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At present Advanced Micro Devices, just like Intel Corp., has two desktop platforms: socket FM2+ for mainstream accelerated processing units and socket AM3+ for high-end FX central processing units. When AMD introduces its new chips in 2016, the company will unify the two platforms, a media report claims.
AMD’s forthcoming code-named “Bristol Ridge” and “Summit Ridge” products will use socket FM3 platforms, according to SweClockers. Mainboards with the FM3 sockets will utilize DDR4 memory, but will sport an unknown number of channels. Other peculiarities of the platform remain unknown, but given the fact that they will support both FX-series and A-series processors, expect their feature-set to be flexible.
AMD’s “Bristol Ridge” APUs will feature four code-named “Excavator” cores, a Radeon graphics engine based on the GCN 1.2 or more advanced architecture and 95W thermal design power. The chip will be similar to this year’s “Carrizo”, but will be optimized for operation at high clock-rates. The APUs will be made using 28nm fabrication process.
By contrast, AMD’s “Summit Ridge” central processing units will sport up to eight next-generation “Zen” high-performance x86 cores, L3 cache and up to 95W thermal design power. The CPUs will be manufactured using 14nm manufacturing technology.
The “Bristol Ridge”, “Summit Ridge” processors as well as the FM3 mainboards will become available in the third quarter of 2016, more than 1.5 years from now. The new platforms will use I/O controllers code-named “Promontory”, which are rumoured to be developed by Asmedia.
The unification of the platforms has both pros and cons. On the one hand, it means that mainboard makers will not have to support two types of motherboards for AMD processors. On the other hand, it means that AMD will be unable to incorporate any exclusive features into its high-end platforms. For example, Intel’s high-end desktop (HEDT) processors integrate quad-channel memory controller and feature up to 140W of thermal design power, which allows the company to offer CPUs with unprecedented performance. Moreover, Intel's X99 platform offers considerably better I/O feature configuration than Intel's Z97 chipset.
AMD did not comment on the news-story.
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KitGuru Says: Looks like either AMD is extremely confident of its Zen architecture and it believes that it will be able to address all markets with 95W parts and mainstream platform capabilities, or it simply has no plans to address the market of high-end PCs even with its next-gen offerings.
This is good for people who wants to upgrade their apu to the FX series whenever they want.
AMD just lost itself…. APU Sucks… FX is mediocre!… Radeon is loosing grown… Come on AMD!!.. where are the people with good ideas in your company??… until they don’t make a processor with the power of FX 6300 and a igp with the power of R7 260x (at lease) there’s no reason to lose money in a crap like APU…
95W TDP is enough for consumer market. Allowing AMD to compete with I7 desktop parts. Whether they will or will not support enthusiast market or better say extreme i’ll just say that we cannot know at this point. Maybe AM3 will be used for consumer and somenthing else for extreme.
If this unification will result in FX processors having a weak IGP just to get the job done (like intel), I’d be grateful.
AMD should have done this long time ago it saves cost and make oem more willing to take on Amd chips. Quad channel ram is not needed as it is high cost once you go past dual channel ram for the end user and we are talking about a lower cost through using Amd instead of intel based system.
I think they should make the APU like limited time-only/edition/number, since many people gradually want the FX series, to save on manufacturing costs. It’s a shame to leave customers in the dust, for those with their FM2+ without leaving one last new processor for it as the platform’s parting gift. They only made like 1 cpu for the FM2+, c’mon… ._.
Dude, APU’s are perfect for budget gaming. The A10 7850k is only 160€ and it’s just fine for playing even BF4.
Maybe not in the CPU, but on the northbridge, like with older CPU’s
They fired them all.
Oh come on Anton,there is nothing at all stating FM3 will be limited to 95w…that’s just ludicrous.Bristol ridge will target 95w,probably Summit Ridge too,but there is no reason why there will not be enthusiast grade motherboards with higher TDP ratings for overclocking.14nm should enable very high stock performance @ 95w.
