AMD APU Trinity Technology News

In each new generation of computer processors, both AMD and Intel, you will surely find the latest technological innovations in it. It may be that we do not know what it is but some of the technologies that we can feel the benefits of the latest generation of processors and higher computational performance, lower power consumption, the latest feature updates, and more. Not only that, one of the interesting things is the latest generation of processors processors sometimes are offered for about the same price as the previous generation processors. Of course this is a breath of fresh air for users who do not have previous generation processors.

Glad fresh in mind, about a year ago, AMD finally released its desktop APU processor, AMD A-Series. This processor is the first processor that AMD included a computing unit of CPU and GPU computing x86/x64 alias alias graph units. Compared to Intel, AMD is the processor type as this issue too late. Still, it paid off with a performance that makes the AMD GPU unit as the owner of the fastest integrated graphics card. Performance integrated graphics card could even be equated to a class of add-on graphics card entry level at the time.

October 2, 2012, AMD has finally released its desktop processors APU. This second generation of APU processors certainly came a series of new technologies that make it better than the previous generation. What the latest technology built into AMD Trinity APU codenamed that? Consider the following discussion.

Trinity Desktop / Virgo Platforms

APU Trinity

AMD Trinity APU processor comprises x86/x64 computing unit (CPU) and graphics computing unit (GPU). In the intact condition, Trinity APU will have four processor cores with 2 units of L2-cache. While the unit is GPU Graphics Card AMD HD 7000 series.

AMD uses the manufacturing process as APU Llano to Trinity APU which is 32 nm. An increase in the number of transistors in Trinity APU Llano APU compared, 1178000000-1303000000 transistors. An increasing number of transistors and use the same manufacturing process has largely Trinity APU die increased to 246 mm2 from 228 mm2 to previous Llano APU.

Processor

When looking at the picture of the AMD APU die above, please see the difference between Llano and Trinity, especially in the CPU unit. Trinity APU now uses the Piledriver architecture, architecture successor in a series AMD Bulldozer FX. As the successor to Bulldozer, Piledriver CPU unit is still adheres to the same scheme is a module for two integer cores and a core FPU (floating point unit). The maximum number of modules in the Trinity APU is 2 pieces with the size of the L2 cache of 2MB per module.

Here are some improvements over Piledriver Bulldozer architecture. AMD adds some new instructions, such as AVX, AVX 1.1, FMA3, AES and F16C. Architecture Pildriver claimed to have performance of 10-15% better than Bulldozer and 26% better than Llano APU CPU unit due to an increase of the IPC (instructions per clock) of the CPU.

Besides the CPU unit with the latest architecture, Trinity APU is now also using new types Unified Northbridge Northbridge (UNB). To communicate with other devices, UNB no longer uses HyperTransport but using PCIe lanes. Memory controller supports dual channel DDR3 memory sets with a maximum speed of 1866 MHz memory controller now supports DDR3 memory voltage of 1.25 V.

For PCIe controller, APU Trinity is not very different from the Llano APU is still using the second generation of PCI Express PCIe with 24 pieces of music that can be split for multi-GPU feature to accommodate the communication lines or other components.

Graphics Card

If the Llano APU GPU architecture using VLIW5, the unit Trinity APU GPU architecture using VLIW4. VLIW4 architecture is the architecture that is also used in graphics card AMD HD 6900 series. GPU codenamed unit is equipped Devastator 384 stream processors, 24 texture units and 8 ROP units. Surprisingly Stream Processor amount less than the juice, which has Stream Processor 400. This makes the performance Devastator is slower than the Sumo? Let's look at the test session in the next article.

In Devastator GPU core, AMD allocate part of the transistor to a special unit called AMD HD Media Accellerator. This special unit dedicated to accelerating the process of video transcoding (AMD Accelerated Video Converter) and take the video decoding tasks from the CPU (UVD3) so that the CPU can perform other work.

One interesting thing of this unit is Devastator GPU now supports four monitors with Eyefinity parts resource. View four pieces can be combined on a single monitor mode SLS (Single Large Surface), resulting in the display with an image resolution super great.

Types and Specifications

AMD prepared eight variants of AMD Trinity APU. There is a variant with an integrated graphics card, there is also a variant without integrated graphics. The suffix letter "K" series processors indicates that the processor has a processor unlocked multiplier.

Varian faster AMD Trinity APU apparently offered a price range of $ 122 (online price). This price was not much different from the current price of Llano APU processors released.

Motherboard

Compatibility

AMD Trinity APU processors using a motherboard with socket FM2 where Llano APU socket FM1 processor socket is not compatible with the latest. Consequently Llano APU system users have to buy a new motherboard to use the Trinity APU processor. Of course it has affected the swelling of funds. Of course this would not be a problem if you do not use the system with the Llano APU. Socket FM2 will be maintained for the next generation APU processor although it is unknown to what generation.

Chipset / FCH (Fusion Controller Hub)

FM2 socket motherboards come with three types of A85X chipset is AMD, A75, and A55. Ya! A75 and A55 were previously used on a socket FM1 motherboard can still be used on the motherboard socket FM2. AMD introduced a new chipset that A85X with improved characteristics, such as an increase in the number of SATA 6Gbps ports into 8 pieces and Crossfire support.

AMD A85X FCH