Introduction

I would like thank ASRock for supplying the FM2A85X-ITX board used for this review, Kingston for supplying the 2400 MHz memory, and Corsair for the H100. This review would not be possible without their help as AMD only supplied the AMD A10-6800K APU without a cooler.

Enthusiasts have, thanks to rumors and announcements alike, known for some time that AMD was going to launch new APUs in June of 2013, and today is the day I can finally release the information I was privy to as I've had the new AMD A10-6800K in my house for some time now.

AMD obviously planned this launch to coincide with Computex. These AMD Elite A-Series APUs are already available for purchase right at this moment, having gone on sale at most popular online retailers and several brick-and-mortar stores yesterday. What we've got shouldn't come as much of a surprise to anyone since mobile versions of AMD Elite A-Series APUs have already launched some time ago. We have here a higher-clocked version of previously-released parts, but has AMD kept a hidden gem within a secret? I've talked to quite a few people that have been waiting with bated breath to find out about AMD's new A10-6800K...are their expectations set a bit too high?

Here's what AMD has to say about their new APUs:

Since their introduction in 2011, the APU category has quickly become one of AMD’s fastest growing category of processors. APUs are able to combine the potential of x86 and GPU together to enable a new class of experiences and compute performance on today’s PCs. AMD extends its leadership in the APU category with the introduction of its latest 2013 Elite A-Series APUs for Desktops.

We set out to deliver an innovative, leading design, a solution that empowers people to push the boundaries of what is possible. Prepare your test systems, update your test suites, push the boundaries and discover the possibilities empowered by the 2013 AMD A-Series platform.

Specifications

Models

Five new models of AMD Elite A-Series APUs are available immediately: