Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has been ahead in computing performance lately, but its relatively weaker integrated graphics have left consumers wanting for more. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NYSE:AMD) Trinity platform did give ample graphics processing power, but the trade-off was lower processing power. However, a lot has happened over the last year, and both Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) and AMD are looking to shake things up.
Ultrabook growth
AMD recently refreshed its Trinity lineup with the launch of Richland APUs. Although there isn’t an architectural improvement, Richland APUs have been incorporated with around 10% faster CPUs and 4-7% faster GPUs (as compared to Piledriver). Its 3D mark scores have been reported to be around 50% better than top tier Ivy bridge CPUs, and are much cheaper than Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)’s counterparts. As per the preliminary benchmarks, Intel’s upcoming Haswell has disappointed the Street with an 18%-20% boost in graphical performance over its predecessor. But Intel hasn’t lost yet.
Haswell mobile processors are more inclined towards low power consumption with TDPs (Thermal Design Power) as low as 7W, making them more practical for ultrabook deployments. Although Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NYSE:AMD)s APUs deliver balanced performance, they are more suitable for laptops, while Intel’s Haswell is targeted towards ultrabooks (and laptops).
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NYSE:AMD) Richland APUs are reported to have 35W TDP, which is way more than Intel’s 7W. Furthermore, Haswell’s idle power consumption is estimated to be 20 times lower than Ivy bridge’s power consumption, which further enhances the battery life of notebooks and ultrabooks. This clearly puts Intel ahead, especially since ultrabooks are expected to grow at 60% plus annually, which is a significantly higher rate than laptops.
Smartphone growth
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has been incorporating crystals with higher clock speeds, and providing tough competition to QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) Snapdragon and NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)‘s Tegra 3 in terms of pure processing power last year. This year, QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) and NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) launched Snapdragon 800 and Tegra 4 which are capable of rendering 4k, beating Intel’s offerings (Medfield). But the most commonly ignored fact is that Intel’s mobile offerings are way cheaper than its Qualcomm and NVIDIA counterparts, and are currently being deployed by less favored brands.
Furthermore, Intel’s Atom Z2760 is a dual core processor clocked at 1.8GHz, while NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)’s Tegra 4 is a quad core processor clocked at 1.9GHz. Even Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 800 is a quad core processor clocked at 2.3GHz, and the specs suggest that the QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM) and NVIDIA chips don’t really compete with Intel’s atom processors.
To get ahead in the processing race, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) is launching Clover Trail +, which offers a dual core platform with multi-threading technology. It is bringing its expertise from the PC segment to the world of smartphones. According to the leaked benchmarks of Lenovo K900, Intel’s Z2580 processor has outperformed Samsung Galaxy S4’s Exynos 5.
