Following the announcement of its second-generation A-series desktop APUs earlier this month, AMD is set to reduce prices of its older A-Series desktop APUs in the socket FM1 package, according to a DigiTimes report. Prices of the entry-level A4-3300 dual-core APU, for example, are expected to go down from US $46 to $30; and A4-3400 from $48 to $35. AMD also decided to cut price of its "Trinity" A4-5300 dual-core socket FM2 APU from $53 to $30, making it an attractive lure to the new platform, stepping up competitiveness against Intel Celeron. This information comes from sources among Taiwan-based motherboard makers, there's no word on when the new pricing could take effect.

Gigabyte made a late addition to its socket FM2 launch lineup, the F2A85XM-D3H. Based on the AMD A85X chipset, the micro-ATX motherboard builds on its feature-set with a few legacy connectivity options. The APU socket is powered by a 5-phase VRM that draws power from an 8-pin EPS connector. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory, and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. The memory is powered by a 2-phase VRM. Other expansion slots include one each of PCI-Express 2.0 x1, PCI-Express 2.0 x4 (long slot, wired to the A85X FCH), amd legacy PCI.

All eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the A85X FCH are wired out as internal ports. Display outputs include DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI. The four USB 3.0 ports from the chipset are split in groups of two between the rear panel and on board as headers. Other connectivity includes 6-channel HD audio with 8-channel digital TOSLINK output, gigabit Ethernet, eight USB 2.0 ports, and headers for COM (serial), LPT (parallel), and trusted platform module. The board is driven by dual-UEFI firmware. It is built using Gigabyte's Ultra Durable 4 Classic construction. It is expected to be priced around US $129.99.

AMD's Radeon RAMDisk software, launched along with its desktop A-Series "Trinity" APUs, is being pitched to consumers as a trial software. A combination of A-Series "Trinity" APUs and AMD-certified memory lets you use the software to create a RAMDisk which works in conjuction with the primary HDD/SSD much in the same way as Intel Smart Response tech or NVELO Dataplex, it's just that the cache SSD is replaced by the system memory, an infinitely faster and more durable caching medium. The software juggles data from the primary drive to the RAMDisk based on its heat (frequency of access). Used with DDR3-1600 MHz memory, users could see data access speeds of up to 25.6 GB/s (gigabytes per second), a 1,700-times speedup over conventional HDD. When off the trial, a license to use the software can be bought for $19.

AMD announced its latest entry in the performance tablet and small form factor PC market with the AMD Z-60 Accelerated Processing Unit (APU). The AMD Z-60 is AMD's lowest power APU, delivering unprecedented performance and AMD AllDay power for tablet form factors as thin as 10mm. A compelling combination of features, stunning graphics, support for the latest Microsoft Windows 8 applications and user interfaces, as well as compatibility with Windows 7 and the full-suite of legacy Windows applications, makes the AMD Z-60 APU an ideal solution for a range of designs.

The first tablets based on the AMD Z-60 APU are expected to launch globally this year in conjunction with availability of Windows 8.

MSI, a world leader in overclocking graphics cards and mainboards is pleased to announce that their brand new FM2-A85XA-G65 has just set a stunning new world-record CPU speed for AMD's new A10 APUs. Featuring MSI's new DigitALL power design with Military Class III components, the FM2-A85XA-G65 was able to smash the current limit and set an astonishing 7.384 GHz clock speed. This all was made possible with high-tech liquid nitrogen cooling of MSI's the newly released processor from AMD and outstanding engineering work on the FM2-A85XA-G65 mainboard.

Apparently, AMD wasn't exaggerating with its 6.50 GHz over LN2 claim for its A10-5800K APU. Overclocker GASBK_TW achieved 7317.74 MHz clock-speed for the A10-5800K, with a base clock of 118.03 MHz, multiplier of 62x, and a staggering 1.956V core voltage. The APU was cooled by liquid nitrogen. Other key components include Biostar Hi-Fi A85X motherboard, 4 GB of G.Skill DDR3-1600 MHz memory, and discrete Radeon HD 7700 series GPU. The CPUID validation can be found here.

Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it will give a sneak peek of its upcoming HyperX LoVo low voltage SO-DIMMs at AMD Fan Day on Saturday, October 6, in Austin, Texas. HyperX LoVo SO-DIMMs are designed for notebook users looking to boost system performance as they auto-overclock with no need to adjust system BIOS settings. They also allow systems to run cooler and quieter. The full specifications for HyperX LoVo SO-DIMMs will be announced when they ship later this month.

"AMD Fan Day is all about making direct connections between AMD, our high-performance partners like Kingston, and the enthusiast community that inspires us in the design of each new generation of products," said John Taylor, director of marketing, Client Products, AMD. "This event is an incredibly fun way to celebrate our fans while they get hands-on experiences with brand-new AMD A-Series APUs, AMD Radeon graphics and unreleased games."

