Friday, October 26th 2018

AMD Quietly Releases New A8-7680 Carrizo APU For Socket FM2+

Oct 26th, 2018 20:50 Discuss (52 Comments)

In what will likely seem baffling to many, AMD is releasing a new APU for their ancient FM2+ socket. While the release of the newly minted A8-7680 was alluded to previously via an ASRock BIOS update for their A68H motherboards, many considered it a fake at the time. However, with AMD's own literature listing the processor for the mass market, along with it popping up at various etailers with the product number AD7680ACABBOX, its release is now all but certain.

The processor is still being manufactured on the old 28 nm node and is very similar to the older A8-7600, with this speculated to also being a quad-core design based on the AMD Excavator architecture. It would appear the main difference between the two, noting that the A8-7680 specs are not formally released yet, is a 400 MHz increase on the base clock bringing it up from 3.1 GHz on the A8-7600 to 3.5 GHz on the A8-7680. Sadly, the boost clock remains the same at 3.8 GHz as noted at various etailers. Currently, only the A68 chipset works with the new CPU with the following boards having all received BIOS updates adding support for the A8-7680: Asus A68HM-K, A68HM-Plus, Gigabyte F2A68HM-DS2 rev1.1, F2A68HM-H rev1.1, F2A68HM-S1 rev1.1, MSI A68HM-E33-v2, ASRock FM2A68M-HD+, and FM2A68M-DG3+.

The rumored specifications follow.

Speculated A8-7680 APU Specifications:

4C/4T
Base: 3.5 GHz, Boost: 3.8 GHz
Unlocked
Radeon R7 GPU: 1029 Mhz
DDR3 2133
TDP 45 W
28nm node
Socket FM2+, A68 chipset

Sources: AMD, Reddit

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52 Comments on AMD Quietly Releases New A8-7680 Carrizo APU For Socket FM2+

#26

Unregistered

jpvalverde85APU Overdrive. I like it! :D

The real question is performance.

#27

Basard

eidairaman1FM2+ only.

I was just hoping for a 3rd (or would it have been 4th) refresh on the FX.

#28

lexluthermiester

yakkWhoa, I can only see this as AMD supporting specific commercial clients (under contract?) who built their products based on FM2+

That's the most likely reason for such a product. Another possibility is that they're running out existing stock of inventory. The price of these parts will likely shead light on which reason it might be.

#29

dogsbody

GoldenXAM3+ and FM2+ should have been a single socket. And on that line of thinking, AM4 needs cheaper mATX and ITX boards.
Or the idea was to say that FM2 was consumer and AM3+ was HEDT?

AM3 was DDR3-based legacy socket from Phenom days which (for better and for worse) allowed Bulldozers and Piledrivers to use it whereas FM2+ was a descendant of APU-centric (iGPU!!!) socket line that started with FT1. So the distinction would be "iGPU-less" (any GPU on that motherboard was not a part of the CPU) and "iGPU-enabled" rather than "consumer" and "HEDT".

#30

GoldenX

dogsbodyAM3 was DDR3-based legacy socket from Phenom days which (for better and for worse) allowed Bulldozers and Piledrivers to use it whereas FM2+ was a descendant of APU-centric (iGPU!!!) socket line that started with FT1. So the distinction would be "iGPU-less" (any GPU on that motherboard was not a part of the CPU) and "iGPU-enabled" rather than "consumer" and "HEDT".

Yeah, I get that. But they could have just kept using FM2 for the next FX products, instead we got a forced motherboard change (AM3 motherboards couldn't run AM3+ processors), and a socket only intended for cheap products (FM1/FM2/FM2+), plus another socket intended for cheap products (AM1).

#31

killferd

Well could be a good upgrade for people not looking for whole upgrade to new platform.

#32

Durvelle27

GoldenXYeah, I get that. But they could have just kept using FM2 for the next FX products, instead we got a forced motherboard change (AM3 motherboards couldn't run AM3+ processors), and a socket only intended for cheap products (FM1/FM2/FM2+), plus another socket intended for cheap products (AM1).

