AMD delivers Z-series Hondo APUs for tablets

AMD introduces its first "Hondo" based Z-series APU, a new chips designed for Windows 8 tablets. The 40nm Z-60 APU is a dual-core processor with a 1GHz clockspeed, Radeon HD 6250 integrated graphics with 80 Radeon cores, 1MB L2 cache, a 4.5W TDP and USB 3.0 support.

Hondo is based on the same architecture as the E-series APUs, and according to AMD, tablets based on this new APU can last over ten hours on a single battery charge. The company also mentions that tablets based on Hondo can be as thin as 10mm, just a bit more than the 8.5mm that Intel promises with its "Clover Trail" Atom platform.

So far there are few details about which devices will be launched with this chip, but you can expect more information once Microsoft launches Windows 8 later this month.

AMD (NYSE: AMD) announced its latest entry in the performance tablet and small form factor PC market with the AMD Z-60 Accelerated Processing Unit (APU). The AMD Z-60 is AMD’s lowest power APU, delivering unprecedented performance and AMD AllDay™ power for tablet form factors as thin as 10mm. A compelling combination of features, stunning graphics, support for the latest Microsoft Windows® 8 applications and user interfaces, as well as compatibility with Windows® 7 and the full-suite of legacy Windows applications, makes the AMD Z-60 APU an ideal solution for a range of designs.

The first tablets based on the AMD Z-60 APU are expected to launch globally this year in conjunction with availability of Windows 8.

“Tablet users seeking an uncompromised experience for both creating and consuming content on the Microsoft Windows 8 platform now have a performance-driven, affordable option with the AMD Z-60 APU,” said Steve Belt, corporate vice president of Ultra-Low Power Products, AMD. “We see a large gap between the lower performance and high-price competitive offerings that allow AMD to be in tablet designs that will please our customers and end users alike.”

The AMD Z-60 APU comes loaded with features designed to enhance the tablet experience, including AMD Start Now technology that allows fast boot and resume from sleep times1, up to eight hours of battery life while Web browsing, and up to six hours of HD video playback2. Just as impressive is the stunning visual quality delivered by the AMD Radeon™ graphics on the APU, with support for full HD 1080p resolution, HDMI output for external displays, and impressive gaming performance with Microsoft Direct X®11 capability.

Tablets with AMD APUs can also leverage the AMD AppZone, a one-stop resource for accessing popular applications that can take advantage of the full compute capability of the processor.