Platform: PC

Developer: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

By Malefico

New Possibilities For The Entry-Level Desktop Market

I’ve always had a soft spot for AMD products. Although they are still currently getting spanked by Intel with respect to raw power, it’s becoming clear that they are working to change the game as technology and the nature of popular consumer products changes.

Witness the new Kabini product line. These little chips are aimed at the vast majority of home computer users who are looking for great value, decent performance and the ability to enjoy multimedia apps and websites without the need for a video card, all with the greatest advantage enjoyed by desktops- the ability to upgrade when and how you want.

Having secured a substantial advantage in the realm of integrated graphics performance, AMD is now offering value and flexibility in a line of APUs that combine excellent efficiency with acceptable performance and a graphics punch Intel can’t match for anywhere near the price. And unlike the Intel offerings that use BGA, these little guys are paired with the new AM1 platform (FS1b socket) to allows users to upgrade the chip without having to buy a new board.

Anyone who follows the CPU industry knows that Kabini has historically been used in mobile devices. As such, they offer outstanding energy efficiency and generate little heat- all the new chips come with a 25W TDP rating. Combined with the new socket, Kabini allows unprecedented flexibility and upgrade options in a market space currently dominated by one size fits all devices like most laptops and all notebooks and tablets.

The new APUs utilize AMD’s “Jaguar” processing cores, two or four of them depending on the chip. All the Kabini desktop chips just released use a scaled-down version of the GCN GPU architecture featuring 128 cores on die with clock speeds ranging from 400-600MHz depending on Kabini model.

Low Price Point and Robust Support

So, how cheap is the new Kabini line? Well, the most expensive chip currently offered retails for around $55. The least expensive can be had for under $40. Right now, Newegg is offering a combo with a Sempron 3850, an MSI mITX board and a CoolerMaster mITX case for $99. I don’t think you can get into any other upgradeable system for that kind of money, barring used parts. AMD is expected to release a more powerful family of chips later this year or early next year featuring “Puma” instead of Jaguar cores, improved graphics and no doubt higher TDP ratings.

Likewise, motherboards are going to be very attractive for those who want to start working on their first custom system, with most models available for $25-$35. Motherboards are being offered in Micro ATX and Mini-ITX form factors, and trusted names like ASRock, ASUS, Biostar, Gigabyte, and MSI already on board. The boards are limited to SATA2 (3Gbps) transfer speeds and have only two SATA ports on board, meaning the bare minimum for an SSD or traditional hard drive and optical drive, if desired. However, the boards do offer limited USB 3.0 support as well as HDMI out and other niceties.

Sounds too good to be true?

The new Kabini desktop offerings do have their limitations. First, they support only single channel memory, which to me is shocking- so much so that I had to go to several sites for independent confirmation. But yeah, that’s the deal. In entry level devices it’s not a huge handicap, but still disappointing.

Also, although the boards do have a PCI-E slot that will accept a discrete video card, the slot is limited to four data lanes, rather than the 16 that all other socketable platforms (AMD and Intel) currently support. What’s more, any GPU capable of solid gaming performance will be limited by the relatively slow Kabini chips in vigorous gaming use.

Due to their low thermal envelope, they run slow clock frequencies compared to other, more powerful processors, anywhere from 1.3 to 2.05GHz. The 128-core GCN configurations are more than capable of streaming HD video and playing basic games, but will choke on FPS titles at high and ultra settings, and still fall short of the magic 60FPS mark on medium.

Online authors and the plethora of people who comment on their articles have asked other, valid questions about the new Kabini desktop chips and the new socket platform. Will AMD and the OEM hardware developers be able to introduce meaningful upgrade capabilities in future iterations- not just more powerful chips, but more full-featured boards? AMD says more capable low-TDP chips are on the way, but have provided no firm or even tentative release dates or basic specs (probably wise considering the Kabini APUs are brand-new and it makes no sense to tantalize consumers with the next, even-better thing when you’re trying to sell the current “next big thing” right now).

More importantly, will consumers care about upgradability at this price point? With desktops facing serious competition from all the annoying mobile devices and consumers seemingly willing to throw away their gear in favor of new, rigidly designed (hands off) systems every few years, is AMD gambling on a losing horse?

So really, what’s the big deal?

AMD is taking a big gamble on an uncertain segment of the industry. Desktops are dying breed, there’s no doubt about that. As consumers increasingly seek to take it all with them, rather than get away from it all, mobile devices are occupying a larger share of the market pie.

So, does it really make sense to spend money on this new platform, despite it’s upgrade potential?

Well, that depends on the application. Right now, Kabini isn’t a gaming platform, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t use it as such. I can see these little APUs making an excellent basis for an emulator box- small form factor, low power/cooling demands, and the lack of SATA ports wouldn’t matter as you could easily fit a huge number of emulator software and ROMs on a single hard drive. The relatively slow speeds that now limit Kabini’s performance wouldn’t matter as an emulator, as they are still much faster than the chips present in the original consoles. So, you could put together a pretty great, all-encompassing emulator package for peanuts.

They will also no doubt find homes as low-end HTPCs, and are well-suited to this task. Again, the modest processing power and limited graphics potential is still more than enough for streaming movies or playing them through an optical drive and the low-power design of Kabini means they will run quiet and cool, with no annoying fan buzz to disturb the viewing environment.

Finally, what about all those folks who still use their computers mostly to communicate with distant family members and friends? I know you know quite a few folks who fit this description. For people who want nothing more from their computer than the ability to email, send and receive pics and video, incorporate some word processing or other office-related tasks and play movies and maybe the occasional lightweight game, Kabini is a valid option. More than valid, it makes a lot of financial sense.

If AMD can make good on its promise of better AM1 APUs in the future, this platform may well have a bright future. Despite its drawbacks, it offers a lot of potential for a little bacon.