely offer, especially for cost-conscious small businesses.

AMD's 8-core desktop chip puts it back in the race with Intel

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:19:00 GMT

AMD is looking to get back into the race with Intel with the introduction of its eight-core desktop chip and its new Bulldozer architecture.

Cray building $97 million supercomputer for U.S.

pthibodeau@computerworld.com (Patrick Thibodeau) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:50:00 GMT

Cray was awarded a $97 million contract to build a supercomputer that could potentially deliver up to 20 petaflops of peak performance, or 20 quadrillion floating operations per second, to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

With new CEO, AMD could fix missed opportunities

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 10:00:00 GMT

With a new CEO finally at the helm, AMD can begin to move forward in what has become an Intel world.

AMD hires ex-Lenovo exec Rory Read as new CEO

(Agam Shah) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:14:00 GMT

After months of hunting, Advanced Micro Devices on Thursday said it hired Lenovo executive Rory Read as its new CEO as the chip maker looks to grow in the mobile and server markets.

Macs infringe S3 patents, could face U.S. import ban

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:54:00 GMT

A trade agency judge has ruled that some Macs infringe patents held by S3 Graphics and could be barred from the U.S., according to a decision made public Wednesday.

Apple's latest iMac looks great, even faster

mike@yourmactek.com (Michael deAgonia) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:02:00 GMT

The latest update to Apple's iMac line leaves intact the stylish design while adding Sandy Bridge processors and a Thunderbolt port for high-speed peripheral connections. Columnist Michael deAgonia says it's a compelling package of improvements.

Acer Aspire 8950G Aspires to Greatness

(Loyd Case) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 01:17:00 GMT

When I first hauled out the Acer Aspire 8950G from the backpack, I almost dropped it--not because it was that heavy, but because it was lighter than expected. This massive (I hesitate to say "notebook") desktop replacement system sports an 18.4-inch, true 1080p LCD panel. At 8 pounds, 5 ounces without the power brick, it's lighter than some smaller systems that have been through the lab here. Even with the 120-watt power supply, the weight falls just a little short of 10 pounds.

AMD enters tablet market with new chip

(Agam Shah) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 06:02:00 GMT

Advanced Micro Devices on Wednesday broke its silence around its tablet strategy, announcing its first low-power chip designed for these devices.

Apple defection would be slap in the face to Intel

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:00:00 GMT

Online speculation is starting to pick up speed that Apple is looking to ditch Intel chips and move to ARM-based processors for its Mac line of laptops.

Intel's 3D transistor fuels tablet fight with ARM

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Thu, 05 May 2011 21:17:00 GMT

Intel's new 3D transistor technology could help the chip maker to finally gain a foothold in the tablet market.

Samsung challenging Intel for market leadership

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 10:00:00 GMT

Intel is facing increasing competition in the worldwide semiconductor industry -- but not from its traditional rival, Advanced Micro Devices.

Can AMD ever beat Intel?

(Jason Cross) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:15:00 GMT

AMD has held its own and generally outperformed Intel through the introduction of the Athlon 64.

Aspire One 7552G-6436: Portable, Not Powerful

(Sarah Jacobsson Purewal) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 23:26:00 GMT

Acer's Aspire One 7552G-6436 may be packed with a quad-core processor and ATI Radeon graphics, but it can't keep up with most of PCWorld's top-ranked desktop replacement systems. Nevertheless, its light weight, bright screen, and affordable price may be just what some users are looking for.

Review: Samsung Series 9 laptop

(Jason Cross) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 00:19:00 GMT

The Series 9 is costlier than the competing 13-inch MacBook Air with a starting price of $1649 (compared with Apple's $1299), but it offers mostly superior hardware and is eminently usable.

Facebook joins the ranks of industry's elite

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:28:00 GMT

Facebook's announcement that it would share the secrets of its superefficient data center design shows that the social networking company has come into its own and is now enough of a force to influence the direction of hardware innovation.

AMD closes in on Intel with move to 32nm chips

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:31:00 GMT

Intel may have released 32-nanometer chips first, but rival Advanced Micro Devices has followed suit and is looking to make up some ground.

Acer Aspire One 522 Netbook

(Yardena Arar) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:17:00 GMT

The Acer Aspire One 522 (model BZ897) delivers a good, classic netbook for a very reasonable price ($330 as of March 18, 2011). Petite and slim with a handsome 10.1-inch widescreen LED-backlit display, a 250GB hard drive, an integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam, and a multitouch touchpad, this portable does a solid job with multimedia and boasts pretty good battery life: nearly 7 hours in our tests using the provided 6-cell battery.

U.S. tech industry braces for aftershocks from Japan disaster

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 10:00:00 GMT

With Japan devastated by last week's 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami, the business aftershocks may rock various parts of the tech industry for months to come.

Intel dominates as Q4 chip shipments slip

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:00:00 GMT

While 2010, as a whole, was a year of growth for the global computer chip market, the fourth quarter took a bit of a hit.

AMD handily beats fourth-quarter estimates

(Dan Nystedt) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 23:19:00 GMT

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) on Thursday reported net profit for the fourth quarter that beat forecasts, due mainly to income from a patent license and a legal settlement with Samsung.

AMD could better fight Intel with new CEO

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:30:00 GMT

With its CEO gone, chip maker AMD has a chance to reinvigorate the company and start beating rival Intel on some new products.

AMD CEO out, search on for new leader

sgaudin@computerworld.com (Sharon Gaudin) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 22:39:00 GMT

Looking for better growth and financials, chip maker AMD has come to a parting of the ways with CEO Dirk Meyer.

Analyst 'baffled' by Microsoft talk of Windows 8 on ARM

gkeizer@computerworld.com (Gregg Keizer) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:07:00 GMT

Microsoft's announcement at CES that its next version of Windows will run on the ARM chip architecture was the wrong message at the wrong place, said an industry analyst.

AMD's Fusion processors to go into $200 laptops

(Agam Shah) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 05:07:00 GMT

After years of talks and demonstrations, Advanced Micro Devices started shipping Fusion processors for netbooks, laptops and small desktops priced between $200 and $599.

InfoWorld review: Dell R815 server makes heavy virtualization light on the wallet

(Paul Venezia) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 10:14:00 GMT

The Dell PowerEdge R815 and its four 12-core AMD Opteron CPUs want to run many, many virtual machines, at a much lower cost than Intel multicore

Acer Aspire 5741G-6983: Closet Gaming Machine

(Jon L. Jacobi) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:48:00 GMT

The Acer Aspire 5741G-6983 is a tweener in the best possible sense of the word. It fits right between a great mainstream unit and a powerful gaming laptop. It has good input ergonomics, a nice 15.6-inch 1366 by 768 display, great everyday performance, and elegant styling. Throw in an AMD Mobility Radeon HD 5470 for smooth video and decent gaming frame rates and you have a laptop that can handle almost anything.

Purdue builds app that slows servers when cooling fails

(Joab Jackson) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:50:00 GMT

An administrator from Purdue University has developed software that can slow servers when the AC goes out