How did they force you to change

AM3 was around over 5 years and supported AM2+/AM3 CPUs

AM3+ was around over 5 years and supported AM3/AM3+ CPUs

That’s better support than any intel socket

Plus there was no way to adopt FM2 as it was a completely different architecture at the beginning versus Bullzdozer plus it had features that dozer did not have nor support

#33

GoldenX

No, AM3 only supported AM3 CPUs as it was DDR3 and anything older than Phenom II was DDR2, AM2+ supported AM3 CPUs thanks to the Phenom II's dual memory controller.
The AM2/3 series had great support, but then AMD flopped it with FM1 lasting a single generation, then going FM2, and then forcing you to change to a FM2+ motherboard to get a 7 series APU. Plus the weird kid that was AM1, with a promised upgrade path that never came.
Intel is not in the discussion, what they do is ridiculous.

The jump from FM1 to FM2 should have added support for the FX line.

#34

Durvelle27

GoldenXNo, AM3 only supported AM3 CPUs as it was DDR3 and anything older than Phenom II was DDR2, AM2+ supported AM3 CPUs thanks to the Phenom II's dual memory controller.
The AM2/3 series had great support, but then AMD flopped it with FM1 lasting a single generation, then going FM2, and then forcing you to change to a FM2+ motherboard to get a 7 series APU. Plus the weird kid that was AM1, with a promised upgrade path that never came.
Intel is not in the discussion, what they do is ridiculous.

The jump from FM1 to FM2 should have added support for the FX line.

You also have to consider FM was meant for the low end budget market mainly office users or people just needing PCs for light work

AM3 Series was Intended for the high end market and productivity market for multitasking and heavy loads

AM1 on the other hand was just the cheap alternative I’d say for kids. It wasn’t marketed or anything but light work web browsing and its cost was actaully great for it

#35

ShurikN

If it's OEM only then no fuss, no one will be able to buy it anyway.
But if it's released to stores, then it would be a great CPU for around $20. I'd buy one just for fun. Anything more than that and you just flushed your money down the drain.

#36

eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman

GoldenXYeah, I get that. But they could have just kept using FM2 for the next FX products, instead we got a forced motherboard change (AM3 motherboards couldn't run AM3+ processors), and a socket only intended for cheap products (FM1/FM2/FM2+), plus another socket intended for cheap products (AM1).

Not all mobos couldn't run FX, some were AM3 that supported AM3+ Parts

#37

Unregistered

Seriously why not an A10?
I bought an A10 7850k/FM2+mobo combo/8gb DDR3 1866 at microcenter in 2013 for $159 after tax....
Maybe if these cost $19.99 it??? People would buy them?

#38

mtcn77

jmcslobSeriously why not an A10?
I bought an A10 7850k/FM2+mobo combo/8gb DDR3 1866 at microcenter in 2013 for $159 after tax....
Maybe if these cost $19.99 it??? People would buy them?

The gpu is power hungry.

#39

Valantar

I just noticed, that iGPU has crazy high clocks compared to the A8-7600. The 7600 runs at 720MHz. This, according to the specs cited here, increases that by 43%! While my 7600 runs just fine at 890MHz (IIRC I saw artefacts at higher clocks), 1029 is very high for a Carrizo-era iGPU. And at 45W? Something is off here (besides launching a 28nm CPU in 2018 for whatever reason).

#40

GoldenX

eidairaman1Not all mobos couldn't run FX, some were AM3 that supported AM3+ Parts

Those had the new socket with higher diameter pin holes, so, basically an AM3+ with an older chipset, like those Nforce 7025 that could run an 8350.

#41

eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman

Erm some white socket boards could

#42

damric

eidairaman1Erm some white socket boards could

Exactly. I ran an FX-4100 on an AM3 board with the old white socket, MSI 890FXA-GD65. Same one with the 5.3GHz CPU-Z in my sig. Hell, plenty of people also ran them on the old 700 chipsets. All it needed was BIOS update.

