This week AMD officially took the wraps off of its 7th generation APU lineup that it introduced back in May. Previously known as Bristol Ridge, AMD is launching eight new processors along with a new desktop platform that finally brings next generation I/O to AMD systems.

Bristol Ridge maintains the Excavator CPU cores and GCN GPU cores of Carrizo, but on refreshed silicon with performance and power efficiency gains that will bring the architecture started by Bulldozer to an apex. These will be the last chips of that line, and wil be succeeded by AMD's new "Zen" architecture in 2017. For now though, Bristol Ridge delivers as much as 17% higher per thread CPU performance and 27% higher graphics performance while using significantly lower power than its predecessors. Further, AMD has been able to (thanks to various process tweaks that Josh talked about previously) hit some impressive clock speeds with these chips enabling AMD to better compete with Intel's Core i5 offerings.

At the top end AMD has the (65W) quad core A12-9800 running at 3.8 GHz base and 4.2 GHz boost paired with GCN 3.0-based Radeon R7 graphics (that support VP9 and HEVC acceleration). These new Bristol Ridge chips are able to take advantage of DDR4 clocked up to 2400 MHz. For DIY PC builders planning to use dedicated graphics, AMD has the non-APU Athlon X4 950 which features four CPU cores at 3.5 GHz base and 3.8 GHz boost with a 65W TDP. While it is not clocked quite as high as its APU counterpart, it should still prove to be a popular choice for budge builds and will replace the venerable Athlon X4 860 and will also be paired with an AM4 motherboard that will be ready to accept a new Zen-based "Summit Ridge" CPU next year.

The following table lists the eight new 7th generation "Bristol Ridge" processors and their specifications. 

  CPU Cores CPU Clocks Base / Boost GPU GPU CUs GPU Clocks (Max) TDP

A12-98004

4 3.8 GHz / 4.2 GHz Radeon R7 8 1,108 MHz 65W
A12-9800E4 4 3.1 GHz / 3.8 GHz Radeon R7 8 900 MHz 35W
A10-9700 4 3.5 GHz / 3.8 GHz Radeon R7 6 1,029 MHz 65W
A10-9700E 4 3.0 GHz / 3.5 GHz Radeon R7 6 847 MHz 35W
A8-9600 4 3.1 GHz / 3.4 GHz Radeon R7 6 900 MHz 65W
A6-9500 2 3.5 GHz / 3.8 GHz Radeon
R5
6 1029 MHz 65W
A6-9500E 2 3.0 GHz / 3.4 GHz Radeon
R5
4 800 MHz 35W
Athlon X4 950 4 3.5 GHz / 3.8 GHz None 0 N/A 65W

Source: AMD

To expand on the performance increases of Bristol Ridge, AMD compared the A12-9800 to the previous generation A10-8850 as well as Intel's Core i5-6500. According to the company, the Bristol Ridge processor handily beats the Carrizo chip and is competitive with the Intel i5. Specifically, when comparing Bristol Ridge and Carrizo, AMD found that the A12-9800 scored 3,521.25 in 3DMark 11 while the A10-8850 (95W Godavari) scored 2,880. Further, when compared in Cinebench R11.5 1T the A12-980 scored 1.21 versus the A10-8850's 1.06. Not bad when you consider that the new processor has a 30W lower TDP!

With that said, the comparison to Intel is perhaps most interesting to the readers. In this case, the A12-9800 is about where you would expect though that is not necessarily a bad thing. It does pull a bit closer to Intel in CPU and continues to offer superior graphics performance.

  AMD A12-9800 (65W) Intel Core i5-6500 (65W) AMD A10-8850 (95W)

3DMark 11 Performance

3,521.25 1,765.75 2,880
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated 3,483.25 3,702 Not run
Cinebench R11.5 1T 1.21 Not run 1.06

Source: AMD

Specifically, in 3DMark 11 Performance the A12-9800's score of 3,521.25 is quite a bit better than the Intel i5-6500's 1,765.75 result. However, in the more CPU focused PCMark 8 Home Accelerated benchmark the Intel comes out ahead with a score of 3,702 versus the AMD A12-9800's score of 3,483.25. If the price is right Bristol Ridge does not look too bad on paper, assuming AMD's testing holds true in independent reviews!

