AMD C-30 socket: Socket FT1

What the C-30 is

AMD C-30 is a single core Ontario APU that AMD released in January 2011 at the Fusion launch for small laptops with soldered boards. It uses the Bobcat core design on a 40 nm process, running at 1.2 GHz with no turbo. The cache is 512 KB of L2. Power is 9 W. Graphics come from AMD Radeon HD 6250 with 80 shaders at 276 MHz.

One Bobcat core with a small out of order design covers browsing and video playback of the period while sipping power. The package integrates the single channel DDR3 controller and the graphics block on one die, which keeps board cost low. AMD announced the C-30 at 1.2 GHz and 9 W next to the dual core C-50 at 1.0 GHz and 9 W.

At 9 W the C-30 belongs to the Ontario small notebook group. Boards pair it with soldered or SODIMM DDR3 and small drives. The How to find your CPU socket type guide shows how to confirm the package before ordering parts.

Socket and motherboard compatibility

The C-30 solders to Socket FT1 with 413 balls and cannot be moved to another board. Netbook makers qualify each model with a specific board and BIOS, so even another Ontario part is not a drop in upgrade. Boards follow small notebook layouts with soldered memory in most designs.

Power and firmware decide service results. The 9 W envelope sizes a small heat pipe or spreader, and the board BIOS must list the exact C-30 string. The CPU cooler compatibility by socket guide notes that soldered parts have no desktop mount pattern.

Memory, PCIe and cooling

Memory support is DDR3-1066, single channel. The single 64 bit channel feeds the core and graphics together, so capacity matters more than pairing. Many boards solder the memory, so size locks at purchase.

PCI Express lanes come from the APU with a layout that varies by board design. Netbook boards wire lanes to Wi-Fi and storage rather than graphics slots.

Cooling uses the system heatsink sized for 9 W. A single heat pipe with a small fan covers sustained loads.

Upgrade paths

There is no CPU upgrade path on soldered Socket FT1. The C-30 cannot be removed, so a faster Bobcat part means a new board or a new machine. Within the family AMD C-70 shows another FT1 option, but boards and firmware rarely mix across makers.

A platform move means a new netbook. Current AMD mobile lives on newer BGA packages with DDR4 or newer memory, which no FT1 board can reach. Recycle the old unit through a proper e waste path once data is wiped.