With features such as a unified CPU/GPU chip offering reduced power consumption and lower cost on the horizon, AMD may be poised to make a splash with their new [i]Fusion[/i] project. In addition to the obvious benefits to laptop design, a unified chip with robust graphics capabilities built in might assuage the fears of corporate customers who are wary of [i]Vista’s[/i] increased graphics demands. Could Microsoft be another big winner in this strategy?

Chipmakers AMD and Intel are locked in a fight to the death, but will AMD’s acquisition of ATI, longstanding maker of high-performance graphics chips, give it an edge?

The answer, according to experts at some of the largest research firms, is maybe — with a promising outlook for AMD.

Perhaps most promising is AMD’s Fusion program, which will combine AMD’s CPUs with ATI’s GPUs (graphics processing units) in a single, unified processor.

Fusion products are expected to debut in late 2007 or early 2008, according to AMD.

Source: NewsFactor Network