AMD Japan teamed up with ASUS to display a concept 100% fanless (silent) HTPC build to buyers at Tokyo's Akihabara electronics shopping district. The build uses Streacom FC5 chassis with a CPU base modified for socket FM2. The base conducts heat from the processor using four copper heat pipes to the aluminum chassis, which doubles up as a heatsink. The build utilizes AMD A10-5700 APU, ASUS F2A85-M Pro micro-ATX motherboard based on AMD A85X chipset, 8 GB of AMD-certified DDR3-1866 MHz memory, and Corsair Force GT SSD. The concept build shows buyers that AMD's "Trinity" APUs are ready, willing, and able to power silent HTPC builds.

MAINGEAR, an award-winning PC system builder of custom desktops, notebooks, and workstations, now offers PC enthusiasts the AMD A-series CPU technology in their desktop systems.

MAINGEAR is one of the first to offer the option of choosing AMD's mainstream or Black Edition series APU solutions, which is AMD's latest multicore CPU technology that offers premium AMD Radeon graphics technology combined on one chip. PC enthusiasts, gamers and small businesses will be able to experience accelerated performance with the 2nd generation AMD A-Series processors without breaking the bank.

With the availability of AMD's new lineup of APUs MSI, the world leader in extreme performance mainboards and graphics cards, is pleased to announce the availability of a new lineup of Socket FM2 mainboards. Amongst the models available are the full-fledged FM2-A85X-G65 Gaming mainboard, compact MicroATX models and a brilliant miniITX model with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Aiming to deliver the best gaming performance you will find the FM2-A85XA-G65 equipped with an amazing feature set to deliver an unprecedented gaming experience for the AMD platform. OC Genie II boosts the APUs CPU & GPU performance, Memory performance is enhanced with support for both AMP and XMP memory overclocking profiles. And MSI clock generator allows for much faster bus speeds which increases the performance of Dual Graphics and CrossFire even further! This is topped off with the first DigitALL PWM with Military Class III on a MSI mainboard.

In addition to the Hi-Fi A85W, Biostar unveiled a mainstream socket FM2 motherboard in the micro-ATX form-factor, the T-Series TA75MH2. Based on the AMD A75 FCH, the motherboard is designed keeping essential connectivity in mind, and is built in the compact micro-ATX form-factor. The FM2 socket, which supports the latest AMD A-Series "Trinity" APUs, is powered by a simple 5-phase VRM. Nevertheless, Biostar included a MOSFET heatsink. The FM2 socket is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot.

In addition to the PCI-Express 2.0 x16, the TA75MH2 features two PCI-Express 2.0 x1 and a legacy PCI slot. The AMD A75 FCH gives out six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, all of which are assigned as internal ports on the TA75MH2. Display connectivity includes DVI, HDMI, and D-Sub. The TA75MH2 packs legacy connectivity, including COM (serial) and LPT (parallel), via headers. Other connectivity includes 6-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, and four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two via header). The board is driven by UEFI BIOS. It is expected to be priced at US $70.

Biostar unveiled its second socket FM2 motherboard in its audio-optimized Hi-Fi series, following the mid-September launch of Hi-Fi A85X. The new Hi-Fi A85W is designed to be a more affordable model, based on a new PCB design, while retaining the Puro Hi-Fi audio with integrated amplifier. It is built in the compact ATX form-factor. The FM2 APU socket, which supports the latest A-Series "Trinity" APUs, is powered by a 6-phase VRM, which draws power from a 4-pin ATX connector. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory, and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot.

Expansion slots include two long PCI-Express slots, however, only one is wired to the APU, and is electrical PCI-Express 2.0 x16, the other is electrical PCI-Express 2.0 x4, wired to the A85X FCH. Other expansion slots include two each of PCI-Express 2.0 x1 and legacy PCI. All eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the chipset are assigned as internal ports. The four USB 3.0 ports from the chipset are distributed as two rear-panel ports, and two via header. Display outputs include DVI, HDMI, and D-Sub. Gigabit Ethernet and 10 USB 2.0 ports make for the rest of the connectivity. The board is driven by AMI UEFI BIOS. It is expected to be priced around US $90.

AMD today announced retail and distribution channel availability of its second generation AMD A-Series Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) for desktop, small form-factor and home theater PCs. These new APUs target do-it-yourself (DIY) PC builders, mainstream gamers and value-added resellers who want to upgrade their PC infrastructure with affordable performance, discrete-level graphics, multiple cores and fast processing for outstanding responsiveness.

