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Report: AMD Kaveri APUs Will Work in Upcoming FM2+ Socket

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AMD's upcoming Kaveri APUs will reportedly be compatible with the upcoming FM2+ socket.

Image Source: ComputerBase.de

The folks over at ComputerBase have leaked one of AMD's roadmaps, the desktop CPU roadmap for 2013. From this roadmap, it appears that the Kaveri APUs will feature a completely new CPU and GPU architecture. The Richland APUs were merely a minor update to the Trinity platform, offering nothing more than small performance improvements.

Moreover, it also shows that the Kaveri APUs will come with a new socket -- the FM2+ socket. In all likelihood, the new socket will not be an FM3 socket.

The APUs will feature from two to four Steamroller CPU cores, making Kaveri the first series of desktop CPUs/APUs with the new 28 nm Steamroller architecture. The GPUs in the units are expected to be part of the Sea Islands series, which are built on the GCN architecture. The new APUs would also support the new HSA applications. This, along with the hUMA architecture, would allow the CPU and GPU to communicate much more efficiently.

Niels Broekhuijsen
Niels Broekhuijsen

Niels Broekhuijsen is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He reviews cases, water cooling and pc builds.
36 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Larry Bob
    Sorry, can someone explain how FM2+ vs FM2 is a "more convenient" upgrade than say FM2 to FM3?
    Reply
  • vmem
    10908611 said:
    Sorry, can someone explain how FM2+ vs FM2 is a "more convenient" upgrade than say FM2 to FM3?

    It's nomenclature, to indicate that it's an update, not redesign, of socket FM2. it's also named thusly because it RETAINS COMPATIBILITY with current FM2 chips. of course, few would buy a new mobo without a new APU to go with it. but still, the backwards compatibility is nice
    Reply
  • realibrad
    last time, the + cpus were able to drop into previous mobos, but with out ddr3 support. dont know what support these would be losing, but last time you could buy the new cpu, and use an older mobo.
    Reply
  • realibrad
    last time, the + cpus were able to drop into previous mobos, but with out ddr3 support. dont know what support these would be losing, but last time you could buy the new cpu, and use an older mobo.
    Reply
  • Alexandros N
    Maybe an FM2 cpu will be compatible with an FM2+ mobo, or the new cpu will compatible with the old mobo. There are some limitations when that happen (lack of some new cpu-igp features) but at least you don't have to buy both new. Happend with am3 to am3+ sockets.
    Reply
  • SteelCity1981
    will work? of course it will work t's a brand new socket the article's title acts like it's an existing socket.
    Reply
  • slomo4sho
    The Richland APUs are going to have a rather short life cycle...
    Reply
  • ingtar33
    10908611 said:
    Sorry, can someone explain how FM2+ vs FM2 is a "more convenient" upgrade than say FM2 to FM3?

    you need to learn AMD naming nomenclature.

    xx2 and xx2+ will be identical sockets for the most part. allowing backward compatibility with xx2 chips in an xx2+ motherboard. This also means xx2+ chips will work in xx3 motherboards.

    in short incompatibility pops up in whole "number" changes. an AM2 cpu won't work in an AM3 motherboard, however an AM2+ chip will work in an AM3 motherboard.

    Generally speaking AMD likes to make it's "generational" sockets standard for the life of a ram cycle. So AM2 featured DDR2 ram compatibility. AM3 featured DDR3 compatibility, and its expected that AM4 will feature DDR4 compatibility.

    That's why so many people were upset when AMD had to redesign their FM1 socket within just one chip generation to the incompatible FM2 socket. Instead of lasting for the life of DDR3, AMD was forced because of the flaws in the original APU structure to ditch compatibility completely in order to fix the APU, skipping FM1+ and going straight to FM2.

    This is big news precisely because it means AMD isn't going to do the same thing with the whole new Kaveri APU. They'll retain socket comparability in order to support older trinity APUs. This means people can buy Richland and know that they won't be buying a chip with no future going forward.
    Reply
  • sykozis
    So, when exactly is Kaveri launching?
    Reply
  • chuyayala
    And by "leak" you mean AMD investor relations page roadmap being updated a few days ago?
    Reply