MSI Preps For Godavari APUs Launch With Several FM2+ Motherboards – Other Vendors Release Latest UEFI Firmware

AMD is soon going to introduce their latest Godavari APUs which are based on a refreshed Kaveri design. MSI including several motherboard manufacturers have not only released the latest UEFI Firmware for their FM2+ boards which will allow support for the upcoming APUs but also released refreshed FM2+ motherboard lines which will allow users on the existing FM2 boards to get a decent upgrade path towards Kaveri and Godavari generation of APUs.

MSI Launches 8 New FM2+ Motherboards For Godavari APUs

The launch of Godavari APUs is marked for 28th May but we have already seen several leaks regarding the line up and their specifications since they can be seen listed on motherboard support lists of several board makers. These details point out that the new Godavari APUs are basically featuring a more efficient design over Kaveri that leads to higher clock speeds gain that is in most cases around 100-200 MHz on both CPU and GPU side. In fact, Godavari is to Kaveri what Richland was to Trinity and that implies to a more tweaked design. The reason for AMD not bringing anything new to the table on the desktop front could be the fact that they have Carrizo manufactured in limited quantities to only meet mobility demand. Since there are not enough Carrizo chips to make their way to desktop at the moment, AMD just refreshed their existing lineup to offer something new to desktop users. The bulk of the new updates for desktop consumers are planned for 2016 when AMD launches their next generation x86 Zen architecture and a new APU lineup called “Bristol Ridge“.

We are still far from 2016 so let’s take a look at what’s coming in the near future. While ASRock and Biostar are releasing UEFI firmware to add support for Godavari APUs, MSI is launching a slew of new motherboards that include the:

• MSI A88XI AC V2
• A88X-G41 PC Mate V2
• A88XM-P33 V2
• A88XM-E54 V2
• A88XM-E35 V2
• A78M-E45 V2
• A78M-E35 V2
• A68HM-E33 V2

The motherboards listed above feature Military Class IV designs and come in Mini-ITX and ATX form factors. The motherboards feature the socket FM2+ which supports Godavari, Kaveri, Richland and Trinity processors. The ITX offering comes with on-board wireless AC module and can support overclocking on K-series unlocked APUs. The Godavari APU lineup will include several new chips which will be launched under the A-7000 and A-8000 series branding. Japanese site, GDM.OR.JP mentions that the 8000-series will be used for OEM only PCs while the A10-7870K and A8-7670K will be launched for the consumer platforms. Specifications of these chips can be seen at the end of this article.

MSI FM2+ Motherboards With Godavari APU Support:

• 
• 
• 
  
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Some features are listed by MSI in the press release below:

MSI, world leading in motherboard design, is pleased to announce the launch of 8 new AMD FM2+/FM2 socket based motherboards supporting the latest AMD Godavari APU. These new models are available in ATX, micro-ATX, and mini-ATX form factors and are backwards compatible with FM2 processors (Kaveri, Richland, Trinity, 6000 and 5000 series). MSI has packed these models with a rich blend of features and technologies, such as onboard LAN, PCI Express 3.0 x16, SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.0 and multiple display support, offering the most stable and most cost-effective solution available.

The best price/performance solution for efficient PCs

MSI’s new A88X, A78 and A68H based motherboards are available in different form factors and offer a great choice in connectivity with a RAID controller, onboard LAN, PCI Express 3.0 x16, SATA and up to 10 USB ports.

When combined with today’s processors such as Godavari and Kaveri APUs, featuring advanced integrated graphics, MSI’s new A88X, A78 and A68H based motherboards support AMD Eyefinity. All these features come at a very attractive price point, making the new MSI A88X, A78 and A68H based motherboards the most comprehensive and most cost-effective solution available.

Military Class 4: The Most Stable Military Class Components

MSI uses award-winning Military Class 4 components, composed of high quality components such as Solid CAPs and Dark Chokes, which ensure your PC runs stable under extreme conditions. These key components have all passed testing to military standards, ensuring reliable performance in the harshest environments.

Military Class Essentials

The core of Military Class 4 is based on the essential elements which increase your stability in the most extreme conditions. Humidity- and high temperature protection ensure system stability in any environment, no matter what. The new structure of the PCB limits EMI emission. On top of that, all connectors have ESD protection to prevent short-circuiting.

OC Genie 4, Click BIOS 4 & Command Center

The MSI A68H series motherboards are equipped with many exclusive technologies, including the one-second overclocking tool OC Genie 4, the easy to use Click BIOS 4 and the Command Center software that combines features such as monitoring, tuning and controlling of your hardware. The unprecedented level of flexibility and control offered in MSI’s unique hard- and software design puts you in the driver’s seat of your motherboards configuration. via MSI

AMD Godavari APUs Flagship Chips:

Model	AMD A10-7870K ‘Godavari’	AMD A10-8850K ‘Godavari’ OEM	AMD A10-7850K ‘Kaveri’	AMD A10-6800K ‘Richland’	AMD A10-5800K ‘Trinity’
Cores	4/4	4/4	4/4	4/4	4/4
Turbo Core 3.0	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Base Clock	3.9 GHz	3.7 GHz	3.7 GHz	4.1 GHz	3.8 GHz
Turbo Clock	4.2 GHz?	4.1 GHz	4.0 GHz	4.4 GHz	4.2 GHz
L2 Cache	4 MB L2	4 MB L2	4 MB L2	4 MB L2	4 MB L2
Unlocked Design	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Graphics Core	GCN Radeon R7 Series	GCN Radeon R7 Series	GCN Radeon R7 Series	HD 8670D	HD 7660D
GPU Cores	512 Cores	512 Cores	512 Cores	384 Cores	384 Cores
GPU Clock	TBC	856 MHz	720 MHz	844 MHz	800 MHz
TDP	95W	95W	95W	100W	100W
Launch Date	28th May 2015	28th May 2015	14th January 2014	4th June 2013	2nd October 2012

AMD Godavari OEM APUs Lineup:

Godavari	CPU Cores	CPU Clock Base/Boost	L2 Cache	GPU /  Cores		GPU Clock	TDP
AMD A10-8850K	4	3.7/4.1 GHz	4 MB	R7 / 512		856 MHz	95W
AMD A10-Pro 8850B	4	3.7/4.1 GHz	4 MB	R7 / 512		800 MHz	95W
AMD A8-8650	4	3.2/3.8 GHz	4 MB	R7 / 384		760 MHz	65W
AMD A8-8650K	4	3.2/3.5 GHz	4 MB	R7 / 384		760 MHz	95W
AMD A10-8750	4	3.0/3.5 GHz	4 MB	R7 / 512		TBD	65W
AMD A6-8550K	2	3.1/3.5 GHz	2 MB	R5 / 256		TBD	65W
AMD A10 PRO-8750B	4	3.0/3.5 GHz	4 MB	R7 / 512		TBD	65W
AMD A8 PRO-8650B	4	2.9/3.2 GHz	4 MB	R7 / 384		760 MHz	65W
AMD A6 PRO-8550B	2	3.1/3.5 GHz	2 MB	R5 / 256		TBD	65W
AMD A4 PRO-8350B	2	3.0/3.5 GHz	2 MB	R5 / 256		757 MHz	65W
AMD Athlon X4 870K	4	3.5/3.7 GHz	2 MB	N/A		N/A	95W
AMD Athlon X4 850	4	2.9/3.2 GHz	2 MB	N/A		N/A	65W