AMD unveils laptop and desktop platforms for 2010

The new systems are part of AMD's Vision branding

AMD has announced an overhaul of its client platforms for 2010, introducing updates to its ultra-thin and mainstream laptop technologies and extending its Vision branding to desktop systems for the first time.

Highlights of the new platforms include quad-core processors that can be used in slimline laptops, and a Vision Black specification for gamers that should see six-core desktop PCs with a price below $1,000 (£665), according to AMD.

The platforms introduced today all use the AMD Vision branding, which specifies four performance tiers - Vision, Vision Premium, Vision Ultimate and Vision Black - based on the use the buyer has in mind for the system.

Introduced last year, the Vision branding is intended to make it easier for buyers to choose a system that meets their needs.

"It's an easy way to know if the PC they are buying does what they want it to do. Consumers care more about what a PC can do than about clock speeds and feeds," said Sasa Marinkovic, AMD's senior product marketing manager for EMEA.

The 2010 ultrathin laptop platform, previously codenamed Nile, combines AMD's Turion II Neo and Athlon II Neo processors with ATI Mobility Radeon 4200 integrated graphics, or an optional Mobility Radeon HD 5400 discrete chip.

This is aimed at laptops with 11in to 13in screens and measuring 25mm or less in thickness, "but delivers a full HD video experience and up to eight hours' battery life", according to AMD EMEA marketing manager Michal Lisiecki.

It also delivers a 22 per cent performance improvement over the existing ultrathin platform, the firm said, plus support for DirectX 10.1 graphics.

Laptops based on the platform include the HP Pavilion dm1 and Lenovo's 15in Edge model, according to AMD.