Netbook Choice » AMD

MSI Wind12 U250 12.1-inch ultrathin gets official

Jet Sun — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:44:31 +0000

MSI has officially announced its 12.1-inch AMD-powered Wind12 U250 ultraportable. The U250 will be armed with AMD’s new “Nile” ultrathin platform, more specifically a dual-core AMD Athlon II Neo (Geneva) processor that supports DDR3 memory. It also sports AMD’s latest RS880M chipset that supports HD graphics as well as UVD2 and DirectX 10.1.

The design seems similar to the U230 but will come with a Cobra Gray print that helps to protect it against scratches. The Wind12 U250 will come with a 12.1-inch glossy (1366 x 768) display, up to 8GB RAM and various HDD options (160/250/320GB). Other features include HDMI, Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1, a 1.3MP webcam, 4-in-1 card reader and three USB ports.

The Wind12 U250 also comes with MSI’s TDE Turbo Engine technology. This sounds like an overclocking tool that can boost performance in CPU and memory simultaneously. The Wind12 U250 boasts a battery life of up to 5.55 hours. There is currently no word on pricing or availability,.

MSI Wind12 U250 Technical Specifications:

CPU: AMD Athlon II Neo processor
Chipset: AMD RS880M+SB820M
Memory: DDR3 800MHz, up to 8GB at maximum
LCD: 12.1″ HD (Glare type) 1366×768, 16:9
HDD: 160GB/250GB/320GB SATA HDD
Card reader: 4 in 1 (XD/SD/MMC/Memory Stick)
I/O: HDMI, D-sub, USB 2.0*3, Mic-in, Headphone out, RJ-45
Battery: 3/6 cells (Optional)
Wireless: 802.11b/g/n, Bluetoothv2.1+EDR
Webcam: 1.3M Webcam
Sound: 2 Speakers
Dimension: 29.7cm x 19.0cm x 2.4-3.1cm
Weight: 1.3 KG (with 3-cell battery)
Special Features: TDE, ECO Engine, HD display, EDS Keyboard

Asus Eee PC 1201K packs an AMD Geode processor

Jet Sun — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:01:41 +0000

Asus has unveiled yet another 12.1-inch netbook today called the Eee PC 1201K. The model comes with a 1.4GHz AMD Geode NX 1750 processor (14w power consumption). The design is the same as all of the other 1201X Asus netbooks and this model will come with Windows XP.

Other features include 1GB RAM, Wi-Fi (b/g/n), a 0.3MP webcam, two USB ports and a 6-cell 47Whr battery good for only 2 hours of runtime. There´s no word on where Asus plans on marketing this machine or details on pricing right now.

ASUS Eee PC 1201K Technical Specifications:

* 12.1″ 1366 x 768 display
* AMD Geode NX 1750 processor (1.4GHz)
* SIS741CX/964 chipset
* 1GB DDR1 RAM
* 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
* Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
* 160 / 250 / 320GB HDD
* 0.3M Webcam
* VGA, 2x USB 2.0, RJ-45 LAN, audio jacks, card reader
* 6-cell 47 Whr battery (2 hours of battery life – What?)
* 296 x 208 x 27.3 – 33.3mm
* 1.46 kg (6-cell battery)
* Windows XP Home

Via EeePC.it.

Asus Eee PC 1015T: AMD-powered 10-inch netbook

Jet Sun — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:59:02 +0000

Another new 10-inch netbook the Asus Eee PC 1015 series cropped up today at Computex. The Eee PC 1015T looks very similar to the 1015P/PE range but will be powered by the AMD V105 processor and ATI Radeon HD 4200 graphics.

It comes with a chiclet keyboard, large touchpad along with a matte lid and glossy 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) screen. As with the ION-powered 1015N there is only a single access panel to upgrade RAM. It will come with a 6-cell 56Wh battery good for 6 hours and USB 3.0 too. There are no details on price and availability right now.

Via Netbooked.

Acer’s AMD-powered Aspire 721 hits US pre-order

Jet Sun — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:50:17 +0000

The 11.6-inch Acer Aspire 721 has turned up for pre-order at Amazon.com for $429.99 in Mesh Black colour. The specific model (AO721-3574) is powered by a 1.7GHz single-core AMD Athlon II Neo K125 processor and comes with ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics, 2GB DDDR3 RAM and a 250GB HDD.

It features an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display, 1.3MP webcam, Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Windows 7 Home Premium and a 6-cell 4400mAh battery good for 5.5 hours of runtime. Performance versus Intel Atom equivalents isn’t known right now, but at this price point it’s an enticing proposition.

Via Netbooked.

Lenovo Ideapad U165: AMD ultra-thin planned for Q3

Jet Sun — Mon, 17 May 2010 08:48:18 +0000

As well as the Intel CULV-powered Ideapad U160 that was recently announced, Lenovo is prepping the Ideapad U165 ultra-thin that will be powered by AMD’s new low-power processors and is set to launch during the third quarter.

Hard specs and pricing remains a mystery for now, but you can check out a number of photos of the Ideapad U165 after the break.

