AMD Richland Series

[smokeybravo]

I have a feeling this line of CPUs, namely the A10-6800K, is going to be quite good. As I'm typing this, I'm running Mass Effect 3 @ 1920x1080 with anti-aliasing and dynamic shadows turned on and I'm getting no less than 50 FPS all with an A10-5800K and integrated graphics. The CPU is running at stock frequency, with only the RAM and IGP overclocked.

At this rate, we aren't going to have dedicated graphics anymore. I'll be snagging an A10-6800K as fast as I can get my hot little hands on one.

 

[destwong]

i really want to see how fast amd can run when intel is hot on their tail with the coming haswell chip

 

[sarinaide]

I have a feeling this line of CPUs, namely the A10-6800K, is going to be quite good. As I'm typing this, I'm running Mass Effect 3 @ 1920x1080 with anti-aliasing and dynamic shadows turned on and I'm getting no less than 50 FPS all with an A10-5800K and integrated graphics. The CPU is running at stock frequency, with only the RAM and IGP overclocked.

At this rate, we aren't going to have dedicated graphics anymore. I'll be snagging an A10-6800K as fast as I can get my hot little hands on one.

7-10% CPU performance gains, and around 15-20% iGPU gains, we tested on Sleeping Dogs and got a very healthy FPS bump, will do more game testing and content production tests.

Haswell GT3 around 35% faster than HD4000, best case scenario it matches or within about 5% of the A8-3850(FM1) around 15% slower than HD7660D, gaming wise some games it does alright in, though there is a high frame latency in plenty titles that make the experience very slideshow. While GT3 is a impressive step up if you want integrated gaming, this is not the solution baring in mind the GT3 will be on all 4770 and 4570 select chips and on $150 i3 varients which no high end power user will buy to run integrated graphics and the i3 at $150 represents bad value.

Where GT3 will be impressive is on mobile, right now with AMD working on lowering its power footprint for mobile, AMD APU mobility is very underwhelming so Intel have a advantage there.

 

[smokeybravo]

7-10% CPU performance gains, and around 15-20% iGPU gains, we tested on Sleeping Dogs and got a very healthy FPS bump, will do more game testing and content production tests.

Haswell GT3 around 35% faster than HD4000, best case scenario it matches or within about 5% of the A8-3850(FM1) around 15% slower than HD7660D, gaming wise some games it does alright in, though there is a high frame latency in plenty titles that make the experience very slideshow. While GT3 is a impressive step up if you want integrated gaming, this is not the solution baring in mind the GT3 will be on all 4770 and 4570 select chips and on $150 i3 varients which no high end power user will buy to run integrated graphics and the i3 at $150 represents bad value.

Where GT3 will be impressive is on mobile, right now with AMD working on lowering its power footprint for mobile, AMD APU mobility is very underwhelming so Intel have a advantage there.

You have access to a Richland chip?

 

[destwong]

he have access to both richland and haswell ship?

 

[blazorthon]

I have a feeling this line of CPUs, namely the A10-6800K, is going to be quite good. As I'm typing this, I'm running Mass Effect 3 @ 1920x1080 with anti-aliasing and dynamic shadows turned on and I'm getting no less than 50 FPS all with an A10-5800K and integrated graphics. The CPU is running at stock frequency, with only the RAM and IGP overclocked.

At this rate, we aren't going to have dedicated graphics anymore. I'll be snagging an A10-6800K as fast as I can get my hot little hands on one.

There isn't any point in time where I can see discrete graphics getting really replaced. No GPU that is integrated as of yet can compete with anything other than very low end entry level discrete cards and there's no point in the next decade where that's expected to change, if ever. It can be described as simply a difference of how much power can be used. Discrete can use multiple hundreds of watts of power whereas integrated, at best, only gets a few dozen watts of power. What can be done with multiple hundreds of watts of power can be many times higher performance than what can be done with a few dozen watts of power at any given time.

 

[smokeybravo]

No GPU that is integrated as of yet can compete with anything other than very low end entry level discrete cards

The A10-5800K already surpasses that. Your skepticism is understandable, but if you told someone in 1990 that we'd be using 4TB hard drives or 8 core CPUs in the future, they probably would have thought you were crazy.

