Pricing and Final Thoughts
The Pricing Issue
While running an APU is an attractive option for a low-cost system build, and we have definitely seen playable numbers in these gaming benchmarks without a dedicated GPU, there is quite a bit to consider with regard to memory price. This study focused on the advantages of memory bandwidth for gaming with the integrated GPU, and it’s undeniable that these APU’s make use of the extra memory speed. However, the example makes use of an expensive kit of overclocking RAM. When pricing out an APU build on a budget, the extra money required to pick up memory certified to run at high overclocked speeds will set you back at least an extra $30 or so over the least expensive 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 kit on Amazon at the time of writing (the tested HyperX 2666MHz memory is currently $95 for a 2x4GB kit), which isn’t particularly high, but certainly makes a difference once you start to compare options.
The point of the APU is to provide a great overall experience without the need for a dedicated graphics solution. However, even a low-cost dedicated card will provide better performance in games. A third option exists as well, as AMD has also provided dual-GPU support with the IGPU in the 7850K, which works with a couple of low-cost R7 cards including the ~$80 AMD R7-250. Suddenly the $30 investment in faster memory looks a little more significant when it’s a third of the way to a dedicated card allowing some dual-GPU experimentation with the APU!
Another point to consider is the processor involved in these tests. It’s likely that a different processor would be chosen for a low cost build, given the A10-7850K’s $185 price tag. Though a compelling option for an APU build with its robust R7 graphics core, much lower cost APU’s are available such as the $120 A10-6800K. This part would still provide support for 2133MHz (or higher with overclocking) memory if desired, and would save nearly enough over the 7850K to buy a discrete GPU as well. If a card like the R7 250 was chosen, it is possible to begin a build with a $200 total investment in the CPU and discrete GPU, and this is only $15 over the 7850K. Certainly, even a low-cost discrete GPU setup is likely to provide more of a performance increase than the HyperX Predator kit will provide, and the discrete GPU can be upgraded later for a bigger boost in graphics power than simply overclocking the memory or IGPU could possibly provide.
Conclusion
The R7 graphics in the 7850K responded in perfect linear fashion to each memory speed bump, and the overclocked system provided some pretty good FPS averages as well. I did have to use some very high voltages to reach stability more easily, but a user with patience and a very good CPU cooler could find a power/performance sweet spot with an APU like the 7850K that would not only blow away the experience of a console, but would be a heck of a lot of fun to play around with!
In closing, if you’re running with an APU and a motherboard that will support ultra-high memory speeds, there is justification to purchase the fastest DDR3 you can afford. However, once additional cost is factored in, the performance boost in games becomes less useful to the user looking in increase their frame rates than the addition of a discrete GPU. It’s really up to the individual whether an APU alone can power their gaming system, but it is certainly feasible when playing at resolutions and quality settings closer to those found on the current game consoles.
Thanks Sebastian, this realy
Thanks Sebastian, this realy did answer alot of questions. Great read
Mantle results in Thief or
Mantle results in Thief or BF4 would have been welcomed here, to see how much the combination of faster RAM and Mantle helps with the average and maybe more important, with minimum frames. Or maybe just to see if faster RAM has the same or different impact under Mantle compared to DX11.
Since Mantle reduces the CPU
Since Mantle reduces the CPU overhead, I wouldn’t think it would have much of an impact at all, but testing that hypothesis wouldn’t hurt.
Thanks for this review. The
Thanks for this review. The 2400 point is nice- I hadn’t realized how much these have dropped in price. That was almost as surprising as the performance results. Still, someone who is nickle and diming it over the $$$ between 1600 and 2133 kits is probably looking at another system entirely if they’re looking at 2400, but from what I’ve seen, it almost doesn’t make sense to at least drop in a 2133 anyhow.
Are there plans to see how
Are there plans to see how RAM speeds affect an APU/video card crossfire setup? eg. a 7850K with a R7 250
Thanks for the experiment and
Thanks for the experiment and review!
“is a discreet graphics card really needed for gaming at reasonable settings?”
“the newest Kaveri APU’s certainly suggest that discreet graphics might not be needed for acceptable 1080p gaming”
“building a system without a discreet graphics card offers the possibility of a full-featured system build”
“and would save nearly enough over the 7850K to buy a discreet GPU as well”
…
This kind of discrete is spelled discrete.
Hey, if I was going to
Hey, if I was going to misspell a word, might as well do it like 10 times! (Corrected, thanks.)
Actually, its the apu gpu
Actually, its the apu gpu that is discreet, modest little thang that it is.
pretty sure you’d want to
pretty sure you’d want to save your money on expsensive memory and just get a discrete gpu
thx for the test.
was the ram
thx for the test.
was the ram dual rank or single rank memory?
if dual rank can you repeat the result of this test ( http://www.computerbase.de/2014-01/amd-kaveri-arbeitsspeicher/2/ )
the result on computerbase.de was that dual rank is faster than single rank.
These results aren’t
These results aren’t surprising. The IGP is basically an underclocked HD 7750 (a card I own).
Any word on DDR4 arrival for the mainstream?
“It’s likely that a different processor would be chosen for a low cost build”
I’m in this situation now. I need something to replace a failing Core i3 530 @3.7Ghz and H55 mobo. I can get a Haswell Pentium and B85 mobo for $120-160 and be content. Budget minded people replace what’s broken and salvage what they can.
Shopping Newegg last night Kaveri wasn’t on my radar.