AMD readies new Geode chip for UMPCs

[chaminga_d]

VIA and Intel are currently fighting it out in the Ultra-mobile PC market, but AMD has so far been largely left out of the game. According to DigiTimes, however, AMD plans to increase its presence in the UMPC sector by introducing a new Geode LX processor aimed specifically at the handheld systems.

AMD's Geode LX processors are low-power, x86-compatible chips typically used in thin clients and embedded devices. The fastest model out today, the Geode LX 800, is clocked at 500MHz and has a thermal design power rating of 3.9W. DigiTimes says AMD's UMPC-bound Geode chip will have an LX 900 model number and will run at 667MHz, although the site doesn't reveal its power consumption rating. VIA's C7-M ULV chips come in 1GHz variants with power envelopes as low as 3.5W.

[Anusha]

Even though VIA's CPUs run at a faster clock, I believe their IPC (instructions per clock) rate is very low. A 500MHz AMD CPU should be able to outperform a VIA chip considerably, unless AMD have a low IPC for this exact CPU.

[chaminga_d]

Comparison with Via's C7-M ULV is fundamentally flawed.

Comparing a single CPU core, like the C7, to a fully integrated chip like the GeodeLX is stupid. Comparing "power envelopes" is EXTREMELY stupid and EXTREMELY misleading.

Along with a CPU core, the GeodeLX integrates:

Memory controller
Graphics engine (2D)
Video Processor
Display controller (incl. LCD and CRT
Security processor (128bit AES and true random number generator)
Active power management
Video input port (not the physical port, of course)
PCI controller

The Via C7 (any version) has, AFAIK, the random number generator, but nothing else. So, in order to compare the two, you would need to match the C7-M ULV with a southbridge chip and possibly also a graphics chip. That will significantly impact the "power envelope".

Also, typical power consumption is going to be MUCH higher, since the GeodeLX can manage power consumption centrally at a much more fine-grained level.
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[Anusha]

That's the way to go: system-on-chip. :)