CES 2012: AMD's new APU and Lightning Bolt I/O

AMD, like they typically choose to do, kept things low-key at this year’s CES by sticking to a briefing room instead of a booth on the show floor. During this briefing, the company reps showcased the upcoming Trinity APU based on its Piledriver core, and the Lighting Bolt I/O interface that looks to be in direct competition with Intel’s Thunderbolt.

Image Credit: engadget

 

The Trinity APUs will be released in three different versions—desktop, laptop and another one for laptops of the thin and light variety. The last of the lot will work on 17 watts of power, while promising the same kind of performance as the 35-watt version.
AMD also showcased their Lighting Bolt I/O interface behind closed doors, which is capable of handling up to four displays and several USB 3.0 ports. The interface can do all this while also supplying power to the devices. However, its capabilities are limited to two displays at 1080p and it will not be able to reach full speed with USB 3.0 devices. The good news is that these interfaces will be incredibly cheap to implement via laptop and/or mobo manufacturers.

Source: engadget