4AMD_chart.pngWhat is one way to save an aging hardware product? Add more juice to it!

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NYSE:AMD) are launching new iterations of their Athlon II and Sempron CPUs, updating them to Trinity FM2 architecture. The new processors will expand on supported instructions compared to their previous versions.

What may come as surprising news is the choice to keep the Sempron brand alive at all, as it was rumored that AMD plan to lay it off permanently. New Semprons will come not only in dual but also in quad core packages – a first for the brand. At the moment Semprons still use a dated core that is not compatible with socket FM2.

Both the Athlon II and Sempron Trinity chips will not have integrated GPUs. This is a bit of a potential hindrance for AMD as the Semprons are targeting the lower-end users looking to buy an inexpensive, even if not a downright cheap system.

The lack of integrated GPU features means going out and shelling some more money on a slotted graphics card. While mid-range GPUs have become a lot more accessible over the years, it is still an additional investment. Part of the selling point of Trinity seems to be the integrated GPU that still yields reasonable performance and if both updated CPUs lack that, AMD’s decision is indeed a little strange.

3AMD_logo.jpgAMD’s stock has been struggling lately, with computer and graphics solution revenue slumping respectively 7% and 4% down, as reported in their second quarter 10-Q and rating firms changing their outlook on the company’s future for the worse.

Even if things are not looking amazing, no final verdict can really be made regarding the new chips. At least not before reviewers have had a chance to put the souped-up hardware through its paces.