 

[Cazalan]

Discrete graphics will certainly keep diminishing in importance.

Within 2-3 years you'll probably only "need" discrete for multi-monitor high resolution displays. DDR4 will bring much higher bandwidth to iGPUs.

Standard 17" to 22" screens will be fine with integrated.

 

[blazorthon]

The A10-5800K already surpasses that. Your skepticism is understandable, but if you told someone in 1990 that we'd be using 4TB hard drives or 8 core CPUs in the future, they probably would have thought you were crazy.

The A8-5800K is comparable to the Radeon 6670 DDR3, an entry level card. So, no, it doesn't surpass the entry-level yet.

 

[blazorthon]

Discrete graphics will certainly keep diminishing in importance.

Within 2-3 years you'll probably only "need" discrete for multi-monitor high resolution displays. DDR4 will bring much higher bandwidth to iGPUs.

Standard 17" to 22" screens will be fine with integrated.

By the time DDR4 is out, the new level of performance for entry level would have increased significantly too. I agree that DDR4 will be a huge push for integrated graphics improvement, but it won't change the fact that integrated graphics is the bottom-end. Heck, if we go by current info, the DDR4 APUs will have performance comparable ot the Radeon 7750, the lowest end card using a GCN GPU, so they'll probably still only be around the top of entry-level even by today's standards. So, no, integrated graphics will not replace discrete cards for modern gaming.

f we consider the top of today's games such as Sleeping Dogs, BF3, Crysis 3 (granted it's still in beta), and such, cards such as the Radeon 7750 (again, a current card around the supposed performance offered by the first DDR4 APUs) are barely adequate for 720p gaming with decent settings. A few years from now, games will be even more intensive. I think that says enough.

 

[sarinaide]

integrated is not entry level yet but with AMD its evolving fast, AMD themselves said that they are still in the infancy stage, that said you get pretty good gaming on die performance and the addition of dual graphics is a nice addition to low budget builders.

Steamroller based Kaviri may be on that divide, excavator perhaps may be the first iGPU capable of mainstream performance.

 

[smokeybravo]

By the time DDR4 is out, the new level of performance for entry level would have increased significantly too. I agree that DDR4 will be a huge push for integrated graphics improvement, but it won't change the fact that integrated graphics is the bottom-end. Heck, if we go by current info, the DDR4 APUs will have performance comparable ot the Radeon 7750, the lowest end card using a GCN GPU, so they'll probably still only be around the top of entry-level even by today's standards. So, no, integrated graphics will not replace discrete cards for modern gaming.

f we consider the top of today's games such as Sleeping Dogs, BF3, Crysis 3 (granted it's still in beta), and such, cards such as the Radeon 7750 (again, a current card around the supposed performance offered by the first DDR4 APUs) are barely adequate for 720p gaming with decent settings. A few years from now, games will be even more intensive. I think that says enough.

Well, PCs are definitely moving away from giant black towers also. I think our generation is the last that will make heavy use of the traditional desktop PC. They will be archaic by the time our kids are old enough to have their own computers (assuming you're in you're early 20s). Giant 10 inch long video cards will become obsolete, and the APU is the first nail in the coffin really. It might not be AMD that does it, but it's going to happen.

 

[blazorthon]

Well, PCs are definitely moving away from giant black towers also. I think our generation is the last that will make heavy use of the traditional desktop PC. They will be archaic by the time our kids are old enough to have their own computers (assuming you're in you're early 20s). Giant 10 inch long video cards will become obsolete, and the APU is the first nail in the coffin really. It might not be AMD that does it, but it's going to happen.

Integrated will never be able to keep up with high-end discrete, so for integrated to replace it, integrated has to grow in performance faster than games increase in intensity. That is going to take a long time.

Also, PCs for regular usage are moving away from large towers. High-end users are not moving away from them except for a few who are willing to pay several times more money to get a decent laptop and even then, laptops can't meet desktops when it comes to top-end stuff and the difference in price/performance is hugely in favor of desktops.

Graphics cards might shrink a little in average size, but for gamers other than entry-level gamers, they'll be a necessity for a very long time.

