AMD Llano Desktop Soft Launch Michael Lim June 30, 2011 AMD is preparing a quiet launch of its first desktop Llano parts from the Fusion APU line. While AMD says more SKUs are on the way, today we get four new quad-core parts: A8-3600, A8-3650, A8-3800 and A8-3850. The A8-3600 series pairs the 4 CPU cores with a Radeon HD6530D featuring 320 GPU cores. The A8-3600 runs at 2.1GHz normally but turbos up to 2.4GHz (65W), while the A8-3650 runs at 2.6GHz exclusively (100W). The higher end A8-3800 series pairs 4 CPU cores with a Radeon HD6550D featuring 400 GPU cores. The A8-3800 runs at 2.4GHz normally and turbos up to 2.7GHz (65W), while the A8-3850 runs at 2.9GHz (100W). All the Llano parts are capable of running in asymmetrical CrossFire mode along with discreet GPUs. The Fusion APU appears to be AMD’s first step in tying the CPU and GPU together which they describe as “Integration.” Right now, the CPU and GPU are two separate cores bonded on the same APU die. The next phase is called “Optimization” which would likely create reusable logic on chip that can be used by both the CPU and GPU which can reduce overlapping function blocks and reduce die space. The final stage is called “Exploitation” which could possibly mean a radical shift in both the CPU and GPU design to create even more reusable functional blocks on the chip, like making the CPU more like a GPU and vice versa. Only pricing for the 100W A8-3650 and A8-3850 have been released by AMD at $115 and $135 respectively. Expect pricing on the 65W A8-3600 / A8-3800 soon. Head over to AnandTech for a 9-page preliminary review of AMD’s entry level Llano parts and how they stack up to Intel’s current Core products. Source: AMD Fusion Page, AnandTech Share This With The World!
