AMD delivers first desktop Excavator chips in 2016 refresh

AMD adds new chips, motherboards and coolers to desktop portfolio

AMD has unveiled a handful of new processors as part of a 2016 desktop refresh, including the first chip based on the Excavator core to target desktop PCs. The firm will also release new motherboards with high-speed USB 3.1 ports and connectors to support M.2 Sata SSDs.

Available immediately, AMD's new desktop processors are aimed chiefly at the enthusiast and gamer markets, and comprise three chips fitting into the firm's FM2+ processor socket infrastructure for mainstream systems.

Two of these chips are based on the Godavari architecture and are APUs featuring Steamroller CPU cores and Graphics Core Next GPU cores. The A10-7860K has four CPU cores and eight GPU cores with a clock speed of 3.6GHz, while the A6-7470K has dual CPU cores and four GPU cores at a clock speed of 3.7GHz. Both have a maximum Turbo speed of 4GHz.

The A10-7860K is not AMD's top-end chip, coming in below the A10-7870K and the A10-7890K, but it does replace three existing chips in the A10 line-up, the A10-7850K, A10-7700K and A10-7800.

"The interesting thing about the A10-7860K is that it delivers the same high 4GHz Turbo speed, but it is a 65W part, so it delivers comparable performance to the A10-7850K, but we're dropping 30W," said AMD client product manager Don Woligroski.

The third chip is badged under AMD's Athlon brand, as it has CPU cores only and does not qualify as an APU. The Athlon X4 845 features four of the new Excavator cores used in the mobile Carrizo platform, clocked at 3.5GHz with a Turbo speed of up to 3.8GHz.

Neither is the Athlon X4 845 at the top of the Athlon stack, but is "more of an efficient, really great low-cost part", according to Woligroski.

AMD will also deliver new motherboards to complement the latest processors sometime during the first quarter of 2016. These bring support for USB 3.1 Gen2 ports with the new Type-C connector, offering 10Gbps data rates, plus connectors for M.2 SATA SSD modules. M.2 modules are more usually seen in laptop and mobile systems because of their compact size.

Future AMD desktop chips will converge on a common socket infrastructure known as AM4, according to Woligroski. The first processors to use this are likely to be the upcoming Summit Ridge desktop chip and Bristol Ridge APU.

AMD also announced a new heatsink and fan combination for cooling the chips. The AMD Wraith cooler is claimed to deliver 34 percent more airflow while generating less than a 10th of the noise of its predecessor at 39dbA.