Vortez - Computer Hardware News & Reviews » News » October 2012 » AMD Release FX-Series 'Piledriver' CPUs

New unlocked processors come in 8-core, 6-core and 4-core variants and see significant improvements over Bulldozer.


PRESS RELEASE



SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Oct. 23, 2012 — AMD announced an update to the Guinness World Record-setting[1] AMD FX family of central processing units (CPUs) that continues the brand’s history of delivering a fully unlocked and customizable experience for performance desktop PC users. At the heart of the latest AMD FX processor is the new “Piledriver” multi-core architecture that offers up to a 15 percent increase in performance at a lower price than the previous generation[2] – with the highest-performing AMD FX processors starting at less than $200. The increased performance from the latest architecture is designed for multi-threaded applications like content creation, video and audio encoding, and games, allowing users extreme responsiveness and mega-tasking performance.

“Gamers and PC enthusiasts who buy AMD FX processors have even more to cheer about with the increased speeds and value we are delivering starting today,” said Leslie Sobon, vice president of Desktop and Component Products, AMD. “After introducing the industry’s first and only eight-core desktop processor last year, we now have even faster stock frequencies and an all-new, high-performance x86 core architecture to satisfy power-users.”

The AMD FX opens the door to a world of possibilities when combined with other AMD technologies, like an AMD 9-Series chipset motherboard and AMD Radeon™ HD 7000 Series graphics cards with AMD Eyefinity technology multi-monitor support. AMD also provides downloadable software upgrades that free the creative user to push performance with the AMD OverDrive™ utility, manage their gaming with AMD Catalyst™ Control Center, or harness the power of multiple graphic cards working in parallel with AMD CrossFire™ technology[3].

"After what we've seen of the previous generation of AMD FX Series, the overclockers at HWBOT are very eager to find out what the new AMD FX Series will bring to the game," said Frederik Colardyn, founder and CEO of the competitive overclocking site, HWBOT.org. "As the previous generation shattered the frequency world record, pushing it to a new high, we hope to see the new AMD FX Series raise the bar even further.”

Starting today, the new AMD FX CPUs will be available from global retailers.

Specifications



Industry Support

ASRock: “The new AMD FX Series is perfect for performance-driven PC enthusiasts,” said James Lee, ASRock vice president of Sales and Marketing. “We are beyond thrilled to inform users that our new ASRock motherboards work seamlessly and give full play to the AMD FX Series.”

Asus: “A year ago, the FX Series broke records and we’re excited about the 15 percent increased performance this year,” said Joe Hsieh, general manager of Asus’ Motherboard Business Unit. “We produce a large number of motherboards each month and are always committed to providing customers with an unmatched PC experience. The update to the FX Series allows us to continue to outfit our motherboards with leading processor performance.”

GIGABYTE: “The latest AMD FX Series CPUs provide PC builders eight power cores, great for multi-threaded applications and extreme multitasking,” commented Henry Kao, vice president of GIGABYTE Motherboard Business Unit. “GIGABYTE’s AM3+ series motherboards together with the latest AMD’s second generation AMD FX Series CPUs will ensure our customers are getting unparalleled features and processor performance from their AMD platform.”

MSI: “The increased speeds and value offered by the latest AMD FX Series gives overclockers and performance enthusiasts the responsiveness needed for any task,” said Ted Hung, MSI vice president of Mainboard Department. “When the FX Series is paired with an MSI AM3+ mainboard, not only do users get maximum performance, but they’re also taking advantage of our OC Genie II technology providing military-class stability and intelligent overclocking within just one second.”

Supporting Resources

§ Read a new AMD Game Blog recognizing FX enthusiasts

§ Follow AMD on Twitter at @AMD Unprocessed for AMD FX CPU updates

§ Like AMD on Facebook



Note: AMD’s product warranty does not cover damages caused by overclocking. Extreme overclocking with liquid helium and liquid nitrogen should only be attempted by professional overclockers.

[1] The AMD FX CPU achieved a top speed of 8.429 GHz, surpassing the previous record of 8.308 GHz. The record was set on Aug. 31, 2011, in Austin, Texas, by “Team AMD FX,” a group comprised of elite overclocking specialists working alongside top AMD technologists.

[2] Testing by AMD Performance labs using an AMD FX-8350 processor with an AMD Radeon™ HD 7970 graphics card, 2x4GB DDR3-1600, Windows 7 64bit, Catalyst 12.3 scored 5575 pixels per second in POV-Ray 3.7, and 7.0 in Cinebench 11.5 versus an AMD FX-8150 processor with an AMD Radeon™ HD 7970 graphics card, 2x4GB DDR3-1600, Windows 7 64bit, Catalyst 12.3 which scored 4829 pixels per second in POV-Ray and 6.0 in Cinebench 11.5.

[3] AMD CrossFire™ technology requires an AMD CrossFire ready motherboard, and may require an AMD CrossFire™ Bridge Interconnect (one for each additional graphics card) and a specialized power supply. Note that the following graphics cards only support AMD CrossFire technology in dual mode (i.e.: maximum 2 graphics cards): AMD Radeon™ HD 6670, HD 6570, HD 6450, HD 5670 and ATI Radeon™ HD 5670, HD5570, HD 5550, HD 5450 and do not require a bridge interconnect. AMD Eyefinity technology works with games and applications that support non-standard aspect ratios, which is required for spanning across multiple displays. To enable more than two displays, additional panels with native DisplayPort™ connectors, and/or DisplayPort™ compliant active adapters to convert your monitor’s native input to your cards DisplayPort™ or Mini-DisplayPort™ connector(s), are required. AMD Eyefinity technology can support multiple displays using a single enabled AMD Radeon™ graphics card with Windows® Vista or Windows® 7 operating systems – the number of displays may vary by board design and you should confirm exact specifications with the applicable manufacturer before purchase. SLS (“Single Large Surface”) functionality requires an identical display resolution on all configured displays.


Tagged as: AMD

22.08.2011 14:55:01: AMD Release Refreshed C and E Series APUs by Tony Le Bourne
08.08.2011 15:16:55: AMD Release Radeon Branded DDR3? by Tony Le Bourne
08.08.2011 14:49:59: AMD Releases Updated OpenCLSoftware Development Kit by Tony Le Bourne

Vortez - Computer Hardware News & Reviews » News » October 2012 » AMD Release FX-Series 'Piledriver' CPUs