New Apple TV Details. Running iOS, AMD CPU / GPU? [Rumors]

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This last rumor from Taipei today is about the innards of the new Apple TV. As per other sources the updated Apple TV is reported as running iOS, having a similar UI and Operating System look and feel as the iPhone, and having no Hard Drive.

The more interesting tidbit that has leaked out today though is that Apple may be partnering with AMD, and basing the silicon inside the Apple TV on their Fusion SoC.

Why is this interesting? Well up until now Apple have been tied to Intel for their desktop CPUs. But in the last few months Intel’s strategy of forcing Apple to use its GPUs instead of superior ones from NVIDIA or ATI (part of AMD) has undoubtedly stopped Apple releasing updates to its MacBook Air, and ruffled feathers inside the tech. company.

AMD make some pretty capable equivalents to Intel’s Desktop CPUs, as well as obviously allowing third party GPUs (like their own from ATI) to be part of a computer makers solutions.

It could be that Apple are giving AMD a try out on their Apple TV ‘hobby’, with a view to bigger things in the future…

The irony in all this is that Fusion is exactly the architecture design for CPU / GPU integrated silicon that Intel are forcing on their customers today. And similar to their not very mobile, super power hungry Atom processors.

The difference is that AMDs CPUs are significantly closer to Intels CPU in performance than Intel’s graphics cores are to anything AMD (ATI) or NVIDIA make.

Does the new Apple TV interest you? Let us know your feelings in the comments…

[DigiTimes]

  • Anonymous

    As I said… “The difference is that AMDs CPUs are significantly closer to Intels CPU in performance than Intel’s graphics cores are to anything AMD (ATI) or NVIDIA make.”

    My irony comment simply refers to the fact that both (in fact most) chip manufacturers are working toward various ways of mating CPU and GPU cores. Simple as that. Which is the case. Be it mobile or desktop, that is the way the tide is flowing at the moment.

    Comparing Fusion and Atom and even other ARM based SoCs is difficult as they all have different performance characteristics. But at the end of the day manufacturers are all trying to squeeze them into everything – beit low power or high power. So they made the comparison happen, not me.

    How is a dual core x86 with a GPU on the side “light years” ahead of any of the Core i series? Sounds pretty similar to me.

    The thing is I agree with you to some degree. Intel’s IGPs are terrible.
    But the problem is Intel forcing people to use them, not their CPUs or the design of the i series.

  • RAV555

    Irony???? “The irony in all this is that Fusion is exactly the architecture design for CPU / GPU integrated silicon that Intel are forcing on their customers today. And similar to their not very mobile, super power hungry Atom processors.” NOT.

    IT IS NOT SIMILAR TO ATOM. FUSION ARCHITECTURE CRUSHES ATOM AND EVRYTHING ELSE THAT INTEL CURRENTLY HAS.

    The AMD Architecture simply is a dual core x86 cpu couple with and on-die ATI based gpu, with Directx 11. This is light years beyond any Intel offering. It is thoroughly dissimilar from ATOM so much so that I seriously doubt that Mr. Northcott is even aware of the differences. Fusion is NOT a low power cpu, it is NEXT GENERATION, high permance desktop and workstation APU that with low power cores is PERFECT for laptops and iPAD.