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APU, GPU, WTF? A GUIDE TO AMDS DESKTOP

PROCESSOR LINE-UP
By Michael Crider July 22, 2015

AMDs line of desktop processors isnt all that straightforward. There are five current
product lines split across two categories, powering everything from tiny Mini-ITX small
form factor PCs to high-end gaming machines. Naturally, different individual processors
are separated by price and performance. Heres a broad breakdown of the companys
main lines.

APU versus CPU

AMDs acquisition of graphics card manufacturer ATI in 2006 boosted the companys
ability to produce and innovate in graphics hardware. As a result, AMD offers three unique
lines of APUs, or Accelerated Processing Units. These designs combine a CPU and GPU
onto the same chip, so motherboards with an APU design dont need integrated graphics
(like Intels soldered-on GPU options) or discrete graphics (via a conventional graphics
card).

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APUs tend to be the less expensive options in AMDs lineup, often intended for smaller and
more energy-efficient machines. The company still offers two lines of traditional CPUs,
and these chips require external graphics solutions. AMD CPUs are a better option for
system builders who intend to create a conventional workstation or dedicated gaming PC.

Related: Whats an APU, and should you buy one for your PC?

Sempron APUs
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The Sempron line of APUs is AMDs cheapest option for desktop computers. At the time of
writing only two Sempron APU models are sold, the 2650 and 3850. The 2650 is the low-
end option, with a dual-core design clocked at 1.45GHz, a 400MHz integrated GPU, and
1MB of L2 cache. The quad-core 3850 runs at 1.3GHz, with a slightly boosted GPU of
450MHz and 2MB of cache. It also supports slightly faster 1600MHz RAM. Both chips use
the AM1 socket design and 128-memory core GPU architecture, and can be purchased
for less than $30.
Youll find these chips a good option if youre building a very basic, low-cost system, or a
system that doesnt require much direct user interaction (like a home file server).

Athlon APUs

AMD

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AMDs mid-range APU lineup gets the Athlon product line name. These chips use faster
quad-core processors and zippier GPU clock speeds, but dont offer a dramatic boost over
the Sempron line. The Athlon 5150 runs at 1.6GHz, while the Athlon 5350 runs at 2.05GHz,
but otherwise these AM1 socket chips are identical, with 2MB of L2 cache, 600MHz 128
GPU memory cores, and support for RAM at speeds of up to 1600MHz. Athlon APUs retail
for under $50.

Athlons are a solid choice for a cheap, general-purpose computer.

A-series APUs

AMD
The top of the line of AMDs integrated chips is the A-series. About two dozen variations of
the A-series are currently sold, with CPU cores ranging from two to four and GPU cores
from two to eight the highest-end A-series APU is technically a 12-core monster with 4
dedicated CPU cores and 8 dedicated GPU cores. All of them run at significantly higher
wattages than the 25W Sempron and Athlon line, ranging from 45-100 watts (making them
much heavier hitters on your power bill). Clock speeds for the CPU cores go as high as
4.1GHz for the top model A10-7870K chip with a maximum of 4MB of L2 cache, and GPU
clock speeds range from 433MHz to 866MHz. Maximum supported RAM speed varies from
1600MHz all the way to 2133MHz.

The line is broadly separated into A4, A6, A8, and A10 chips, increasing in CPU power,
GPU features, and price as you go up. Prices for the slowest A4 chips can be below $50,
while the top of the line A10 sells for more than $150. A-series APUs require a FM2 or
FM2+ CPU socket.

An A-Series is a good choice if you want a reasonably powerful, yet affordable system,
with modest gaming capability. These APUs cant handle the latest games at high detail
settings, but they can play most titles at low-to-medium detail and 1080p resolution.

Athlon CPUs
 AMD

Athlon CPUs (not to be confused with the APUs above) offer a good price to performance
ratio for computer builders who want to create standard work or gaming machines,
especially when compared to their more expensive counterparts from Intel. The Athlon
series comes in dual-core and quad-core variations, labeled Athlon X2 (1MB of L2 cache)
and Athlon X4 (4MB of L2 cache). CPU speeds range from 3.6GHz to 4.1GHz, and at the
moment a a variety of architectures and wattages are represented. The cheapest Athlon
X2 can be had for around $50, while the most expensive X4 costs about $75. Both use the
FM2+ CPU socket, and some are backwards-compatible with the original FM2.
These chips are a good choice for mid-range systems and budget gaming systems if a
discrete graphics card is already available. Theyre not a good choice for high-end
gaming, however, as they simply dont offer the CPU performance the most demanding
games require.

FX CPUs

AMD
AMDs 8-core FX series are the fastest and most powerful offered by the company. All of
the current chips run at high wattage (95-220 watts) on the AM3+ socket, with speeds
ranging from 3.6GHz for the FX 4100 to a blistering 5GHz for the FX 9590. L2 cache
ranges from 4MB to 8MB. At the time of writing all FX CPUs use the slightly older 32nm
architecture and the maximum DDR3 speed is 1866MHz DDR4 is not supported as of the
FX-8 generation.

FX processors are, naturally, the most expensive in AMDs lineup. The cheapest current
models start at around the $110 mark, with the most expensive cracking the $300 level from
some retailers. Note that this is still considerably less expensive than Intels top processor
options.

No FX processor can match even Intels mid-range, quad-core processors in the majority
of scenarios. However, the easy overclocking these chips offer can make them appealing
to hardcore enthusiasts. They also excel in a limited number of workloads that take
advantage of multiple processing threads. If you dont already know what those workloads
might be, though, youre better off with a quad.

Related: AMD announces worlds first 5GHz processor at E3

Older product lines

Please note that older AMD CPU lines, like the Sempron and Phenom II series, have been
left off of this list as they are no longer sold at most computer retailers. If youd like to
compare AMD APU and CPU chips directly across product lines and ranges, the company
offers a master list of all its chips on its website.
Also watch: Asus ROG GX700 Hands On

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