The second generation desktop AMD A-Series APU is available at prices ranging from $53 to $122 USD. Compared to similarly priced competitive offerings, the new APUs offer more cores, more speed, best-in-class entertainment experiences and an easy upgrade path based on a stable socket infrastructure. AMD APU users also gain access to the AMD AppZone and a comprehensive list of accelerated applications that leverage the full compute power of the APU. With hardware-accelerated support for DirectX 11 on AMD Radeon graphics and AMD Eyefinity technology delivering a more immersive experience, the AMD A-Series APUs are the ideal solution for systems running the highly-anticipated Microsoft Windows 8 and today's Microsoft Windows 7 operating systems.

Lenovo today announced the latest addition to its flagship M Series desktop PC line - the ThinkCentre M78 - designed for medium to large businesses. Featuring the latest AMD A-Series Accelerated Processing Units (APUs), the ThinkCentre M78 gives business professionals a reliable PC with powerful performance, a high level of security and energy efficiency.

"Professionals in medium to large businesses need dependable, productive and secure desktops to meet the day-to-day rigors of workplace demands," said Su Lijun, executive director, global desktop marketing, Lenovo. "We built the ThinkCentre M78 to last, equipping it with great performance, security and energy- saving features in one device."

AMD's new A10-5800K "Trinity" APUs, launched earlier this week, are capable of extreme overclocking, something similarly-priced Intel processors can't claim, according to Adam Kozak, desktop products manager with the company. According to Kozak, the roughly $150 A10-5800K are capable of 6.50 GHz overclocked speeds, when augmented with liquid nitrogen cooling.

Overclocking capabilities give AMD's sub-$150 chips such as the A10-5800K, A8-5600K, and A6-5400K an edge over similarly-priced Intel chips. The cheapest overclockable chip from Intel's current lineup is the $220 Core i5-2500K. Based on the "Trinity" silicon, the A10-5800K ships with clock speeds of 3.80 GHz, which go up to 4.20 GHz with TurboCore. The chip features an unlocked base clock multiplier, which makes overclocking possible.

AMD announced the second-generation A-Series desktop APU lineup, based on the "Trinity" silicon. The silicon combines four x86-64 cores spread across two "Piledriver" micro-architecture modules, with a Radeon HD 7000 series graphics core with 384 VLIW4 stream processors, an integrated northbridge, and a dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz integrated memory controller. Various models are carved out in the series by handling the numbers of CPU cores and stream processors.

The company kicked off the lineup with two A10-5000 series quad-core models, which are fully-loaded with all components enabled. These are followed by two A8-5000 series models, which have four x86-64 cores, but just 256 stream processors for the GPU component. Just behind is the A6-5000 series dual-core APUs with 192 stream processors. Trailing the pack is the A4-5000 series dual-core APUs with 128 stream processors. Model numbers and specifications are tabled below. Prices range between $70 - $140.

MSI announced the GX60, an AMD-powered gaming notebook first spotted at this year's Computex event. The notebook is powered by an AMD A10-4600M quad-core "Trinity" APU, Radeon HD 7970M discrete graphics processor with 2 GB GDDR5 memory, and up to 16 GB dual-channel DDR3-1600 MHz memory. Its storage components include 128 GB SuperRAID SSD, 750 GB hard drive, Blu-ray writer or Blu-ray + DVD-RW combo drive. The 15.6-inch anti-glare screen packs 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. Other gaming-grade features include Bigfoot Killer NIC, keyboard made by SteelSeries, and HD webcam. Pricing differs with optional components.

Ahead of their October 1 launch, upcoming second-generation AMD A-Series APUs are beginning to surface on retailers. Russian online store Regard.ru listed most of these chips, albeit in their OEM (chip-only) packaging. According to the prices at hand, the quad-core A10-5800K and A10-5700 are listed for 4,130 RUB (US $132.6). The A8-5600K and A8-5500 quad-core APUs go for 3,540 RUB (US $114). The cheapest of the lot, dual-core A4-5300 is priced at 1,940 RUB (US $62.2).

According to an OCWorkbench report, AMD will officially launch its second generation A-series desktop APUs on the very first day of Q4 2012, October 1. The launch will include a contingent of socket FM2 motherboards from various manufacturers, based on AMD A55, A75, and A85X chipsets. Among the A-series socket FM2 models launched on October 1, are A10-5800K, A10-5700, A8-5600K, A8-5500, Athlon X4 750K/740, A6-5400K and A4-5300. Built on the 32 nm HKMG process by Globalfoundries, AMD A-series "Trinity" APUs combine up to four x86-64 CPU cores based on the "Piledriver" micro-architecture, with a Radeon HD 7000 series GPU core, with up to 384 stream processors based on the VLIW4 architecture.

