One week after AMD introduced its second-generation A-Series APUs for desktops, the company is at it yet again with an all-new Z-Series processor.
The Z-60 is the company's "latest entry in the performance and small form factor PC market," the company said in a press release, and supports the latest Windows 8 apps and user interfaces.
Not to be forgotten, it's also compatible with Windows 7 and the full-suite of legacy Windows applications.
It's the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company's lowest powered APU yet, capable of delivering power and performance to devices as thin as 10 millimeters.
Coming soon to a Windows 8 device near you
AMD said the Z-60 is expected to get its global kick off this year as Windows 8 becomes available.
While it's certainly capable, AMD said this particular processor is meant to fill a void in the market.
"Tablet users seeking an uncompromised experience for both creating and consuming content on the Microsoft Windows 8 platform now have a performance-driven, affordable option with the AMD Z-60 APU," said Steve Belt, corporate vice president of Ultra-Low Power Products, AMD.
"We see a large gap between the lower performance and high-price competitive offerings that allow AMD to be in tablet designs that will please our customers and end users alike."
From A to Z
Talk is one thing, but what does the Z-6- bring to the table?
According to AMD, the Z-60's designed to enhance the tablet experience, providing fast boot and resume from sleep times plus eight hours of battery life while browsing the net.
Clocked at 1 GHz, the chip has two CPU cores and 80 AMD Radeon cores.
HD video playback takes two hours off battery life, though the Radeon graphics on the chip, with full HD 1080p support more than make up for any lost power time.
It also supports HDMI output and provides solid gaming performance with Microsoft Direct X 11 capability.
As with other AMD APU-packing tablets, those with the Z-60 allows for AMD AppZone access.
