AMD Launches 7th Gen APUs Bristol Ridge

After a pre-release mini launch earlier in the year, we are finally getting AMD’s 7th generation APUs. Codenamed Bristol Ridge, the new chip lineup bridges the gap between current offerings and the upcoming Zen CPUs and APUs. The big reveal is a new line of A9 APUs which supplements the current branding.

The changes are the move to the new AM4 platform. This brings Excavator to the desktop segment as well as DDR4 support. Due to these changes, AMD is expecting a 50% IPC increase over Kaveri/Steamroller. This will result in varying degrees of real world performance gains but they are substantial. At the same time, the company is citing a major gain in efficiency. Performance per watt is up 25% which is a major boost.

With AM4 out now, we can now finally see what AMD has planned for Zen. From the socket, we can see expected max core size as well as major changes to the pin layout. At the same Computer event, the company also teased Zen and gave a rough outline for a launch. With performance set for 40% above Bristol Ridge, I can’t wait to see what AMD has made. At last, we will have some competition against Intel at the end CPU market.