Setup and Errata
The APUs were installed in the Asus Crosshair Ranger FM2+/A88X motherboard. Windows 10 was freshly installed with the latest drivers and updates. Installation was smooth and I ran into no issues. The OS was installed on a SSD while games and benchmarks sat on a 1 TB spinning hard drive. Power was measured from the wall so it included all components.
The chips were tested without a discrete graphics card since all chips in testing featured integrated graphics. I tested the AMD parts against the previous “Kaveri” based A10-7850K, the older Intel i3-4330, and finally the new i3-6100. The AMD parts and the i3-4330 were tested with 8 GB of DDR-3 while the i3-6100 featured 16 GB DDR-4 of memory. The extra memory should not directly impact results as none of the benchmarks and games took up 16 GB, much less the 8 GB of the other solutions.
The i3-4330 used the Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD5H. This is an older board, but was introduced with the Haswell architecture several years ago. It still features many modern connections and is a fast and stable motherboard. The i3-6100 uses the GA-Z170X-UD5. This is a cutting edge board with all of the latest bells and whistles that we come to expect with a modern motherboard (M.2, PCI-E 3.0, USB 3.1, etc.).
Components
Asus Crosshair Ranger-2 x 4GB Radeon DDR-3 2133
Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD5H- 2 x 4GB GSkill DDR-3 1866
Gigabyte GA-787X-UD5- 2 x 8GB GSkill DDR-4 2400
Samsung 500 GB 850 EVO SSD
Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB HD
Lite-On BD Reader
Corsair TX750W Power Supply
Windows 10 64 Bit
Catalyst 16.4.1 Drivers
Intel Graphics Drivers 15.40
Can we see some dx12 & dx11
Can we see some dx12 & dx11 APU benchmarks
DX12 titles still not in a
DX12 titles still not in a state to be adequately benchmarked from what we have tested. DiRT Rally and 3DMarks use DX11.
“The i3-6100 is not far
“The i3-6100 is not far behind at $125, but while the CPU is far stronger, the integrated graphics cannot compete well with what AMD provides at a lower price point.”
And there is the great AMD advantage in that Graphics for the dollar spent! With DX12/Vulkan able to do more on the GPU(Ace Units) and take more of the non graphics gaming workloads, as well as graphics(always have been good at that) workloads off of the CPU and move it onto the GPU, while also reducing the latency issues for VR gaming from not having to do as much any gaming work on the CPU.
Intel’s graphics is just an afterthought compared to AMD’s or Nvidia’s graphics, and Intel is only just barely able to use its graphics for gaming compared to AMD’s or Nvidia’s graphics standards that are more affordable compared to Intel’s. If you are laptop user, that AMD graphics is an even better deal, so maybe if AMD’s Zen SKUs can get the IPC/CPU core metric up to please the Numpty headed laptop OEM’s who do not see the value in the Graphics from AMD, or the Need for MORE than CPU IPC only comparisons!
The newer graphics APIs(Dx12/Vulkan) are doing much better multicore CPU wise, as well as doing more non graphics gaming compute on the GPU in addition to the gaming graphics, so Intel will have do do better on its graphics inside of its lower cost SKUs, and not skimp on offering it’s better graphics options and forget those high margins.
I wonder what Contra revenue/other “marketing” programs that Intel will use to keep its hold on the laptop market, the PC market and the do it yourself systems builders have always had a better deal and better options.
95W TDP, same singlethreaded
95W TDP, same singlethreaded performances as Intels 4.5W TDP Core M.
GAY AMD STUFF IS GAY….. WHO
GAY AMD STUFF IS GAY….. WHO CARES
What amazing insight, that
What amazing insight, that totally added so much to this article and the product. Im so happy that each day i can go on the internet, read a well written and informative article, scroll down a bit and then read dumpster fire comments like this one. The net really is the last bastion of human decency.
The net has become a lot like
The net has become a lot like the non-gentrified parts of South Boston!
Literally the WORST, most
Literally the WORST, most issue/failure prone chipset in the last 10 years, fuuuuuck that shit.
AMD’s APUs are the best for
AMD’s APUs are the best for people that don’t have enough money. Of course arrogant people with money in their pockets, or their dad’s pockets, will enjoy laughing at those chips.
No a lot of very poor people
No a lot of very poor people buy Nvidia and they do not have the slightest idea of how the Price/performance metric calculation is done, or any simple math relationship that involves more than the fingers/toes. They buy Green like people by Green Bay/other Starter jackets, they only want that perceived association with some easily chosen winner! Some poor Gits will get Nvidia cards at the expense of food for their own kids.
