Although Advanced Micro Devices does not have plans to bring the code-named “Carrizo” accelerated processing units to the market of traditional desktop computers, it is expected that a similar chip will actually make it into desktops. Unfortunately, this will happen only next year and it is unlikely that it will offer very high performance.

Later this year AMD intends to refresh its desktop product lineup with faster “Kaveri” APUs code-named “Godavari”. The new accelerated processing units will be barely faster than existing A-series chips from AMD, therefore, do not expect the company to improve its positions against Intel using the upcoming desktop products. Moreover, according to a report by SweClockers web-site, AMD’s next-generation APUs are pretty far away and when they hit the market, they will hardly be strong competitors.

AMD is developing is code-named “Bristol Ridge” APU, which will sport four “Excavator” cores (two dual-core modules), AMD Radeon graphics processing unit with 512 stream processors (based on the GCN 1.2 or more advanced architecture), DDR4 memory controller and heterogeneous system architecture features. The chip is set to be made using 28nm fabrication process and will have up to 95W TDP. The accelerated processing unit is, basically, a new version of AMD’s “Carrizo” optimized for operation at high clock-rates.

The “Bristol Ridge” APUs will offer considerably higher performance than “Carrizo” thanks to higher frequencies, improved memory bandwidth and other optimizations. Unfortunately, the new chips will become available only in the third quarter of 2016. By then Intel will have a full-range of “Skylake” processors and will be gearing up to start manufacturing of its first central processing units using 10nm fabrication technology.

Since the “Bristol Ridge” APUs will use proven x86 cores, graphics engine and design, it is likely that AMD will try to release it rather sooner than later in order to offer desktop PCs something better than “Kaveri”.

AMD did not comment on the news-story.

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KitGuru Says: If AMD rolls-out “Excavator”-based APUs for desktops in 2016, then it looks like its new micro-architecture code-named “Zen” will only be used for mainstream accelerated processing units in 2017, two years from now. Quite naturally this will negatively affect financial performance of AMD.

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