AMD Congo
Yukon's successor, codenamed Congo, hopes to offer full-size notebook-like performance in a small, ultra-thin form factor. In order to do so, it builds on Yukon in two key areas - processing power and integrated graphics.
To make it easier to absorb, here's a brief table highlighting the differences between typical Yukon-based and Congo-based notebooks.
| Yukon | Congo | |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 1.6GHz Athlon Neo MV-40 | 1.6GHz Athlon Neo X2 L335 |
| Cores | Single-core | Dual-core |
| L2 Cache | 512KB | 512KB |
| TDP | 15W | 18W |
| Chipset | 690E + SB600 | 780M + SB710 |
| Integrated graphics | ATI Radeon X1250 | ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200 |
| DirectX | DirectX 9 | DirectX 10 |
Congo's dual-core processor, codenamed Conesus, is a key upgrade. With a pair of 1.6GHz cores, the chip should be better equipped to compete with Intel's alternative, the ultra-low-voltage Core 2 Duo.
Teaming up with the 1.6GHz Athlon Neo X2 processor is an AMD 780M chipset and SB710 southbridge. It's a downsized version of the desktop 780G platform launched early in 2008, and it brings with it ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3200-series graphics, providing full support for DirectX 10.
It's a potent-looking combination, and on paper it's far more capable than Intel's Atom, whilst graphically superior to many Intel CULV systems, too. But there is at least one proviso - Congo's CPU carries a TDP of 18W, comfortably higher than the 10W figure associated with Intel's CULV parts and far in excess of the 2.5W power draw of a single-core Atom processor. We'll find out if the figures have an adverse effect on battery life later in the review.
Considering that Yukon and Congo are both shrunken-down derivatives of older technology, the power-draw hurdle is one that AMD is unlikely to overcome until the company's Bobcat architecture arrives in 2011.
