An intro to AMD FM2 platform
The FM2 platform from AMD consists of a new socket and 3 new chipset and a lineup of 6 processor till now.Lets have a look at the line up and the specifications in general:
Processor Specifications:
| MANUFACTURER | AMD |
|---|---|
| Tech/package | 32 nm, FM2 socket |
| TDP: | 65W and 100W |
| PROCESSOR | “Piledriver” 32nm HKMG process core (up to 4 cores), up to 128 KB L1 Cache (64 KB Instruction, 64 KB Data) Up to 4 MB L2, 2 x 128-bit FPUs / compute module |
| MEMORY | Up to DDR3 1866 @ 1.5V |
| GRAPHICS | Up to 384 VLIW 4 Radeon Cores 2.0, DirectX 11 capable, UVD3, VCE , |
| POWER MANAGEMENT | Multiple low-power states 32-nm process for decreased power consumption System Management Mode (SMM) ACPI-compliant, including support for processor performance states (P-states), processor power states (C-states), and sleep states including S0, S3, S4, and S5 Per compute module power gating (CC6) PCIe core power gating PCIe speed power policy GPU power gating of Radeon Cores and video decode (UVD3) AMD Turbo Core 3.0 technology |
In terms of chip sets we have 3 varieties here:
A55
It has SATA 3 Gb/s support, and supports a single VGA slot. The AMD A55 is clearly for complete low end machines like thin clients and office machines.
A75
it offers SATA 6Gb/s support (six native ports total), adds FIS-based switching for those SATA ports, and has native USB 3.0 support. The AMD A75 is for mainstream guys who wants connectivity options
A85X
The AMD A85X supports eight total SATA 6 Gb/s ports with FIS-based switching, and adds in CrossfireX support. The new AMD A85X is targeted at gamers and enthusiasts favorably paired with unlocked K series APU’s.
So we are looking at an affordable platform with lots of connectivity option fit for light gaming and HTPC usage. Lets have a look at the motherboard we have on the bench,turn over please
