AMD Announces Revolutionary External Graphics Solution for Notebooks


Story by Arun - Wednesday 04th June 2008, 04:30:00 PM


Portable ATI XGP™ Technology unlocks notebooks for enthusiast-class desktop graphics performance and true multimedia upgradeability

Computex, TAIPEI -- June 4, 2008 --AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced ATI XGP™ (External Graphics Platform) Technology, a new external PCI Express® (PCIe) 2.0 graphics platform, designed to deliver enthusiast-class desktop graphic performance and true multimedia upgradeability to notebooks (1). ATI XGP is an exclusive technology that capitalizes on PCIe 2.0 to deliver enthusiast-class graphics via a connected cable to an externally powered and cooled device. This unique innovation delivers up to 4.0 Gbyte/s in each direction in bandwidth communication between the notebook and external graphics, whereas previous consumer level external solutions were limited in graphics bandwidth (2). ATI XGP is fully optimized for new AMD Turion™ X2 Ultra notebook platforms, also announced today.

ATI XGP Technology is being first launched with the newly announced ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3800 series for eye-catching HD graphics. As an industry first for notebooks, ATI XGP Technology delivers multi-GPU capabilities of scalable performance with ATI CrossFireX™ technology. The additional high bandwidth of the included USB 2.0 connectivity allows users to connect to a wide variety of USB-based devices, including external TV tuners, external Blu-ray players, and much more.

“With ATI XGP Technology, notebooks can switch between everyday computing and hard-core gaming with a simple plug-in that’s also portable enough to bring powerful 3D performance on-the-go,” said Matt Skynner, vice president of Marketing, Graphics Products Group, AMD. “This technology allows users to choose notebooks with slim, lightweight and elegant designs, yet enjoy the full performance of a traditional desktop gaming rig wherever it’s convenient.”

Björn Fehrm, head of Strategy and Innovation Consumer, EMEA, Fujitsu-Siemens Corp., said: “Powered by ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 3870 in an external AMILO GraphicsBooster, the ultra mobile AMILO Sa 3650, with ATI XPG technology, takes on two very different but equally compelling personalities. Use it for your daily computing with the internal graphics for outstanding mobility and battery life. Dock it to your AMILO GraphicsBooster when coming home, in a hotel room or at a LAN event and now your gaming and multimedia performance is in another world.”

ATI XGP Technology is contained in an external chassis connected to the notebook via a specially designed self-latching, easy-connecting PCIe 2.0 cable from Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited, a leading provider of electronic devices and connectors. Based on AMD’s dedicated research and development, the cable also provides USB 2.0 connectivity directly to the notebook allowing for additional USB functionality. Independently cooled and powered, ATI XGP Technology offers the potential for higher performance than traditional entry-level graphics solutions. Notebook users can take advantage of the varied usage scenarios including multiple monitor support, high performance gaming, Blu-ray video playback, and increased graphics performance for video editing. (3)

“ATI XGP Technology is cutting edge and we’re excited to participate in this revolutionary solution for notebooks,” said Mark Saubert, marketing manager, Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited. “ATI XGP Technology redefines what mobile graphics is all about.”

The initial offering of ATI XGP Technology features the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3800 series graphics solution giving notebook users a variety of additional functionality:
  • PCI Express® 2.0 offers more than enough horsepower for the most demanding professional graphics applications by boosting 3D graphics performance while providing fast throughput resulting in an excellent overall system performance
  • ATI Avivo™ HD Technology that delivers smooth video playback and photos in high-definition format with brilliant colors and sharp images
  • ATI Avivo HD technology features an enhanced version of AMD’s Unified Video Decoder (UVD) offering full hardware acceleration of video decode for smooth playback of full 1080p content from Blu-ray movies (4)
  • Integrated Digital Outputs enable viewing standard and high-definition content on a variety of devices including HDMI with integrated audio and DVI (5)

For more information about ATI XGP Technology, please visit: http://ati.amd.com/technology/xgp/index.html.

About AMD
Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE: AMD) is a leading global provider of innovative processing solutions in the computing, graphics and consumer electronics markets. AMD is dedicated to driving open innovation, choice and industry growth by delivering superior customer-centric solutions that empower consumers and businesses worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.

©2008 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, ATI, Avivo, CrossFireX, PowerPlay, Radeon, The Ultimate Visual Experience, Turion, XGP and combinations thereof, are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

1) ATI XGP Technology requires a notebook equipped with an ATI XGP Technology connector
2) Alternate solutions are single lane PCI-E 1.1 operating at maximum 0.25 Gbytes/s
3) Additional USB-based components may be required
4) 1080p-capable monitor required
5) Performance, technologies and features listed can vary with specific notebook implementations. Please consult with Notebook vendor for a complete list of supported features.


Discuss on the forums

Tagging

ati ± lasso