AMD's Tri-Core A6 3500 APU is Real, Shipping for $95
AMD's Tri-Core A6 3500 APU is Real, Shipping for $95
Posted 08/17/2011 at 8:04am
| by Paul Lilly
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Rumors, leaked pictures, and supposed specifications of a tri-core Llano APU have been floating around the Web since early July, and if you had any lingering doubts that this chip was real, you can put them to rest. AMD just sent us word that it's new tri-core A6 3500 APU is shipping now and is available for less than a C-note.
The new APU features three x86 CPU cores mingling with more than 300 Radeon cores. AMD says the CPU portion races along at 2.1GHz per core, and 2.4GHz with Turbo Boost, while the integrated Radeon HD 6530D graphics is clocked at 444MHz. These are flanked by 3MB of L2 cache and carries a TDP of 65W. Here's how it compares to the other Llano APUs currently available:
- AMD A8 3850: Quad-core (2.9GHz), Radeon HD 6550D (600MHz), 400 GPU cores, 100W TDP, $135
- AMD A6 3650: Quad-core (2.6GHz), Radeon HD 6530D (444MHz), 320 GPU cores, 100W TDP, $115
- AMD A6 3500: Tri-core (2.1GHz), Radeon HD 6530D (444MHz), 320 GPU cores, 65W TDP, $95
AMD's new A6 3600 is so far the lowest priced Llano APU you can buy, and you're essentially trading an extra processing core for a chip that's $20 less expensive than the 3650 that also runs 500MHz slower and consumes less power. Sound like a fair deal? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Image Credit: AMD
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maddingo
August 17, 2011 at 10:54am
the main reason i can think of for choosing the tri core is for the lower TDP for SFF builds
less heat , less power easier to keep quiet
Keith E. Whisman
August 17, 2011 at 8:55am
Damn the specs Delta between the procs are huge compared to the price difference. All the procs are super cheap, I just can't imagine anyone thinking, "hmm, if only I could afford to splurge on the quad core" $20? $135 dollars is pretty damn cheap for the top dog APU.
Paul_Lilly
August 17, 2011 at 9:27am
You're right, all three chips are super affordable. I like the sub-$100 price point though, which would be attractive when putting a together a basic rig for mom and pop, or grandma and gramps. That $20-40 savings could be applied towards more RAM, larger hard drive, paid Internet security suite, or a Bob Evans gift certificate.
PCLinuxguy
August 17, 2011 at 9:14am
agreed. I mean a decent quad core apu (the big dog one though) of the A8-3850 is cheaper than most of the phenom quad cores on the low end. so it'd be perfect for alot of builds
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