The AM4 Platform

Alongside the launch of desktop 7th generation APUs, AMD is launching a new AM4 platform that supports Bristol Ridge and is ready for Zen APUs next year. The new platform finally brings new I/O technologies to AMD systems including PCI-E 3.0, NVMe, SATA Express, DDR4, and USB 3.1 Gen 2.

According to Digital Trends, AMD's AM4 desktop platform wil span all the way from low end to enthusiast motherboards and these boards will be powered by one of three new chipsets. The three new chipsets are the B350 for mainstream, A320 for "essential," and X/B/A300 for small form factor motherboards. Notably missing is any mention of an enthusiast chipset, but one is reportedly being worked on and will arive closer to the launch of Zen-based processors in 2017.

The image below outlines the differences in the chipsets. Worth noting is that the APUs themselves will handle the eight lanes of PCI-E 3.0, dual channel DDR4, four USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, and two SATA 6Gbps and two NVMe or PCI-E 3.0 storage devices. This leaves PCI-E 2.0, SATA Express, additional SATA 6Gbps, and USB 3.1 Gen 2 connection duties to the chipsets.

As of today, AMD has only announced the availability of AM4 motherboards and 7th generation APUs for OEM systems (with design wins from HP and Lenovo so far). The company will be outlining the channel / DIY PC builder lineup and pricing at a later (to be announced date).

I am looking forward to Zen and in a way the timing of Bristol Ridge seems strange. On the other hand, for OEMs it should do well and hold them over until then (heh) and enthusiasts / DIY builders are able to buy into Bristol Ridge knowing that they will be able to upgrade to Zen next year (while getting better than Carrizo performance with less power and possibly better overclocking) is not a bad option so long as the prices are right!

The full press blast is included below for more information on how they got their benchmark results.

"New Mainstream & eSports–Ready Gaming PCs Powered by 7th Generation AMD A-Series Desktop Processors Debut Globally

 
  • “Bristol Ridge” APUs pair with the all-new AM4 desktop platform to increase productivity and enhance immersive and gaming experiences; HP and Lenovo design launches demonstrate readiness of AM4 platform for upcoming “Summit Ridge” CPUs —

 

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Sept. 5, 2016 —  AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today announced that the first OEM systems to feature 7th Generation AMD A-Series desktop processors are now shipping, paired with the new AMD AM4 platform supporting DDR4 memory and next-gen I/O and standards. Designs, initially from HP and Lenovo, with other global OEM designs to follow, deliver high-speed processing, smooth eSports gaming, and enhanced HD and UHD streaming capabilities, including the highest memory bandwidth to date for an AMD desktop platform.

“The consumer release of these new HP and Lenovo designs is an important milestone for AMD on two fronts. First, it marks a major increase in productivity performance, streaming video and eSports gaming experiences sought after by today’s consumers, delivered through our new 7th Generation AMD A-Series desktop processors. Second, because these new OEM designs also feature our new AM4 desktop platform, the motherboard ecosystem shows its readiness for our upcoming high-performance “Summit Ridge” desktop CPUs featuring “Zen” cores, which share the same platform,” said Kevin Lensing, Corporate VP and general manager of Client Computing at AMD.

Systems powered by 7th Generation AMD A-Series processors are productive, immersive, and energy efficient, with up to four “Excavator” CPU cores. 7th Generation AMD A-Series desktop processors consist of 65-watt and 35-watt versions, offering superior power efficiency and enabling flexible solutions in a wide variety of form factors. The new 7th Generation 65-watt A-Series processors deliver performance only realized at 95-watts with the previous generation. In addition, when compared to the Intel Core i5 6500, the new 65-watt processors offer up to equivalent productivity performance2 and up to 99% higher graphics performance3.

7th Generation AMD A-Series desktop processors (previously codenamed “Bristol Ridge”) also bring enhanced graphics capabilities and key video playback features that support up to 4K Ultra HD in both the popular H.264 and new-and-improved H.265 formats.4 These devices will also feature AMD Radeon Graphics Core Next graphics, with full support for Microsoft® DirectX® 12.

The AMD AM4 socket is a new unified socket infrastructure that provides compatibility between 7th Generation AMD A-Series processors and the upcoming high-performance “Summit Ridge” AMD desktop CPU. AM4 platforms feature DDR4 Memory and next-gen I/O and peripheral support, including PCIe® Gen 3, USB 3.1 Gen 2, NVMe, and SATA Express.

