Sunday, November 13th 2011
AMD FM1 and FM2 Packages Pictured Side-by-Side, Incompatible
Here is the first picture of AMD accelerated processing units in the existing FM1 package and future FM2 package on which the next-generation Trinity APU will be based on. Both packages are very similar, follow AMD's favourite yet archaic PGA design. The pins are physically arranged in a mostly similar fashion, though we don't have a pin map at hand. The difference comes with some of the blanked pins in the sub-central portion of the pin array. The FM2 package has 904 pins, compared to 905 on FM1. One pin is blanked, while a pair of blanked pins are arranged further away from the central cutout.
This makes FM1 and FM2 clearly incompatible. Neither will you be able to use today's A-Series APUs in the FM1 package on future socket FM2 motherboards, nor will you be able to run future FM2 APUs on today's FM1 motherboards. Yet, AMD will port the A75 FCH chipset to the next-generation "Virgo" platform. The FCH or Fusion Controller Hub, like Intel's PCH (Platform Controller Hub), is not much more than a glorified southbridge, and is portable between Fusion platforms as it's essentially a PCI-Express 2.0 x4 device. In the picture below, "Llano" FM1 APU is on the left, and "Trinity" FM2 on the right.
Source:
ChipHell
This makes FM1 and FM2 clearly incompatible. Neither will you be able to use today's A-Series APUs in the FM1 package on future socket FM2 motherboards, nor will you be able to run future FM2 APUs on today's FM1 motherboards. Yet, AMD will port the A75 FCH chipset to the next-generation "Virgo" platform. The FCH or Fusion Controller Hub, like Intel's PCH (Platform Controller Hub), is not much more than a glorified southbridge, and is portable between Fusion platforms as it's essentially a PCI-Express 2.0 x4 device. In the picture below, "Llano" FM1 APU is on the left, and "Trinity" FM2 on the right.
30 Comments on AMD FM1 and FM2 Packages Pictured Side-by-Side, Incompatible
On second thought, I might still get that Athlon because I have no idea how much better is Bulldozer going to perform on FM2/win8.
Also, don't forget the A85X FCH which should launch alongside the FM2 APUs
And yes it makes sense these to be incompatible, there are going to be changes in the new APUs force AMD to make them incompatible, so ppl don't start to make experiments and end up with dead CPUs or MBs and then go QQ to AMD :D
as long as its faster than FM1, everyone is happy.
HTPC and extreme budget system territory, like FM1.
+1 to the PGA ZIF is NOT archaic argument. There is nothing wrong with it.
AMD has LGA1207 and LGA1974 (G32), which are both LGA, Opteron processors use them.
So the debate between PGA and LGA cannot be reduced to Intel vs. AMD by angry AMD fankids. PGA is archaic whichever way you look at it. It poses pin-density limitations, in turn pin-count limitations if you don't want to enlarge your package dimensions like no tomorrow.
If AMD wants more pins, for more memory channels, more PCIe lanes from the CPU, or simply more HyperTransport links, the transition to LGA is inevitable. Opteron products already made that switch five years ago.
The problem is both CPU's are targeted to different segmentation, Bulldozer is a high-end with high power and normally big packaging, and Trinity ( or what ever comes later ) is mid-end with medium power + the video things...
having a small CPU package on large CPU socket will result in excessive physical stress on both an might damage the socket, unless it was designed for such purpose !!