“AMD is in a strange position
“AMD is in a strange position in that there is a lot of excitement about their upcoming Zen architecture”
Isn’t this true for every single AMD product…. hype the vaporware product?
AMD discontinues support on APU’s after 4 years
https://community.amd.com/thread/184006
Why don’t you go code us some drivers JohnGR? fking tool
What does this mean… In windows 10 AMD will notify that you need a new driver then go and install the new driver and then it tells you that it’s not compatible… repeat forever… Love the pointless Pop Ups
I am only quoting you so that
I am only quoting you so that you think that your life is not completely meaningless. Someone didn’t ignored your insults, so that’s a proof that you exist.
Microsoft might force you to
Microsoft might force you to migrate to Windows 10 but instead of complaining against AMD which promises you nothing more than the specifications issued the day you bought your piece of hardware, you should downgrade to your previous operating system.
For long term hardware support you should avoid Windows and look at Linux or BSD systems.
That APU uses rebranded
That APU uses rebranded graphics based on radeon hd 4000 series, no wddm 2.0 support in windows 10 = no driver even though the branding is hd 6000 series.
So that sucks but it’s kind of expected.. you have problems.
Intels graphics are a joke
Intels graphics are a joke and will never compete with AMD .
I would never buy Intel .And when Zen comes out there will be no need for people to ever buy Intel again.
Intel is a dead man walking and that’s a fact . Cutting their workforce globally by 10% .They know karma is coming to bite .
Intel graphics may be a joke
Intel graphics may be a joke for gamers but sufficient for office workers though rather expensive.
If you get only the facts, AMD is near from bankruptcy (5 % workforce cut in 2015) that’s why arab shareholders from Qatar sold stocks to China.
I wouldn’t gamble on Zen since Jim Keller have left the project before its success… or failure. He probably have left AMD before completing the design and let AMD incompetent engineers finish it with pee.
You’re joking, right?
I’m
You’re joking, right?
I’m only going to address the last part. Jim Keller, he worked on K7 and was lead architect of K8. K7 launched in 1999 right before he left to SiByte. K8 was released in 2003, 4 YEARS AFTER he left, and was the crowning achievement of AMD to date.
Seeing as how AMD already had samples coming when Keller left, I’m sure their engineering team can handle the final back end tweaks for the last year from Keller leaving to launch. They somehow managed to fully develop Keller’s masterpiece architecture 4 years after he left last time…
In other words, you’re a total tool.
I’m not joking. Altough the
I’m not joking. Altough the Athlon 64 was a relative commercial success, AMD chose the lower design made by Jim Keller (aka K8-1) and cancelled the more polished design (aka K8-2).
You know what? Since the Athlon 64 design left by Jim Keller, incompetent engineers lead AMD to nearly bankrupt once and saved by arab investors as nobody in the world would pay for its debt. For the same reason, unskilled engineers (mostly low paid women) made the K10 architecture which led AMD near from bankrupcty once again and the business isn’t completely saved by China even if chinese give some fresh air by buying stocks.
From my POV, AMD investors saved their bucks on engineers skills but failed to see the future to save the business. My forecast is that AMD will be 100 % owned by China with unskilled chinese engineers and will die silently in indifference.
As opposed to the male
As opposed to the male engineers from your part of the world, the Chinese have the longest running civilization in to world and Communism came from the west, so do not go there again. Communism came from the results of unchecked capitalism, and the engineers in China/other parts of the world are good and can be paid much less! That said, no white collar/professional workers were complaining when the blue collar jobs were being outsourced, so now there is very little sympathy all around! Most of the Communist Tools, as well as Capitalist Tools are just Numpty headed hicks from around the world so do us a favor go back to the farm.
Both capitalism and Communism have nothing to do with Democracy, so put that in your Floyd R. Turbo pipe and smoke it! You Numpy headed hick. There is always the farm for those without the marketable skill sets to survive in the cities and towns, the farm is an insurance policy of sorts! So engineers will have to take a pay cut, too bad they printed so much money in the US/Other post industrial countries and made the cost of living untenable for you post industrial engineers, and blue collar workers, and a good economic depression would have sorted things out for all that inflationary money flowing around and driving the costs of housing/rental housing through the roof, along with food/other first world costs and such. That Post-industrial “Post” is a bitch isn’t it!