HP today announced a new lineup of consumer PCs and accessories that are designed to work with Windows 8 and are ideal for savvy, tech-conscious users who desire great performance and beautiful design at a great value.

The consumer PC lineup is powered by the latest generation of Intel Core processors that deliver performance and stunning visuals for everyday life. HP also added four new business desktop and notebook PCs powered by the latest AMD processors to its industry-leading commercial portfolio. AMD's new A-series Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) deliver a significant leap in PC graphics performance, offer exceptional manageability and provide an affordable total cost of ownership.

Gigabyte unveiled its flagship socket FM2 motherboard, designed for upcoming AMD A-Series "Trinity" APUs, the F2A85X-UP4. Based on the new AMD A85X FCH chipset, the board implements Gigabyte Ultra Durable 5 motherboard construction, which includes 2 oz copper PCB layers, humidity-proof glass-fabric layers, solid-state capacitors, new high-current ferrite core chokes, and PowIRstage IR3550 driver-MOSFETs. The FM2 socket is powered by an 8-phase VRM. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-2400+ MHz memory; and three PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots.

The three PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots are electrically configured as x16/NC/NC, x8/x8/NC, or x8/x4/x4, depending on how they're populated. AMD CrossFireX is supported. Other expansion slots include three PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and a legacy PCI. The AMD A85X FCH gives out a total of eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, seven of which are assigned as internal, and one eSATA, on the F2A85X-UP4. Display connectivity includes DVI, D-Sub, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Other connectivity includes six USB 3.0 ports (four rear, two by header), 8+2 channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, and keyboard/mouse combination PS/2 connector. The board is driven by dual-UEFI BIOS, with a graphical 3DBIOS setup program. We expect the F2A85X-UP4 to be priced anywhere in the US $150-$200 range.

It's traditional for AMD to camp outside an ongoing IDF event (at a nearby hotel suite), siphoning off a small portion of its visitors. In the backdrop of this year's IDF event in San Francisco, AMD showed off two of its upcoming flagship client processors, the socket FM2 A10-5800K "Trinity" APU, and socket AM3+ FX-8350 "Vishera" CPU. The two chips were shown running fully-loaded gaming PCs.

The FX-8350 was shown installed on a machine with ASUS Crosshair V Formula (-Z?) motherboard, liquid cooling, and Radeon HD 7970 graphics card. The chip was clocked at 5.00 GHz (4.80 GHz when the picture was taken), and running popular CPU-intensive benchmarks such as WPrime and Cinebench. The A10-5800K was shown running application demos, including a widget that displays real-time boost states of the processor and GPU cores.

The MSI Wind Top AE2051, MSI's newest 20-inch multi media computer with multi-touch screen, is a space-saving All-in-One PC with a chic, minimalistic design. The touch-screen capabilities make operating the AE2051 very simple. The MSI AE2051 is not only a stylish personal computer, it is also the ideal home entertainment center. Equipped with the AMD Brazos 2.0 APU platform combined with the E2-1800 APU processor and Radeon HD7340 graphics, users can enjoy a high standard multi media performance without the use of a dedicated graphics card. The MSI AE2051 will become available in Europe from the second week of September.

If the prices trickling in from leading distributors such as BLT are anything to go by, AMD's next-generation A-Series "Trinity" APUs will occupy price-points competitive with Intel's Core i3 and Pentium chips based on the "Ivy Bridge" silicon. AMD thinks its quad-core (two module) Piledriver architecture cores, coupled with VLIW4-based graphics cores have a fair shot against dual-core Ivy Bridge Core i3 chips, with triple- and dual-core A-series "Trinity" chips going up against Pentium "Ivy Bridge." Two of the chips leading AMD's lot will be the A10-5700 (quad-core, 3.40 GHz, 384 SP), and A10-5800K (unlocked multiplier, quad-core, 3.80 GHz, 384 SP).

AMD announced today that the visionary behind Gustafson's Law, John Gustafson, has joined the company as senior fellow and chief product architect, Graphics Business Unit. In this role, Gustafson will set the technical vision for the AMD graphics business unit, driving the technology roadmap and platform for the AMD Radeon and AMD FirePro product lines as well as new technology planning and execution of business objectives. Gustafson will be based in Sunnyvale and will help evangelize AMD graphics leadership internally and externally.

"Our industry-leading graphics technology predicates that we consistently deliver the most differentiated and superior graphics processor unit (GPU) architectures and products -- without compromise," said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, AMD Graphics. "With the growing importance of parallel compute in defining the computing experience, John brings the full package of industry experience and knowledge needed to help us expand and execute our AMD Radeon and AMD FirePro graphics technology programs, and will help forge an aggressive long-term roadmap that allows AMD to continue to lead and win with our gaming and virtualization technologies."