 

[smokeybravo]

I give them 10 years max.

 

[sarinaide]

Integrated will never be able to keep up with high-end discrete, so for integrated to replace it, integrated has to grow in performance faster than games increase in intensity. That is going to take a long time.

Also, PCs for regular usage are moving away from large towers. High-end users are not moving away from them except for a few who are willing to pay several times more money to get a decent laptop and even then, laptops can't meet desktops when it comes to top-end stuff and the difference in price/performance is hugely in favor of desktops.

Graphics cards might shrink a little in average size, but for gamers other than entry-level gamers, they'll be a necessity for a very long time.

A prudent techie would never use never in a sentence involving technology. 10 years ago people would think you bonkers if you told them a APU can play a DX11 game on medium settings on good resolutions at healthy frame rates.

 

[seande]

Are the Richland APUs worth waiting for? I was planning on building a computer under $400 at the end of the month (with an A10-5800k). But I heard that they will be 'hitting the shelves' on March 19. I'm certainly able to wait two weeks if the performance increases are as benchmarked, but does this announced date represent the date consumers can buy them from Newegg etc? Additionally, how does one go about using one of these chips on a preexisting motherboard without a current APU? Thanks!

 

[sarinaide]

If you don't have a setup then yes it is.

 

[seande]

Would I need a newer post-Richland motherboard? Since I don't already have an APU and wouldn't be able to flash the motherboard?

 

[jaguarskx]

Generally, yes. If you currently do not have a PC built around Trinity, then you need to wait for Richland compatible motherboards to come out. The chances of Richland not working in a current FM2 motherboard is extremely high in my opinion.

 

[sarinaide]

Generally, yes. If you currently do not have a PC built around Trinity, then you need to wait for Richland compatible motherboards to come out. The chances of Richland not working in a current FM2 motherboard is extremely high in my opinion.

Wrong, Richland runs of FM2 socket and so will Steamroller based Kaviri parts. AMD haven't specified how long they will keep AM3+ and FM2 for but its very likely at least until after Steamroller later this year.

So to answer his question, if he has a FM1 setup yes he needs to upgrade the mobo(Trinity and Richland as well as Kaviri can operate off FM1). If he is on FM2 then no, no bios flashes needed to go from trinity to Richland to Kaviri though they will have updates for stability patches.

 

[smokeybravo]

Are the Richland APUs worth waiting for? I was planning on building a computer under $400 at the end of the month (with an A10-5800k). But I heard that they will be 'hitting the shelves' on March 19. I'm certainly able to wait two weeks if the performance increases are as benchmarked, but does this announced date represent the date consumers can buy them from Newegg etc? Additionally, how does one go about using one of these chips on a preexisting motherboard without a current APU? Thanks!

You need a motherboard with an FM2 socket. And yes, they'll be out in a little over a month so I'd wait.

 

[jaguarskx]

Wrong, Richland runs of FM2 socket and so will Steamroller based Kaviri parts. AMD haven't specified how long they will keep AM3+ and FM2 for but its very likely at least until after Steamroller later this year.

So to answer his question, if he has a FM1 setup yes he needs to upgrade the mobo(Trinity and Richland as well as Kaviri can operate off FM1). If he is on FM2 then no, no bios flashes needed to go from trinity to Richland to Kaviri though they will have updates for stability patches.

Though I didn't specifically mention it, I was referring to the BIOS. It is highly doubtful that any current FM2 motherboards can recognize a Richland APU without a BIOS update.

 

[smokeybravo]

Though I didn't specifically mention it, I was referring to the BIOS. It is highly doubtful that any current FM2 motherboards can recognize a Richland APU without a BIOS update.

Then I guess we'll just have to bite the bullet and spend 5 seconds flashing it.

 

[jaguarskx]

Yes, but you need a Trinity APU in order flash the motherboard. You cannot use a Richland APU to flash the motherboard, because the PC will simply not boot up. It needs to boot up before it can be flashed.

 

[jaguarskx]

Sorry, I was reading another thread and doing a few other things at the same time.

It seems you already have a Trinity APU so there's nothing to worry about...