 

Supporting Resources

  • Learn more about the 7th Generation AMD A-Series Desktop APUs

  • Learn more about the exciting new AMD “Zen” core architecture

  • Learn more about how AMD computing and graphics power the products you love

  • Become a fan of AMD on Facebook

  • Follow AMD on Twitter

  • Join AMD on Google+

 

About AMD

For more than 45 years, AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics, and visualization technologies ― the building blocks for gaming, immersive platforms, and the datacenter. Hundreds of millions of consumers, leading Fortune 500 businesses, and cutting-edge scientific research facilities around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work, and play. AMD employees around the world are focused on building great products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) website, blog, Facebook and Twitter pages.

 

AMD, the AMD Arrow logo and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.  Other product names used in this publication are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies.

 

Footnotes:

  1. 65W delivering 95W performance – Testing by AMD Performance labs. PC manufacturers may vary configurations yielding different results. 3DMark 11 Performance is used to simulate graphics performance, and Cinebench R11.5 1T Performance is used to simulate single threaded CPU performance; the 7th Generation AMD A12-9800 at 65W scored 3521.25 and 1.21 while the A10-8850 at 95W scored 2880 and 1.06 respectively. BRD-24
    System Configurations: 7th Generation AMD A12-9800: AMD “Myrtle” reference platform, 7th Generation AMD A12-9800 with AMD Radeon™ R7 Graphics, 2×4096 DDR4-2400 RAM, 228GB SSD Drive (Non-rotating), Microsoft Windows 10 Pro, Graphics driver 16.101.0.0 2016-04-11
    PRO A10-8850: ASUS A88X-PRO, PRO A10-8850B with AMD Radeon™ R7 Graphics, 2×4096 DDR3-2133 RAM, 228GB SSD Drive (Non-rotating), Microsoft Windows 10 Pro, Graphics driver 15.301.1201.0 2015-12-22

  2. PCMark 8 Home Accelerated:
    7th Generation AMD A12-9800 vs. Intel i5-6500: Testing by AMD Performance labs. PC manufacturers may vary configurations yielding different results. PCMark® 8 v2 Home is used to simulate system performance; the 7th Generation AMD A12-9800 scored 3483.25, while the Intel Core i5-6500 scored 3702 for a benchmark score comparison of 3483.25/3466.5 = 1.00X or 100%. BRD-6
    System Configurations: 7th Generation AMD A12-9800: AMD “Myrtle” reference platform, 7th Generation AMD A12-9800 with AMD Radeon™ R7 Graphics, 2×4096 DDR4-2400 RAM, 228GB SSD Drive (Non-rotating), Microsoft Windows 10 Pro, Graphics driver 16.101.0.0 2016-04-11
    Intel® Core™ i5-6500 CPU @ 3.20GHz: ASUS Z170-A, Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6500 CPU @ 3.20GHz with Intel® HD Graphics 530, 2×4096 DDR4-2133 RAM, 228GB SSD Drive (Non-rotating), Microsoft Windows 10 Pro, Graphics driver 20.19.15.4380 20

  3. 3DMark 11 Performance:
    7th Generation AMD A12-9800 vs. Intel i5-6500: Testing by AMD Performance labs. PC manufacturers may vary configurations yielding different results. 3DMark 11 Performance is used to simulate graphics performance; the 7th Generation AMD A12-9800 scored 3521.25 while the Intel® Core i5-6500 scored 1765.75, for a benchmark score difference of 3521.25/1765.75 = 1.99X or 99% more. BRD-5
    System Configurations: 7th Generation AMD A12-9800: AMD “Myrtle” reference platform, 7th Generation AMD A12-9800 with AMD Radeon™ R7 Graphics, 2×4096 DDR4-2400 RAM, 228GB SSD Drive (Non-rotating), Microsoft Windows 10 Pro, Graphics driver 16.101.0.0 2016-04-11
    Intel® Core™ i5-6500 CPU @ 3.20GHz: ASUS Z170-A, Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6500 CPU @ 3.20GHz with Intel® HD Graphics 530, 2×4096 DDR4-2133 RAM, 228GB SSD Drive (Non-rotating), Microsoft Windows 10 Pro, Graphics driver 20.19.15.4380 2016-02-01

  4. HEVC acceleration is subject to inclusion/installation of compatible HEVC players."