I m a gamer… I will NEVER buy an APU for that!…weak CPU… weak graphics… “budget gamers” Dont do APU!… I prefer a thousand times save a little more money for an intel cpu and a discrete graphic card.
Thing is, AMD has a long way to go before they can compete with Intel. I’ve owned 3 AMD cpu’s and a 2700k and sofar, overall the FX series doesn’t even touch a 2700k.
AMD seems to have ran out of Idea’s to keep up with Intel, that’s why APU’s have been introduced. On the Side of APU’s they make for a good Media Centre on a budget, however if AMD wants to hit the winning streak they’ll have to do alot of testing and thinking to get on par with something like a 4770k, once this happens alot of AMD’s old CPU fans will come back.
I just hope for AMD’s sake that they do come up with some great idea’s because it’s about time they started to shine once again.
Everything in your comment is correc accepet that it seems that they run out of ideas. AMD is company tha is full of them but does not have money to do it. When thex chose to CMT insted of SMT it was deliberately but the had been late in peoduction and intel was far gone. But yes, if AMD does not deliver high performance chip with nice performance they are doomed.
its actually surprising how good an apu is if you have used one they are much faster than what the benchmarks say they are.. in some things apu will dominate in other things a CPU with Discrete graphics will dominate but in games apu’s feel like super smooth amost like the game is in fast forward its weird i know someone with A8 apu with the 980gtx and guess what they get as many frames as someone on an intel rig 4790k with a 980gtx so yeah don’t be saying its bad i run 8350amd at 4.8ghz with the 980 and i got to say the apu does a really really good job in some cases (some) it beats 4790k… for gaming its great for loading other things not always the best but it does the job
I dont understand.. you have an 8350, that’s NOT an APU!!… and what???… 8350 will NEVER beat a 4790k.. only in your dreams!…
APU is just a lousy marketing strategy aiming mainstream/value market… you must turn off all graphics effects, put settings to mid-low and maybe you can play smooth with an apu..
I have 20 years in the IT bussiness… (and gaming)…
Q3 2016 and AMD will still be introducing 28nm parts? That’s depressing. Intel will have been getting 4 transistors to every one of AMD’s for 18 months+ by then, and they’ll probably be close to moving down again to get even more. AMD is starting to look like a third world chip maker.
*sigh* An APU costs a whole lot less than a CPU and a GPU. If someone just wants to play LoL, Dota 2, CS:GO or stuff like that, APU will do just fine. I have a female friend who uses a Linux PC with an APU and can play all her games on it just fine.
Here we have a wild fanboy in it’s natural habitat.
Even if my 8320 doesn’t beat an Intel 4790k, i don’t care. It’s a budget processor that does just what i need. If the next line of AMD CPU’s allows easier upgrading to a better processor without a motherboard swap, hey that’s good for the gamers.
Nobody Say nothing against FX… i m talking about APU.. APU SUCKS dude!… , and if you compare FX against Intel Core… FX Sucks… and That’s it (of course i have all the technical data to say this… but i wont post here.. just google it)
*sigh*.. Linux … female friend… … …. …. yeah… synonyms of gamer…
Gamer: Someone who enjoys playing video games as a hobby.
Does it really matter though? If you have a chip that works and does the computing you need better than the previous generation, then, yeah, does it really matter?
dude, all Intel mainstream desktop parts are technically APUs (just not marketed that way, they have integrated graphics that are FAR WORSE than AMD) no one is FORCING you to buy an APU only system, almost all APU systems are upgradeable, the APU will be great to use as a side GPU compute unit to assist the CPU and dedicated GPU, it is more than enough for the mainstream needs, because hardly anybody really needs 8 cores and high end graphics, the graphics of an APU are good enough for basic needs, and even some games.
That’s why i said INTEL + DISCRETE… Intel HD graphics sucks worst than AMD APU.. I agree on that… I never said anything good about IGP of intel… but…
I m about to assamble a PC for a client… i m having hard time selecting an “upgradable APU” for budget gaming… due to APU’s weak core performance (for after the upgrade)
In my country… i have this options in the same price range:
CPU AMD APU A6-6400K 3.9GHZ 2MB FM2
or
CPU
G3220 DUALCORE 3.0HZ 3MB 1150
CPU
I3-4150 3.50GHZ 3M S1150
or
CPU AMD APU
A10-6800K 4.1GHZ 2MB FM2
After a while, the client is going to add a discrete card… (maybe a GTX960)Which ones would you choose?