Via NetbookNews.de.

Acer’s AMD-powered Aspire One 521 netbook in HD video test

Jet Sun — Sat, 15 May 2010 17:33:19 +0000

Acer officially revealed a new line-up of AMD-powered 10-inch and 11.6-inch netbooks earlier this week. The AAO 521 has a 10-inch display and comes with a 1.2GHz single-core AMD V105 processor along with ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics with HDMI out. The latter highlights the confidence in its ability to handle HD video, even though the screen only has a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.

A couple of videos have appeared from Notebook Journal.de and nDevil that give an idea of how well it plays HD video content. As you’ll see HD content seemed to play ok, although the same can’t be said for YouTube HD that seemed to stutter. This could be a driver issue so I wouldn’t get too disheartened if you were eyeing the AAO 521. Check out the videos after the jump.

Details on AMD’s ultrathin Nile platform revealed

Jet Sun — Wed, 12 May 2010 11:55:10 +0000

AMD has released some more details on its ultrathin ‘Nile’ platform range of processors. We have attached the relevant slides after the break, but basically the new platform will see a 22 percent performance increase and 36 percent increase in 3DMark06 scores compared to the older Congo platform.

Battery life is expected to be around the 4-8 hours mark. Quite a wide range, but 4 hours is active and 8 hours is “resting”. Other features includes DDR3 support, 5.1 surround sound, HDMI out and DX11 support (DirectX 10.1 for HD 4200). Click through for the slides.

Acer reveals Aspire 521, 721 1551 AMD-powered netbooks [Video]

Jet Sun — Wed, 12 May 2010 07:27:03 +0000

Acer has revealed a new line-up of AMD-powered netbooks at an event in Cannes. This includes a 10-inch model (AAO 521) and two 11.6-inch models (Acer Aspire 721 and 1551). Subsidiary Packard Bell also announced the dot.a, a rebranded version of the 11.6-inch models above.

The Acer Aspire One 521 has a single-core 1.2GHz AMD V105 processor, DDR3 support, ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics and a HDMI output. You’ll still only get a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) display though. It comes with 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD and a 7-hour battery life.

The Acer Aspire 721 features the dual-core AMD Athlon Neo K325 processor and an 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display. This model also sports Radeon HD 4225 graphics and has an HDMI out. It also comes with a 5600mAh battery, three USB ports, Bluetooth and optional 3G.

The Acer Aspire 1551 is similar to the 721, it features an AMD Turion II Neo dual core processor and Radeon HD 4225 graphics. It has an 11.6-inch display with 1366 x 768 resolution. It comes with a HDMI port, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Windows 7 Home Premium.

Packard Bell has also launched the dot.a netbook that is a rebranded of the above 11.6-inch Acer models running the 1.7GHz single-core AMD Athlon II Neo K125 processor.

Via NetbookNews.de.

Acer Aspire One 521: AMD powered 10” netbook with HDMI

Jet Sun — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:31:21 +0000

Acer has a new AMD-powered netbook on the horizon called the Aspire One 521. Trusted source macles has come up with the details who says that this 10-inch model will feature the AMD V105 processor. This CPU will not be formally announced until May, but we know that it is the slowest single-core of the “Nile” platform. It is clocked at 1.2GHz and comes with 512KB L2 Cache, a TDP of 9W and DDR3 support.

The AMD V105 CPU is paired with the AMD M880G chipset. The AAO 521 will also come with the as yet unannounced ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4225 graphics core that has 384MB of dedicated video memory. Performance is unknown although I wouldn’t expect ION levels of graphical fidelity, however a HDMI port will be included.

The design is a departure from previous Aspire One netbooks too. The lid comes with a huge chrome-plated logo, proudly displayed for all to see. Battery life should be around the 7-hour mark and you will also be able to get optional Bluetooth 3.0. It will also come with a new compact power adaptor with interchangeable plugs called MiniGo. Pricing and availability are unknown for now, expect an announcement during Computex in early June.

Details of AMD’s Bobcat netbook processors emerge

Jet Sun — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:58:44 +0000

AMD already outlined its plans to enter the netbook processor market during an analyst day last November. As a quick reminder, the company introduced two new processor cores codenamed Bulldozer and Bobcat for release in 2011. Bulldozer is designed for desktops & servers, whilst Bobcat is targeted at ultra-thin notebooks. However, netbooks will also be targeted for the first time within the Bobcat family.

We knew that Bobcat was being designed with power efficiency in mind and AMD’s chief marketing officer, Nigel Dessau, recently said that the netbook chip will run with a similar TDP to the Intel Atom (10W-15W) and “it will have a good processor integrated with graphics, so you won’t need the [Nvidia] Ion graphics to give it half-decent performance.”

The chip will be purposely designed for screens no larger than 12-inches. “If we’d had a part, we’d have been in this space. We didn’t have a part so we went and worked on a part for the thin and light space. The plan is to come to market next year with a Fusion part that fits in it nicely in a netbook type thing,” Dessau said.

Via InternetNews.