AMD launches TurboDock technology for better Windows 8 hybrid performance

By Meghan McDonough Published February 27, 2013

amd-turbo-dock_dt — Image used with permission by copyright holder

There’s a war brewing within Windows 8 hybrid computers: performance vs. battery life. Everyone expects a brand new computer to run through tasks quickly and perform as fast as an Olympic sprinter. But at the same time, we want that same computer to have the endurance of an Ironman triathlete. Is it possible to have both performance and endurance in one portable system? According to SlashGear, chip maker AMD thinks so and has the technology to do it. AMD recently announced its new TurboDock technology which prioritizes performance over battery life when a hybrid slate is docked, but does the opposite when the slate is removed from the dock. The technology is set to make its debut along with AMD’s new low-power system-on-a-chip at Mobile World Congress.

The TurboDock technology will make its debut this year on AMD’s ultra-low power Temash system-on-a-chip (SoC), which combines the CPU and AMD’s Radeon HD graphics processor. Meant for Windows 8 hybrids, TurboDock promises 40 percent better processing and graphics performance when docked. Plus, the technology is constantly adjusting processing power depending on what the user is doing on the hybrid. So if you’re watching a YouTube video on the slate, there will be less of a power drain than if you were trying to edit a photo.

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AMD says the Temash SoC will be available in dual-core and quad-core versions and will offer five times the processing prowess of Intel’s Atom processor for tablets, though we’ll want to test that claim.

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AMD hasn’t specified if the TurboDock technology will be included on their low-power Temash systems at launch, but the company has confirmed that it will make its debut this year. Likewise, no manufacturers have been announced as partners, but we can expect that announcement to come closer to the actual launch of the technology. Battery life is an ever present concern with portables and its exciting to see AMD tackle it in a unique way that doesn’t sacrifice performance. Stay tuned.

Images via Monitor.si

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Meghan McDonough

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Meghan J. McDonough is a Chicago-based purveyor of consumer technology and music. She previously wrote for LAPTOP Magazine…

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