Modern CPU/APUs has the Northbridge integrated, is not in the motherboard anymore (except the “old” AM3+). With this new socket, even the southbridge is going to be integrated into the CPU.
It would be better for HSA adoption if they included full HSA compliant GPUs in all their products.
They could have two lines, one CPU focused (8 cores – 128/256SP) and other GPU focused (4 cores 768/1280SP).
I don’t think the power consumption of AMD chips is what was keeping OEMs away from them. I think it was Intel being assholes.
that’s the main point i think people are missing out on.IT DOES THE JOB .when your using the CPU you hardly realize its supposedly inferior to lintels CPU’s because it gets you through whatever you through at it.to be honest its only in benchmarks that’s that you start to see differences but at what cost ??? Thats why i always go for amd because they give games what they pay for simple .
I think it’s great that AMD is pushing so much into the integrated graphics market. What I don’t get is why there is so much hostility toward them. For people that are so worried about manufacturing size and efficiency, they sure miss the point of having a “one-chip” system that uses 130w as opposed to a divided solution that costs more, has separate cpu/gpu, will use about 300w-500w, and all housed in a case that has to fit a graphics card that is 10″ long. I don’t think many of the people that claim “APU’s SUCK” have ever really seen one in person. AMD has been going through a rough time lately, but i think new leadership has laid out a path to bring them back up. It may take a couple of years though. Why focus on CPU when we already don’t use what we have? Does your GPU bottleneck it? good thing low level API’s are coming out like Mantle and D3D12 to share the load with GPUs, where most of the major advancements have been made and continue to be made.
I get it if your an “Enthusiast” Gamer (i.e. 3 screen 4K Ultra settings), than an apu is not for you…yet…
but for anyone who wants a simple, powerful, small system that will run most games with correct settings, take a look at the Subaru WRX of processors.
Ho cares about the “#nm” for save 20W and spend 1500W in your coffe machine? loool
Back in time to 478 socket the AMD 939 is far away beter than intel, and intel have less “nm”, in 775 socket gen AMD phenom beat intel once more, with more “nm” and in intel 1156 socket gen AMD phenom 2 beat intel once more, in single core performance, and muticore with more “nm” than intel. AMD beat first i5 so hard than 1156 last only for 1.5 year. in fact Intel build 3 platforms for I5 and only get a good performance in 1150 socket haswell CPU, and launch these platform near the end of these gen, so late that is stupid upgrade a machine wen DDR4 is near to be te new standard, for the new AMD FM3 socket with full suport for DDR4 and for FX and APU CPU, or Intel socket 1151 Skylake-S DDR4 platform.
Compare a 370€ CPU with a FX 150€ CPU -.-
FX8350 passmark score — 9,134 /// single core — 1.525
I7 2700k passmark score — 8,930 /// single core — 2.003
FX can beat I7 in mutitasking not so impresive for a 2X the cost ….
ho cares about high performance… the mout part of the sales is in I3 and I5 lever, AMD only need to beat Intel in that lever to get high profits
If not users than AMD. Whole picture of the company depends on that. AMD needs to atleast match the performance of intels highend chips to gain some reputation on that field.
Lets not forget the 1 year gap between both processors, and alot of people use intel for their Single core performance aswell..
