Talk me out of getting some FM2+ A8-7600 rigs

[VirtualLarry]

According to this article, we should be expecting a price drop or should have a price drop of A8-7600 to $99.

That would be really nice. That particular CPU hits a lot of good points: price, perfomance, wattage. I expect it will do well for AMD.

This review that someone witeken linked for me in another thread thinks pretty highly of it too.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/8312/state-of-the-part-cpus

(from the elided xbitlabs link)

The only two new chips that AMD will launch on the 1st of September are the Athlon X4 860K (four-cores, 3.70GHz/4.0GHz, 4MB L2 cache, no graphics core, 95W, FM2+) for $82 as well as the A4-7300 (two cores, up to 4.0GHz, 1MB L2, Radeon HD 8470D graphics with 192 stream processors, 65W TDP, FM2) for $39. The former chip will be the first graphics-free CPU for the FM2+ platform and may pose interest to overclockers (it will be interesting to learn how good overclockers Steamroller cores produced using general-purpose 28nm process technology without graphics engine are), whereas the latter APU belongs to previous-generation and is aimed at the low-end office PCs.

A4-7300 seems like an interesting choice as well. Since it is dual-core, do you think that it will have cTDP like the A8-7600? But $39, very nice, for a cheap CPU with GCN shaders than can do DC. (Edit: Wait a sec, the xbitlabs quote says that the A4-7300 is FM2, not FM2+. Is that just a typo, or is AMD putting a non-Kaveri / Steamroller / GCN APU into the "7000 series" of APUs? Are they rebadging low-end Richland again?)

 

[escrow4]

Why not just scrap or sell all your desktops and build 1 or 2 Haswell i3 boxes? Consolidate it all down. For a basic box you'd want Intel's IPC not an APU - the GPU side is largely irrelevant at the expense of CPU performance.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Why not just scrap or sell all your desktops and build 1 or 2 Haswell i3 boxes? Consolidate it all down. For a basic box you'd want Intel's IPC not an APU - the GPU side is largely irrelevant at the expense of CPU performance.

For my applications, the GCN cores on the Kaveri APUs are an order of magnitude faster than a measly two Intel Haswell cores with HT. Plus, it's cheaper.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

For my applications, the GCN cores on the Kaveri APUs are an order of magnitude faster than a measly two Intel Haswell cores with HT. Plus, it's cheaper.

So build an i3 rig with a dGPU?

 

[cbn]

A4-7300 seems like an interesting choice as well. Since it is dual-core, do you think that it will have cTDP like the A8-7600? But $39, very nice, for a cheap CPU with GCN shaders than can do DC. (Edit: Wait a sec, the xbitlabs quote says that the A4-7300 is FM2, not FM2+. Is that just a typo, or is AMD putting a non-Kaveri / Steamroller / GCN APU into the "7000 series" of APUs? Are they rebadging low-end Richland again?)

For $39, the A4-7300 does sound like a interesting choice to me (but I do hope these entry level chips get better in the future).

With that mentioned, maybe a steamOS or Ubuntu with Steam box when paired with a cheap motherboard for this one?

Keep in mind the GPU is only 514 Mhz though. Still it should be quite good decent at stock speed. The major question I have at this point is whether or not the 192 GCN cores be overclocked without touching the Bclk?

 

[AtenRa]

So build an i3 rig with a dGPU?

A8-7600 = $109,99

vs

Core i3 4150 = $116,99

+

R7 240 = $49,99 AR

= $166,98

Almost 60% more expensive to have same or worst performance, is that seams logical to you ???

 

[AtenRa]

A4-7300 is not Kaveri, it is Richland.



edit: it is kaveri

 

[dave_the_nerd]

A8-7600 = $109,99

vs

Core i3 4150 = $116,99

+

R7 240 = $49,99 AR

= $166,98

Almost 60% more expensive to have same or worst performance, is that seams logical to you ???

i3 walks all over the A8 in anything that isn't GPU.

http://techreport.com/review/25908/amd-a8-7600-kaveri-processor-reviewed/5

So, yes. Paying more for more performance (and not having a half-competent system that can barely play Netflix) makes sense to me.

Also, if GPU performance was a concern, I'd probably get a 250X or 260 and make it completely unambiguous pwnage.

Or I'd just stick with the i3/iGPU and enjoy the much better performance the vast majority of the time, accepting the lower iGPU horsepower as an informed tradeoff.

 

[AtenRa]

i3 walks all over the A8 in anything that isn't GPU.

http://techreport.com/review/25908/amd-a8-7600-kaveri-processor-reviewed/5

So, yes. Paying more for more performance (and not having a half-competent system that can barely play Netflix) makes sense to me.

Also, if GPU performance was a concern, I'd probably get a 250X or 260 and make it completely unambiguous pwnage.

Or I'd just stick with the i3/iGPU and enjoy the much better performance the vast majority of the time, accepting the lower iGPU horsepower as an informed tradeoff.

For my applications, the GCN cores on the Kaveri APUs are an order of magnitude faster than a measly two Intel Haswell cores with HT. Plus, it's cheaper.

I dont see him being in need of CPU performance. :whiste:

 

[Abwx]

A4-7300 is not Kaveri, it is Richland.

edit: it is kaveri

An A6-7300 actualy, same as the 7400k but not unlocked.

http://www.hardware.fr/news/13828/a10-7800-a8-7600-a6-7400k-arrivent.html

Last lines of the article...

