AMD Bristol Ridge 35W A-Series APUs Finally Hit Store Shelves

Originally launched earlier this year, AMD’s 7th Generation Bristol processors were expected to ship in both 65W and 35W flavors but, much to the chagrin of small form factor system builders, only the 65W SKUs have been available until now.

AMD has finally rectified the situation by offering a trio of new energy-efficient 35W A-series APUs to the public in the form of the A6-9500E, A10-9700E, and A12-9800E. The “E” designation signifies that these are the low-power 35W TDP models. These new low-watt APUs have all the same features as their 65W counterparts: core count, stream processors, and on-board Radeon graphics all remain the same.

The difference, aside from the lower power draw, is the reduced CPU / GPU clock speeds. Base clock speeds were reduced by 500MHz on both the A6-9500E and the A10-9700E. The higher-end A12-9800E dropped by 800MHz. Boost clock speeds fared better, seeing a reduction of just 300-400MHz. Clock speeds on the integrated Radeon graphics were reduced by almost 20% as well.

A quick search revealed prices ranging from $105-$113 for the A12-9800E APU. Pricing on the A10-9700E is a bit more reasonable at $85-$92. Finally, the A6-9500E can be had for under $58.

Overall, we think AMD’s new 35W SKUs, though long overdue, will be a welcome addition to the company’s line of A-series APUs.