Highly anticipating the Zen architechture. If AMD pulls this off, I will definitely be getting one.
nothing amd has beats a i5-4690k at gaming so to say an apu does is rediculous when the #amd9590chokesonitselftoo
1 comment i5-4690k $239 azrock z97 anniversary mother board $89.total =$328
Amd fx8350 175$ Gigabyte GA-990fx ud5 Mother board $119. total = $294
Conclusion: spend another $34 on something that will not bottleneck a gpu in the next 10 years
they can beat intel at multitasking but for how much longer? dx12 is supposed to solve all multitasking issues
who cares who beats who really. The fx series performs the same as current gen intel, literally in games i’ve seen at most an 8fps gain on intels side. Games that use more core tend to work better at stable fps and the minimums are higher for fx, but its rare. Most of the time the fx keeps up with even i7. In this generation im not sure if you know or not, it’s more about gpu now. As long as you have a quad and its not some am2 or 775 build you got about 5+ years left maybe more. Now its more about gpu power than anything, especially with dx 12 gaming around the corner. I have an fx 8300 at stock speed, well, 3.8 instead of 3.5 or w/e it is and i perform as well as my friend and his 2500k overclocked, same fps on about everything if not better by 3 or so at the most. The fx is a solid cpu, and when it hits am4 hopefully with the new architecture we’ll see fx leap in front again. Intel has released new sockets, new cpus and so on, but for what? They perform the same as their earlier versions. Intel is wasting money at this point. Fx does fail in the single core department due to the way their module design works sharing resources, and as for the earlier comments i read.. Their apu line up is pretty damn good. Benchmarks put the athlon 870k which is an fm2+ chip without the gpu die, it ranks at i5 2500’s level. non-k. If you ask me, a chip that costs 70$ for that performance is well worth it. My wife has one i put in her pc, maxed out bf4 60+, and quite a few others. Their apu line isn’t bad, the a10 series i had in a laptop would play everything i threw at it at a stable fps around 30 or so, no less than 20s, but playable. keep in mind that it was a laptop though. Anyway, its a smart move to go with fm2+ or am3+ til this day if you’re on a budget, it’s why amd hasn’t created a new platform til next year. Their socket has lasted this long and still keeps up! I know from experience and ownership how it works. I’m not a fanboy of either side either. Just facts really that im stating. Now when dx 12 games do hit the market, we’ll see fx pick up quite a bit, i already see a performance boost in windows 10 with mine in general.
I’d just like to point out that in the long run APU’s will out live dedicated graphics and CPU style PC’s. As the components get smaller, performance and throughput will gain significant ground. Also in terms of data transfer and latency, as the GPU is built into the CPU with integrated busses, it has less distance to travel and as such processing that data will be near instantaneous. On the whole, I’m a fan of new ways of doing the old stuff, I personally think in a couple of years you’ll have an APU that will out perform a standard CPU – GPU setup.
Amd in both cases. I3 is only dual core. The A6 and A10 are both quad. A few years ago or with old games the i3 may have been a better pick, but now games are pretty good at using up to 4 cores.
Single core performance still rules gaming… and dont forget that i3 has HT… … the APUs cores are so weak that will bottleneck whatever upgrade
Completely disagree. Ht does nothing for performance as they are not a core at all. And games are no longer bound by single core performance. Most games are now optimized for up to 4 cores. And I have a room full of a10 computers with dedicated GPUs to prove it.
pff… you can’t prove it since you dont have one i3 with dedicated to compare with… A10-7850k performance is similar to FX6300.. which is similar to an i3… BUT.. i3 is better performer in gaming… (ht helps when it comes with 2 cores, not 4)..since games STILL are bound to single core performance… i’m a developer.. i know what i m talking about.. AMD is stuck!!… and on top of that.. in my country… a10-7850k = usd 250 against i3 = usd 200…
You are right. I dont have an I3. I own a gaming center with over a dozen systems. some running A10s, Some running 3770’s, and even one running a 4770k. anything remotely modern uses up to 4 cores. using up to 8 is a rarity. And the quad core a10 with the same vid card as a system running a 3770 does not come up much slower. And if you are a developer and cant seem to make your code more multi-core useful you have a sad road ahead as even intel is starting to stuff more cores into their cpus. Also, just for funzies, your I3 is an APU also. In fact all intel non-server cpus are now. They just dont use the term.
All it says is they will use the saem socket. It says nothing about chipsets being unified or max TDP, memory controllers etc. This has happened before with the same socket not supporting all processors with that pinout.
Guess you scurred him 😛