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AMD set to take on the tablet market with new quad-core x86 SoC

Evan Kypreos By Evan Kypreos linkedin Contact via linkedin
Editor-in-chief
AMD has launched its new A4-1350 APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), the second quad-core x86 architecture system on chip from the silicon manufacturer. 

An APU is a single chip built using a heterogeneous computing philosophy. It houses both the CPU and GPU, reducing the communication barriers between them and significantly improving performance and efficiency. 

The quad-core A4-1350 APU runs at 1GHz with a GPU clock base of 300MHz and is designed to run Windows 8 on tablets and hybrid devices efficiently. 

It will be able to handle HD media, as well as intensive graphics. AMD claims the graphical capabilities of the A4-1350 APU is as good as having a discrete graphic card. 

In terms of performance the A4-1350 APU is touted as being 172% faster in CPU performance-per-watt when compared to the previous generation. It’s also has 212% graphics performance-per-watt then before. Performance-per-watt is a way of measuring the power and efficiency of a processor, particularly important for tablet and laptops where battery life is important.

The increased efficiency means a battery life of up to 12 hours, that’s 45% more than the competition. 

There are some additional benefits to the A4-1350 APU such as extremely low levels of heat, meaning not a lot of cooling is required. 

If AMD’s claims are accurate it could see a raft of reasonably inexpensive but capable Windows 8 tablets and hybrids that won’t be under-powered like the Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 2  or have the heat and noise issues of the Microsoft Surface Pro. 

The new APU is expected to begin shipping to customers in October 2013.
Evan Kypreos
By Evan Kypreos linkedin Contact via linkedin
Editor-in-chief

Evan Kypreos was Editor of Trusted Reviews between 2012 and 2018. He has written for Time.com, Ideal Home and NME, as well as Trusted Reviews.   Born with an interest in technology and all things…

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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.

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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.

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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.

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