AMD's future products to include ARM cores, also steamrolling toward mobile market

AMD's client roadmap has revealed Hondo, a 4.5W APU with 1-2 low voltage Bobcat cores as well as an on-die DX11 GPU built on a 40nm process. Windows 8 will be the OS to receive some of AMD's Hondo lovin'. AMD is wanting to get serious of entering the sub-2W market, with mobile being a very important path for AMD.

AMD has talked about being "ambidextrous" when it comes to architectures, implying that AMD's future products will include chips with ARM-based CPU cores for markets where it makes sense. AMD have also said they will take advantage of all sorts of ecosystems, including Windows 8 and Android.

The AMD 2013 Client Roadmap unveils some interesting things indeed, with 2013 mobile chips "Kaveri", "Kabini", and "Tamesh" being three new APUs to be introduced. Kaveri will sport 2-4 "Steamroller" CPU cores, as well as a GCN-based GPU with HSA Application support. Kabini will feature 2-4 "Jaguar" cores backed up by a GCN-based GPU, and finally, Tamesh sports 2 "Jaguar" CPU cores, and a GCN-based GPU.

Desktop wise from AMD, we should expect the second-generation FX CPUs codenamed "Vishera" which will include 4-8 "Piledriver" CPU cores, "Kaveri" APU which will sport 2-4 "Steamroller" CPU cores, GCN-based GPU, HSA Application support and finally, "Kabini" which is identical to its mobile counterpart, sporting 2-4 "Jaguar" cores, and a GCN-based GPU.