 

[AtenRa]

An A6-7300 actualy, same as the 7400k but not unlocked.

http://www.hardware.fr/news/13828/a10-7800-a8-7600-a6-7400k-arrivent.html

Last lines of the article...

Yes it will be very interesting APU to test.

 

[cbn]

An A6-7300 actualy, same as the 7400k but not unlocked.

http://www.hardware.fr/news/13828/a10-7800-a8-7600-a6-7400k-arrivent.html

Last lines of the article...

I think that is a typo.

Every other site mentions A4-7300.

 

[monstercameron]

i3 walks all over the A8 in anything that isn't GPU.

http://techreport.com/review/25908/amd-a8-7600-kaveri-processor-reviewed/5

So, yes. Paying more for more performance (and not having a half-competent system that can barely play Netflix) makes sense to me.

Also, if GPU performance was a concern, I'd probably get a 250X or 260 and make it completely unambiguous pwnage.

Or I'd just stick with the i3/iGPU and enjoy the much better performance the vast majority of the time, accepting the lower iGPU horsepower as an informed tradeoff.

so much FUD my brain hurts. typical.:\

 

[dave_the_nerd]

so much FUD my brain hurts. typical.:\

Have you not read the other VirtualLarry threads where he complains about 50-100% CPU use while playing movies on his low-end AMD systems?

Ignoring information that doesn't support a foregone conlusion. Typical.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I dont see him being in need of CPU performance. :whiste:

If GPU performance is that critical to the application, and running the application is important enough to spend money on, he should get a dGPU regardless of CPU choice.

 

[AtenRa]

If GPU performance is that critical to the application, and running the application is important enough to spend money on, he should get a dGPU regardless of CPU choice.

Because you say so ???

Give us your CPU + dGPU recommendation at $109,99 total cost and 45W TDP total for both, then we talk.

 

[cbn]

Because you say so ???

Give us your CPU + dGPU recommendation at $109,99 total cost and 45W TDP total for both, then we talk.

At 45 watt TDP, I have to wonder what the cpu speed would be under GPU load.

 

[Abwx]

I think that is a typo.

Every other site mentions A4-7300.

If it has 192 SPs it is surely an A4 according to their naming scheme.

Anyway too bad that they didnt release versions wich can be set to 35W
as is the case in the embedded market wich is granted socketed versions even at low power envelloppes.

At 45 watt TDP, I have to wonder what the cpu speed would be under GPU load.

http://www.hardware.fr/articles/915-2/performances.html

 

[cbn]

If it has 192 SPs it is surely an A4 according to their naming scheme.

Anyway too bad that they didnt release versions wich can be set to 35W
as is the case in the embedded market wich is granted socketed versions even at low power envelloppes.

Too bad, there wasn't a locked, but fast clocked dual core with 256 GCN.

(Then I wish AMD would merge the A6-7400K and the Athlon x 4 860K into one SKU)

 

[monstercameron]

Have you not read the other VirtualLarry threads where he complains about 50-100% CPU use while playing movies on his low-end AMD systems?

Ignoring information that doesn't support a foregone conlusion. Typical.

and what does that have to do with the a8? dont muddy this thread with such FUD.

 

[Abwx]

Too bad, there wasn't a locked, but fast clocked dual core with 256 GCN.

It will be surely released once they have, unwillingly, enough "adequate" chips with a rejected module and half of the GPU still functional, given the areas of each parts it s likely the case for a few % of the chips.

 

[escrow4]

Because you say so ???

Give us your CPU + dGPU recommendation at $109,99 total cost and 45W TDP total for both, then we talk.

You focus on total cost but ignore the fact that an i3 + dGPU would murder any APU day in day out. You want an all in one, you need to focus on the fact that its a big fat compromise and you'd be better off with a more well rounded system.

 

[DrMrLordX]

According to this article, we should be expecting a price drop or should have a price drop of A8-7600 to $99.

Wow, nice! I thought only the FX series was getting a price cut. The 7700K really needed a price cut, too.

and what does that have to do with the a8? dont muddy this thread with such FUD.

If anyone's going to offer up an alternative to the 7600, it ought to be the G3258. That chip is a lot more fun than an i3, and it starts to bring your total system cost down to that of a 7600 as well.

Nevertheless, with a price cut to $99, the 7600 will be hard to beat. I would imagine that even cheap A55 boards will let you run at max turbo on all cores, all the time with something like msr tweaker or turionpowercontrol.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Have you not read the other VirtualLarry threads where he complains about 50-100% CPU use while playing movies on his low-end AMD systems?

Ignoring information that doesn't support a foregone conlusion. Typical.

First off, I never mentioned Netflix nor watching movies. I mentioned Skype and listening to internet radio.

Second, I was talking about slow dual-core Brazos and Kabini. (Edit: In my "other" thread.) Not the Steamroller-based Kaveri "big core" CPUs.

So who's slinging the FUD and misinformation around here? You are.

For the record, too, my E-350 Brazos rig could play back 1080P YouTube.

 

[AtenRa]

You focus on total cost but ignore the fact that an i3 + dGPU would murder any APU day in day out. You want an all in one, you need to focus on the fact that its a big fat compromise and you'd be better off with a more well rounded system.

A10-7850K = $169,99

vs

Core i3 4150 = $116,99

+

R7 240 = $49,99 AR

= $166,98

I would like to see the murder day in day out, that Intel i3 + 240 has no chance at all

It seams the compromise is with Intel Core i3 this days, you pay the same for lower performance :whiste: