Presenting the winners of the BIOSTAR HiFi Contest. In April, we ran a Facebook giveaway in collaboration with BIOSTAR, giving away three A85W-HiFi socket FM2 motherboards to participants from the US, with a catchphrase that best describes the awesome Puro HiFi integrated audio solution you with with these motherboards. Without further ado, the winners:

• Andrew from Minneapolis, MN
  
• Jesse from Coeur d'Alene, ID
  
• Daniel from Folsom, CA
  

Huge congrats to you guys! Have fun with your new A85W-HiFi! TechPowerUp will return with more interesting contests.

Desktop variants of AMD "Richland" APUs in the socket FM2 package, will arrive this June. Three of the first models to be released to the market, the A10-6800K, the A10-6700, and the A4-4400, could already be in stock with certain retailers, and were pictured. The A10-6800K (AD680KWOA44HL) features four x86-64 cores based on the "Piledriver" micro-architecture, 4.10 GHz core clock speed, 4.40 GHz maximum Turbo Core frequency, and Radeon HD 8670D graphics, clocked at 844 MHz. It features an unlocked base-clock multiplier.

The A10-6700 (AD6700OKA44HL) features the same graphics core as the A10-6800K, but features 3.70 GHz CPU clock speed, 4.30 GHz maximum Turbo Core frequency, and an upwards locked base-clock multiplier. The A4-4400 (AD4400OKA23HL), on the other hand, is an entry-level dual-core chip with 3.70 GHz core, 3.90 GHz Turbo Core, and Radeon HD 8370D graphics.Source: Hermitage Akihabara

AMD is ready to launch the next generation of company's APUs in June, 2013, codenamed "Richland". The new Fusion S-Series "Richland" CPU Series will have an updated graphics code which turns out to be HD-8000 series graphics and support native DDR3-2133. Today, BIOSTAR full range FM2 motherboards are ready to support the new "Richland" series; users just need to update BIOS and Drivers which are available at BIOSTAR homepage.

Evercool announced the HPR 9225EA entry-level tower-type CPU cooler. It uses a stack of 43 aluminium fins, to which heat is conveyed by two 6 mm-thick copper heat pipes, which make direct contact with the CPU at the base. The stack is ventilated by a 92 mm fan that spins at speeds up to 2,200 RPM, pushing 35.6 CFM of air, with 26.3 dBA noise output. Measuring 97 x 73 x 118 mm (WxDxH), the cooler weighs about 400 g. It supports most modern CPU socket types, with the exception of LGA2011. Among the socket types supported are LGA115x, LGA775, AM3+/AM3/AM2+, and FM2/FM1. The company did not give out pricing information.

ASUS augmented its socket FM2 motherboard lineup with the F2A85-V, a lite variant of the F2A85-V Pro the company kicked off its Trinity APU-compatible motherboard lineup with. The new F2A85-V trims down on a few things over the -Pro variant, such as simpler independent VRM and FCH heatsinks with no heat-pipe connecting them, fewer APU power phases, and a lighter expansion slot layout that isn't ideal for multi-GPU setups.

To begin with, the F2A85-V features a 6-phase APU VRM that draws power from a 4-pin ATX connector, compared to the 8-phase one drawing from an 8-pin EPS, on the F2A85-V Pro. The FM2 socket is connected to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting a maximum of 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and a single PCI-Express 2.0 x16. Other expansion slots include a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4, wired to the A85X FCH), two PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and three legacy PCI slots.

In what could bring an ear-to-ear grin on DIY NAS/home-server builders, ASRock launched the industry's first mini-ITX motherboard with a total of eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports (of which one is eSATA 6 Gb/s). The new FM2A85X-ITX, as the name suggests, is a socket FM2 motherboard based on the AMD A85X chipset, in the mini-ITX form-factor. Everything on this board is just where you'd want it to be: the centrally-located APU socket is powered by a fairly strong 6-phase VRM, which along with ancillary phases, draws power from 24-pin ATX and 4-pin CPU power connectors.

The APU socket, which supports today's AMD A-series "Trinity" APUs, and likely tomorrow's A-series "Richland" APUs, is wired to two DDR3-DIMM slots supporting a maximum of 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 memory; and the lone expansion slot, a PCI-Express 2.0 x16. The AMD A85X FCH wires out seven internal SATA 6 Gb/s ports (with RAID 0/1/10 support), and an eSATA 6 Gb/s port. Display connectivity includes one each of dual-link DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI. The board features a total of four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two by headers). Gigabit Ethernet, 8-channel HD audio, PS/2 keyboard, and a number of USB 2.0/1.1 ports make for the rest of the connectivity. The ASRock FM2A85X-ITX is expected to be priced around US $110.

Global leading motherboard brand ASRock announced today to organize ASRock FM2 OC Competition with HWBOT, the top organization hosting the world's only 24/7 overclocking competition to bring together 35,000 participants and feature competitions in thousands of categories. The participants will be competing for the highest CPU-Z or 3DMark Vantage score which is submitted to HWBOT.org.

The contest, sponsored by several prestigious brands including AMD, Kingston and Cooler Master, starts from January 7 and runs until February 4. It is opened to all overclockers with ASRock brand motherboards and AMD Socket FM2 CPUs. The total prize is worth up to 6,740 dollars and the final champions of the CPU-Z and 3DMark Vantage event will be awarded with a top prize worth of 2,170 dollars respectively. The grand prize makes it one of the most eye-catching online OC competitions on FM2 platforms, which is estimated to attract enthusiastic overclockers worldwide.

MSI rolled out its second socket FM2 motherboard for the week, following the A85XMA-E33, unlike which, the new board is built into a full-size micro-ATX (240 x 240 mm) PCB. Yet, designers couldn't find room for eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, which the A85X FCH is capable of handling, or four DDR3 DIMM slots. The FM2 socket is powered by a simple 5-phase VRM that's cooled by a chunky MOSFET heatsink, it's wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots, and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. Other slots include two PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and a legacy PCI. Display outputs include DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI; 8-channel HD audio, four USB 3.0 ports, and gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of its notable rear-panel connectivity. Here's hoping that by simply opting for the A85X, without wiring out eight SATA ports, doesn't let MSI get away by making A85XMA-E35 any costlier than AMD A75-based boards with similar features.

MSI unveiled a new entry-level socket FM2 motherboard, the FM2-A75MA-P33. Based on the AMD A75 FCH chipset, the board supports newer A-series "Trinity" APUs. The board uses a 5-phase VRM to power the APU, which is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and legacy PCI make for the rest of the expansion.

Storage connectivity on the FM2-A75MA-P33 includes six internal SATA 6 Gb/s ports, supporting RAID 0/1/10. The A75 FCH gives out four USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports, which are wired out as two type-A ports on the rear-panel, and two ports by header. The board features headers for legacy connectivity such as LPT (parallel) and COM (serial). Display connectivity includes one each of dual-link DVI and D-Sub. 6-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, a number of USB 2.0/1.1 ports, and PS/2, make for the rest of the connectivity. The FM2-A75MA-P33 is expected to be priced around $70.

MSI's FM2-A85XA-G65 breaks world records again! Featuring MSI's new DigitALL power design with Military Class III components, the FM2-A85XA-G65 reached an astounding 2844MHz memory frequency and 170.5MHz BCLK with an AMD A10-5800K processor. The combination of MSI FM2-A85XA-G65 and AMD A10-5800K scores over 10000 Marks in 3DMark Vantage P mode. It shows that MSI FM2 series has great overclocking potential and brings better gaming experience to users.

AMD's new A10-5800K Trinity APU is a powerful solution that combines excellent CPU performance with unprecedented integrated GPU performance. MSI's FM2-A85XA-G65 is the excellent companion for AMD's latest series of APUs as it combines great performance features with a keen eye on power consumption. With the push of a button, OC Genie II will boost your APU and GPU performance. Graphics performance is boosted with both AMD CrossFire and Dual Graphics.

The most talented overclocker in the world, Nick Shih breaks another record. Well, actually it's more likely the other way around. World record breaker Nick Shih overclocks again! This time he has reached an unearthly 7930.69 MHz with the new socket FM2 APU and ASRock's FM2A85X Extreme6 motherboard, which places him numero uno on HWBOT again.

"I absolutely love having fun with some of the best gizmos around, such as the new socket FM2 APUs and ASRock FM2A85X Extreme6. You can always expect amazing results when you are dealing with these reliable hardware. For me, 7.93 GHz is merely a warm up. 8 GHz ready or not, here I come!" exclaimed the much excited Nick Shih.

Scythe released the Apsalus entry-level liquid CPU Cooler (model: APSALUS3-120). Based on an Asetek platform, the pre-assembled (maintenance-free), closed-loop cooler uses an exposed copper base with pump assembly, joined the the 1U 120 mm radiator that packs the reservoir, which is ventilated by a 120 mm Scythe-made fan. The base measures 72.3 x 72.3 × 27.3 mm, the radiator 120 x 150 x 27 mm (excluding the fan), and the coolant pipes are about 326 mm long. The cooler supports all modern CPU socket types, including LGA2011, LGA115x, LGA1366, FM2/FM1, and AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2. It is priced around 6,980¥ ($84).Source: Hermitage Akihabara

Antec introduced V4 series design updates for its Kuhler H2O 620 and H2O 920 closed-loop CPU coolers. The new coolers are outfitted with a higher-pressure pump, and split-flow copper fin design in the radiators. The company claims the two innovations work to drop temperatures down a further 2-4°C, over temperatures previous versions achieve. Lastly, the coolers are labeled with guaranteed support for current and upcoming CPU socket types, including LGA2011, LGA115x, LGA775, FM2/FM1, and AM3+/AM3/AM2+. Prices remain unchanged.

Jetway is now prepping its second motherboard powered by the AMD A85X chipset, the HA21-85X. This ATX board supports AMD's Socket FM2 APUs and features a 4+2 phase power design, four DDR3-1866 memory slots, an mSATA connector, five SATA 3.0 Gbps ports, one PCIe 2.0 x16 slot, Gigabit Ethernet, 7.1 channel audio, two USB 3.0 ports, and D-Sub, DVI and HDMI outputs.

The HA21-85X's price tag has not been revealed.Source: hi-Tech.ua

Sapphire officially launched the Vapor-X CPU cooler it talked about at trade shows earlier this year. It uses a vapor-chamber plate to draw heat from the CPU, and convey it to four 7 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes, which then pass through a dense aluminum fin stack, that's ventilated by two 120 mm PWM controlled fans (replaceable) in push-pull configuration. Spinning at speeds ranging between 495 and 2,200 RPM, the fans push 77 CFM of air, each. Measuring 135 x 110.4 x 163.5 mm, the heatsink weighs about 925 g. Nearly every modern client CPU socket type is supported, including Intel sockets LGA2011, LGA115x, LGA775, and AMD sockets AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2, and FM2/FM1. Expect a sub-$80 price.

Taiwan-based Biostar Microtech has now announced a new motherboard supporting AMD's FM2 APUs, the Hi-Fi A85W. Powered by the A85X chipset, this board comes with a bunch of audiophile-friendly features like a noise-blocking multi-layer PCB design (isolates analog audio signals from digital sources), a built-in amplifier, Non-Polarized Electrolysis Electric audio capacitors for each audio channel circuit, 'Hi-Fi' resistors, and the Hi-Fi Power technology (audio components have an independent power design).

Biostar's motherboard also has four DDR3-2400 memory slots, eight SATA 6.0 Gbps ports, two PCIe x16, two PCIe x1 and two PCI slots, Gigabit Ethernet, 7.1-channel audio (Realtek ALC892 codec), a debug LED, two USB 3.0 ports, and D-Sub, DVI and HDMI outputs. The Hi-Fi A85W has a recommended price tag of €124.90.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announced the record highest clock speed 7.86GHz on AMD's A10 5800K APU using the GIGABYTE F2A85X-UP4 motherboard.

Attending an AMD Extreme OC show on 20th Nov. in Taipei Taiwan, GIGABYTE's overclocking team, The Killers (featuring HiCookie, S.Dougal and John Lam), took part in an overclocking demonstration achieving two new records on AMD's new Vishera and Trinity platforms. The GIGABYTE F2A85X-UP4 motherboard was able to push the AMD 5800K to an incredible 7.86GHz, more than twice the 3.8GHz stock clock. The AMD FX8350 processor was pushed to 8.47GHz using a GIGABYTE 990FXA-UD3 board.

Gigabyte is currently planning the release of a new Socket FM2 motherboard, a micro ATX model called GA-F2A85XM-HD3 that is powered by the AMD A85X chipset and offers triple monitor support (it includes Dual-link DVI, HDMI and D-Sub ports). This board also has an Ultra Durable 4 Classic design, two DDR3-1866 memory slots, eight SATA 6.0 Gbps ports, one PCIe x1 and two PCIe x16 slots, Gigabit Ethernet, 5.1-channel audio, plus two USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0 ports.

The GA-F2A85XM-HD3 is available for pre-order at £57.14 (~ $90.55).

Reeven unveiled the Arcziel 12 CPU cooler. Classified in the large category, the Arcziel 12 is a top-flow air-cooler that uses an aluminum fin stack arranged along the plane of the motherboard, to which heat is conveyed by six 6 mm-thick copper heat pipes that make indirect contact with the CPU over a nickel-plated copper base that's polished to a mirror-finish. The six heat pipes pass through the aluminum fin stack at two points, to even heat distribution. The heatsink is then ventilated by a 120 mm PWM fan that spins at 500 to 1900 RPM, with noise-output of up to 35 dBA. Measuring 140.5 x 131 x 126 mm, the cooler weighs about 557 g. It supports all modern CPU socket types, including LGA2011, LGA115x, AM3+, and FM2. It is slated for November 21.Source: Hermitage Akihabara

Biostar has now announced the European arrival of the TA75MH2 motherboard supporting AMD's Socket FM2 processors. Based on the A75 chipset, this micro ATX board features 100% solid capacitors, two DDR3-1866 memory slots supporting up to 32 GB of RAM, six SATA 6.0 Gbps ports, one PCI-Express x16, one PCI and two PCIe x1 slots, Gigabit Ethernet, 5.1 channel audio, two USB 3.0 ports, plus D-Sub, DVI and HDMI outputs.

The TA75MH2 has a recommended price tag of €62.90.

AMD's FX "Vishera" socket AM3+ processors are in for a long haul. According to a DonanimHaber report based on a leaked company roadmap slide, the company plans no new processor architecture to succeed it in 2013. The company recently launched its FX "Vishera" line of eight-, six-, and four-core chips just an year following FX "Zambezi," leading analysts to believe the company would launch a new micro-architecture each year to keep up with Intel's "tick-tock" product development strategy.

The roadmap slide, pictured below, shows AMD FX "Vishera" continuing through 2013 as the flagship desktop platform, followed by "Richland" third-generation desktop APU, which combines "Piledriver" CPU components with "Radeon 2.0 cores" (we're guessing those are Graphics CoreNext stream processors), which maintains socket FM2 platform; and low-power "Kabini" APU, which carries the mantle from "Brazos."

Source: DonanimHaber

In late-2011, ASUS set itself a target of shipping 25 million PC motherboards in the following year. Contributing to its optimism were three new platform launches - Intel Core "Ivy Bridge" (7-series chipset), AMD "Trinity" (socket FM2), and AMD Vishera; and Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system, prompting PC upgrades. Falling demand in US and Europe, and weaker-than-expected shipment growth in China forced ASUS to trim its 2012 target down from 25 million to 22.2 million. In 2011, the company shipped 23.2 million motherboards.

In the first three quarters, ASUS shipped 16.7 million motherboards, and expects to ship no more than 5.5 million; down 5% sequentially, and flat year-over-year. The company faced severe competition from Gigabyte, which shipped 14 million motherboards in the three quarters thus far, and expects to ship 4.5 million in Q4, totaling 18.5 million for the year. The third biggest motherboard vendor, ASRock, is astray from its 2012 goal of 9 million shipments, and is hoping for a more conservative 7 million units target for 2012.Source: DigiTimes

Korean enthusiast PC components major Zalman announced a trio of closed-loop liquid CPU coolers, the LQ310, LQ315, and LQ320; which are designed to handle maximum thermal loads (Qmax) of 300W, 330W, and 340W, respectively. The USP for all three is an extremely dense copper micro-fin structures inside the main block, where heat is dissipated to the coolant. The three feature what is essentially the same block and pump, and differ with the size of the radiator.

The Radiator component of the LQ310 measures 153 x 120 x 25 mm, that of the LQ315 is slightly thicker, at 35 mm, and LQ320 at 51 mm. A Zalman-made 120 mm fan, with 900 to 2,000 RPM speed range, long life bearing, and 4-pin PWM control, is standard issue for all three models. All modern CPU socket types are supported by the three, including LGA2011, LGA115x, AM3+/AM3, and FM2/FM1. The LQ310, LQ315, and LQ320, are priced at US $85, $100, and $120, respectively.Source: Overclockers Ukraine

AMD's FirePro APUs built on the "Trinity" silicon, with the GPU feature-set of AMD's FirePro professional GPUs and durability of Opteron enterprise CPUs; and compatible motherboards made by PC Partner (Sapphire) have started selling in Japan. Among the new products on sale are the FirePro A300 (3.40 GHz CPU core, 4.00 GHz CPU TurboCore, 760 MHz GPU, quad-core, 65W), and FirePro A320 (3.80 GHz CPU core, 4.20 GHz CPU TurboCore, 800 MHz GPU, quad-core, 100W), and the AMD reference design micro-ATX motherboard, manufactured by PC Partner.

The motherboard features socket FM2, powered by an 8-phase digital PWM power supply to the APU socket, four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory, expansion slots that include PCI-Express 2.0 x16, PCI-Express 2.0 x4, x1, and legacy PCI; eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, display outputs that include dual-link DVI, dual-link DisplayPort, and D-Sub. HD audio and gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of it.Source: Hermitage Akihabara

ECS, the world's top motherboard maker, now announce its "ECS Trinity Challenge" Online OC Competition with FM1/FM2 platform motherboards on HWBOT. Meanwhile, ECS is proud to announce its second cooperation with HWBOT for online OC competition globally. ECS would like to take this chance to introduce a series of new FM2-based motherboard to enthusiast community through this competition.

The competition starts from November 1st, runs until November 30th. There are two competition stages for overclockers. First stage- AMD FM1 platform: It is open to all overclockers with ECS brand motherboards only and the benchmark is: 3DMark06. Second competition stages- AMD FM2 platform: It is open to all overclockers with all brands of motherboards in the market, and the benchmark is: 3DMark Vantage. HWBOT general benchmark validation rules apply to both stages.