Understanding AMD “Richland” A-Series APU for Desktop with Radeon HD 8000 Graphics
AMD Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) is AMD’s system-on-chip solution for consumer market. Introduced in 2011, AMD APU has been used in various devices, such as desktop PC, notebook, tablet, server, embedded devices, as well as latest Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One.
AMD A-series APUs combine AMD “Piledriver†CPU architecture with AMD Radeon HD 8000 Series graphics on the FM2 motherboard infrastructure. These APUs support existing A85X, A75, and A55 platforms as well as forward compatibility with FM2+ motherboards.
With CPU and Graphic processor in a chip, you do not need to spend money on graphic card but still can enjoy smooth 3D gaming experience.
The following table shows the A-Series Desktop APUs available in Malaysia:
[table caption=”AMD Elite A-Series Desktop APUs” colalign=”center|center|center|center|center|center|center|center|center|center”]
APU Models, CPU Cores, CPU Clock (Base/Turbo), L2 Cache, GPU Model, GPU Cores, GPU Clock, Memory Support, TDP
A10–6800K, 4, 4.1 GHz / 4.4 GHz, 2x 2 MB, HD 8670D, 384, 844 MHz, DDR3–2133, 100 W
A10–6700, 4, 3.7 GHz / 4.3 GHz, 2x 2 MB, HD 8670D, 384, 844 MHz, DDR3–1866, 65 W
A8–6600K, 4, 3.9 GHz / 4.2 GHz, 2x 2 MB, HD 8570D, 256, 844 MHz, DDR3–1866, 100 W
A8–6500, 4, 3.5 GHz / 4.1 GHz, 2x 2 MB, HD 8570D, 256, 800 MHz, DDR3–1866, 65 W
[/table]
AMD APU A6 and A4 series are not included in the table. They are dual-core CPU with 1MB L2 cache.
Features
Some of the highlighted features are:
- Smart Turbo Core technology allows you using software to adjust CPU and GPU clock speed (overclock).
- AMD Eyefinity Technology enable panoramic gaming and entertainment across up to 4 monitors (1080P).
- AMD Radeon Dual Graphics enable multiple graphics processors to work together for even better graphics quality and performance. You can pair A-Series APU with a Radeon Graphics cards for almost double performance. The table below shows the AMD recommended pairings:
And, some A-Series APU only software features:
http://youtu.be/N4–7bBywUSk
- AMD Gesture Control – control your computer with a wave of your wrist.
- AMD Face Login – facial recognition software to login websites without typing password.
- AMD Screen Mirror – share your photos and videos across multiple screens in your home network using DLNA.
AMD A-Series APUs are available from local computer retailers. Visit AMD for more information.
Event Photos:Â AMD A-Series Elite APU Product Privilege Preview
What do you think about AMD A-Series APU? Will you buy it for your next PC system? Why? Tell us in the comment.