Chinese engineers are as bad
Chinese engineers are as bad as there’s no tech company in China producing original design without receiving orders from the western companies.
Why China bought AMD stocks if chinese engineers are as good as the western ones?
Get the facts, China is a country with over a billion of peasants and a bunch of robbers gravitating around the communist party!
There are very few CPU/SOC
There are very few CPU/SOC designs that are made by American engineers, including some of the Intel designs(Israel). America makes good cannon fodder(those folks that like to pummel NERDS), but not scientists and engineers for the most part. So remember this Floyd R. Turbo(American) most of the inventions that saved your bacon during world war two came from immigrant engineers and scientists, and most of those scientists, as lots of inventions came from overseas. RADAR, the British, Jet engine(after WW2) The British, and Atom Bomb, mostly European/Jewish/Italian/other scientists, Norden bombsight, Carl Norden, a Dutch engineer educated in Switzerland who emigrated to the U.S. in 1904! etc.
The Chinese have some good very good engineers/scientists if you have over a billion people chances are very good that your counts of very very smart people will be higher, same for India(they invented the number 0, handy if you need to count or do any math) with its very smart people among the many billion+ or so people. So no Floyd R. Turbo it’s not how you say! Add to that Iran and the middle east, some very good scientists and engineers.
America has a buttloads of Peasants relative to its population size, Of the Communist Tool variety, and the Capitalist Tool variety(YOU)! Poor Old Democracy in America is in constant stress from you tools, even of the Fascist/Nazi variety(You are leaning that way)! Don’t forget the religious nuts(from the many religious fanatics perverting religious beliefs around with their own twisted peasant logic)! Those peasants also are always ready to blow things up!
The world is under threat from the Peasants/Hicks/Joe Six-packs/ other numpty heads who will always be a threat to Democracy and civilization.
Just came to chime in that
Just came to chime in that the US is not a democratic government and never has been, it is a Republic.
Also democracy is shit and has proven time and time again to be a shit form of government.
Democratic Republic with a
Democratic Republic with a Bill of rights, and such. It’s a nation of laws, you’ll get your day in court and your inalienable rights. You won’t be guaranteed a job or happiness, just the right to seek happiness, but there are some social safety nets enacted by congress for the public good!
There definitely needs to be an agricultural safty net for some without the necessary marketable skill sets to survive in the cities and towns! so let’s tie some of the safty net into returning some who can’t make it in the post-industral world’s urban envionment back to the land to prosper there as yeoman farmers! Let’s help them return to an agrarian existence. If the plan is to go post-industral then there should have been a plan to bring some back to an agrarian existence and a productive life there.
The printing of excess money has made everybody poorer and a good old economic depression can clean the markets up to begin anew without all that printed money’s(electronically printed digital money Now) bad influnce on the Democratic Republic’s democratic processes!
Democracy is ugly, and it is not shit, but is is constantly under threat from the uneducated masses! Those that do not know their own rights can not respect yours! Your rights end where other people’s rights begin, with provisions to protect the individual’s inalienable rights included of course!
Just a quick fix, the Arabs
Just a quick fix, the Arabs sold their shares in AMD due to regional and political issues, primarily stemming from the drop in price of oil.
Which is interesting in and of itself as most of those stock ventures were done in an attempt to promote manufacturing and development moving to the middle east to ease their reliance on oil money, yet the first pinch that comes they dump it and double down on holding cash for oil.
Between war, oil fluctuations, and wanting to keep Iran from profiting from lifted sanctions, the Arab mindset was never much concerned with the longevity of AMD, they may have preferred it fail so they could pick through the parts and move pieces into the region.
Without western engineers and
Without western engineers and slaves from Asia, arabs from the middle east couldn’t maintain any industrial production starting with oil.
Actually AMD is the toy of spoiled kids of oil monarchies.
You missed the fact that even with a $100.00 oil barrel, AMD products wouldn’t sell well since it is a technological industry not a commodity market that even a peasant with camels in the desert could manage.
The funny thing is if you
The funny thing is if you bench a AMD A10 APU, typically it will come up close to the original Intel Core i7 Processors like the i7 820. Given how much those cost on day one and what these cost now, i paid 2000 USD for that i7 machine, and a A10 machine will cost 500.
A current gen i7 only doubles performance from the original Core i7 series. So essentially, the cost of that level of performance has decreased by a factor of four, but current generation performance has only doubled.
In terms of dollars for performance, Intel has only double performance at the high end, but AMD has reduced the cost of said older technology at a faster rate than Intel has improved.