AMD A8-3800 socket: Socket FM1

What the A8-3800 is

AMD A8-3800 is a quad core Llano APU that AMD released in June 2011 for efficient desktops. It uses the Stars K10 core design on a 32 nm process, running at 2.4 GHz base with Turbo Core to 2.7 GHz. The cache is 4 MB of L2 with 1 MB per core. Power is 65 W. Graphics come from AMD Radeon HD 6550D with 400 shaders at 600 MHz.

Four cores with turbo plus the strongest 65 W graphics of the Llano line cover home office work and light games without a card. The 400 shader block doubles the A6 shader count, which shows in video playback and period titles. Threads equal cores at 4.

Home towers pair it with A55 or A75 boards, 4 GB to 8 GB of DDR3 and a SATA drive. The 65 W quad suits quiet builds that still multitask. The How to find your CPU socket type guide shows how to confirm the socket.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The A8-3800 drops into Socket FM1 on A55 and A75 boards. Early FM1 boards from the June 2011 launch accept it with a shipping BIOS. DDR3 modules match stock operation.

Power at 65 W suits standard desktop boards. The CPU cooler compatibility by socket guide explains the shared AMD mount.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory support is DDR3 up to 1866 MT/s, two channels. Two matched modules feed four cores and the 400 shader block. Faster DIMMs help display work measurably.

PCI Express is PCIe 2.0 from the APU for one graphics slot. Most builds stay on the HD 6550D alone, since it already handles office displays and video.

Cooling follows the 65 W rating with a stock heatsink and case airflow.

Upgrade paths

On Socket FM1 the A8-3800 can step to faster quad Llano APUs with the same graphics on the same board. Memory and storage carry over. A higher power comparison with faster fixed clocks is the A8-3850 class on the same socket.

A platform move to Socket FM2 needs a new board while DDR3 often carries over.