We already know that AMD's first Fusion processors, based on the 40nm ‘Ontario' architecture, will be shipping to partners before the end of this year. However, the latest update from Digitimes is suggesting that major manufacturers will be shipping notebooks based on the new APUs in the first quarter of next year.
The source expects that TSMC, AMD's manufacturing partner for the 40nm chips, will ramp-up to full-scale production of the new silicon in early December. This should give system-builders, apparently including Acer, ASUS and HP, plenty of time to start manufacturing systems for a launch in the new year.
This lines up with last month's leaked AMD roadmap that listed the Zacate CPU/GPU combo as launching at the tail-end of this year or the start of next year. It also gives strength to the idea that the APU will be based on the Ontario architecture which is targeted at low-power and ultraportable systems, rather than the delayed 32nm Llano part.
Unfortunately we don't have much more than this to go on, but with Fusion processors finally around the corner, we're sure that the AMD marketing-machine will be stepping into high-gear soon. An early 2011 launch for Ontario-based notebooks also means that we can all but guarantee that we'll see plenty of Fusion-action at CES 2011 in January.