#43

GoldenX

It's not the colour, it's the size of the pin holes, the first AM3+ compatible boards had white sockets.
You can't put an FX in an incompatible AM3 board, it won't fit.

#44

suraswami

Apparently a group of engineers were still on the FM2+ payroll, didn't get laid off or moved to other groups. Instead of sitting idle they popped a new baby!!

I would have been happy if there was an AM1 platform update with 4 memory slots and dual channel support.

#45

Durvelle27

GoldenXIt's not the colour, it's the size of the pin holes, the first AM3+ compatible boards had white sockets.
You can't put an FX in an incompatible AM3 board, it won't fit.

And there were also AM3 boards that supported 95W FX CPUs

#46

eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman

GoldenXThose had the new socket with higher diameter pin holes, so, basically an AM3+ with an older chipset, like those Nforce 7025 that could run an 8350.

GoldenXIt's not the colour, it's the size of the pin holes, the first AM3+ compatible boards had white sockets.
You can't put an FX in an incompatible AM3 board, it won't fit.

Durvelle27And there were also AM3 boards that supported 95W FX CPUs

This is 1 example.

www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/CROSSHAIR_IV_FORMULA/HelpDesk_BIOS/

Launched 2010/04/06 (First Bios)

It came out 18 months before the Orochi/Zambezi 8150 was launched.

Yet as of Bios 3027 it is supported, I believe bios 3029 allowed 8350 support, someone has an 8350 in a 890FX board here too.

AM3
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_AM3 2009

AM3+
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_AM3+ 2011

"Some manufacturers have brought AM3+ support to some of their AM3 motherboards via a simple BIOS upgrade.[4] Mechanical compatibility has been confirmed and it is possible for AM3+ CPUs to fit in AM3 boards, provided they can supply enough peak current"

#47

Durvelle27

eidairaman1This is 1 example.

www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/CROSSHAIR_IV_FORMULA/HelpDesk_BIOS/

Launched 2010/04/06 (First Bios)

It came out 18 months before the Orochi/Zambezi 8150 was launched.

Yet as of Bios 3027 it is supported, I believe bios 3029 allowed 8350 support, someone has an 8350 in a 890FX board here too.

AM3
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_AM3 2009

AM3+
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_AM3+ 2011

"Some manufacturers have brought AM3+ support to some of their AM3 motherboards via a simple BIOS upgrade.[4] Mechanical compatibility has been confirmed and it is possible for AM3+ CPUs to fit in AM3 boards, provided they can supply enough peak current"

I remember I had the cheapest AM3 board I could find at the time and slapped a FX 4100 into it; ram great for 1 year until I clocked it to 5GHz and bam board went up :roll::roll:

#48

eidairaman1

The Exiled Airman

Durvelle27I remember I had the cheapest AM3 board I could find at the time and slapped a FX 4100 into it; ram great for 1 year until I clocked it to 5GHz and bam board went up :roll::roll:

Yup.

8350 is still at 5.0 here but of course I have a beefy board lol

#49

GoldenX

I saw an 8350 in a 65w only Nforce 7025 board, poor thing turned off randomly.

#50

seronx

There are two, one is A8-7680 and the other is A6-7480.

A8-7680 is Bristol Ridge based off A10-9700.
A6-7480 is also Bristol Ridge, but based off A6-9500.

It appears mostly aimed at China for running Blizzard's Overwatch and Riot's League of Legends at extremely low prices.
A8-7680 is guessed at 299-399 yuan in CN forums/news. No mention of a6-7480 with its price in yaun, but it will probably be cheaper than the a8-7680.

So, Internet Cafes and Tencent's(etc) Gaming/LAN Lounges.

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AMD Quietly Releases New A8-7680 Carrizo APU For Socket FM2+

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