Introduction

It didn't take AMD long to introduce their new APUs for the FM2 socket after launching new CPUs just a couple weeks ago. There are, since this socket is new, quite a few new board products on the market, and the first one I got to take a look at is from none other than Gigabyte.

Gigabyte has really changed things up in a big way recently. They launched new VRM designs, finally adopted UEFI, and made several other new technological changes that left me pretty impressed with their offerings over the past six months. All of those things seem to have come together in these new FM2 products from Gigabyte, the pinnacle of which is the Gigabyte F2A85X-UP4. Set as the enthusiast overclocking option for the AMD FM2 socket, or for those that want a bit more functionality from their shiny new A10-5800K, the Gigabyte F2A85X-UP4 features a high-end VRM design and quite a few overclocker-friendly options that are sure to meet any enthusiast's needs.

Specifications

AMD FM2 Chipsets

You will, in order to get your new APU up and running, need a supporting chipset; not just any supporting chipset, but one that is also mated with the proper FM2 socket. The AMD FM1 socket's usefulness was, although it was only launched last year, pretty short-lived. Instinct tells me that the physical changes made to the socket are quite similar to the change from AMD's white AM3 socket to the black AM3+ socket, which also changed power delivery a fair bit in order to add support for AMD's newest Bulldozer cores. Bulldozer cores themselves never made it to the APU market, and these new APUs are fitted with the new Piledriver cores rather than taking last year's tech and making a new product out of old parts. Those shiny new Piledriver cores need slightly different power delivery and connectivity to the chipset, which is why FM2 is here. No, it is NOT backwards compatible with older APUs, nor can you pop a new AMD A10-5800K into your FM1-socketed motherboard.

AMD has three chipsets lined up to support AMD FM2 APUs: the AMD A55, AMD A75, and AMD A85X. The former two, the AMD A55 and AMD A75, have been on the market since the FM1 APU launch, and the features offered by those chipsets are not going to change at all. The AMD A55 offers a slightly different feature set than that of the AMD A75 chip, and the new AMD A85X simply expands on that.


AMD A85X supports eight total SATA 6 Gb/s ports with FIS-based switching and adds in CrossfireX support. The new AMD A85X targets gamers and enthusiasts as well as those that like to keep up with the latest and greatest in technology. AMD intends you to pair this chipset up with AMD A10 and AMD A8 APUs, and their "K"-level, "unlocked" APUs.


Each chipset, or Fusion Controller Hub (FCH for short), has a specific use, and, thereby, a specific target market. Those that don't need as much can pick a chipset that doesn't give them as much while saving money through features that chipset lacks. It looks like you might get exactly what you pay for. It will be interesting to see how AMD's board partners assess AMD's FM2 APUs, and what products they design for them. Gigabyte has sent me their top-level FM2 offering with the Gigabyte F2A85X-UP4. The F2A85X-UP4 is a full ATX-sized board capable of both AMD Dual Graphics and straight-up Crossfire:

Packaging

The packaging that the Gigabyte F2A85X-UP4 arrived in has become standard fare with Gigabyte's current palette of boards. You can tell that this board is ready for unlocked CPUs and watercooling. The rear of the box is also covered by pretty standard stuff.


Opening the box, I found the accessories on top. The board was beneath a layer of cardboard.