32nm + 4 cores + GPU + CPU = AMD Fusion

AMD disclosed details about Fusion (Llano), the next generation processor that integrates an ATI GPU with four AMD cores into a single processor at the International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in San Francisco. Each core has an 1MB L2 cache, which together with the integrated GPU is what AMD now calls APU (Accelerated Processing Unit). In architecture, the CPU cores of Llano are effectively tweaked versions of those in AMD's Opteron processors, while the GPU is based on the technology in high-end ATI graphics accelerators. The graphics core is a derivative of AMD’s DirectX 11 Evergreen lineup, which supports hardware decoding of MPEG2, VC-1, and H.264 video streams. The integrated GPU would prove to be a more powerful alternative for a graphics setup, in comparison to Intel’s integrated graphics chipsets, which have always been quite basic. The processors will run at speeds of up to 3GHz, power gating and optimization capabilities give it a power consumption range of 2.5 to 25 watts. Llano will employ a new socket. AMD says that OEMs will be shipping Fusion APU systems in 2011.