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Speedy AMD fudges all-important power question

As predicted here, AMD has challenged Intel in the notebook arena with a claim of "fastest" - but has yet to focus on the issue which matters more to mobile users - power consumption.

AMD today introduced the mobile AMD Athlon 4 processor 1500+, describing it as "the highest overall performing processor for notebook PCs" and stating that it would outperform Intel's Pentium 4 running Windows.

Power management on the new chip doesn't go unmentioned; two "trade-marked" technologies, the QuantiSpeed architecture and AMD PowerNow! power management technology, are highlighted - but only by being listed.

While it's quite possible that when the notebook is plugged in, it "delivers the highest notebook PC application performance to meet the demanding needs of today's business professionals," what matters is not how well it emulates a desktop, but how long it takes to drain the battery. For that, we'll have to wait for test samples from Compaq, which will release a system "soon" says AMD.

Exactly how fast is also a bit of a conundrum. Benchmarks for processors which use power-saving tricks like Intel's SpeedStep and Athlon's QuantiSpeed, are pretty meaningless - since the processors slow down their clock rate in order to reduce the battery-drain rate when they get the chance. Benchmarks typically don't allow this to happen in a way that matches real-world usage.

And, as announced in October, there are no clock speeds revealed for the new processors. They will emerge as the test labs of various magazines get their hands on samples. They will probably be slower megaherz ratings than Intel's P4 figures (that's why AMD doesn't publish them!) but the throughput of the AMD Athlon 4 is known to be at least the equal of Intel's chip, even if the Intel clock runs faster.

But what matters for users on the move is weight; and neither of these chips is likely to be available in a box which is both light-weight and long-lived in the battery. Both are power-hungry football fields of silicon generating intense heat, and the performance will be at a price.

For complete chip pricing information, check AMD's web site