AMD Launches Triple-Core A6-3500 Desktop Accelerated Processing Unit

The triple-core A6-3500 operates at 2.1-Ghz clock speed, with a Turbo Core frequency up to 2.4 Ghz and 3 MB of L2 cache. It utilizes 320 Radeon GPU cores and supports the addition of certain Radeon HD 6000 Series discrete graphics cards. The chip is DirectX-11 capable and delivers dedicated HD video processing, AMD said Wednesday in a statement.

The A6-3500 is the first Llano processor with three CPU cores. By effectively removing one core from the four-core A6-3600, AMD created a lower cost processor option without downgrading the GPU integrated into the die.

"With the triple-core we're able to bring in a really competitive cost structure while continuing to provide that great graphics capability," said Matt Davis, a product marketing engineer for desktop platforms at AMD.

The A6-3500 costs $95 and is currently available through both retail and channel partners. It offers a particular advantage to the channel, according to Brent Berry, senior manager in the component channel marketing group at AMD.

"This helps us open up the market for systems builders who have price conscious clients, while still delivering on the promise of the APU," said Berry.

The A6-3500 chip is aimed at young customers who need heavy graphics capability, said Davis. "The target market for this product is a mainstream user with a few specific attributes: they are people educated well enough to know what the APU is and the value it provides, they are graphics minded and we want to make sure we're there for those 18-34 year olds who are budget conscious," he said.

Like the rest of the A-Series line up, the A6-3500 includes the AMD Steady Video feature for removing shakiness during video playback. Additional graphics and video capabilities include support for DDR3 modules, HDMI connections and the AMD VISION Engine software.