Looking for a futureproof socket / FM2+ already dead ?!

[GradualFailureRecovery]

When I say futureproof I mean I am counting dirt cheap upgrades.
Sort question: Does buying into AM1 make sense in the long run or is this another trap ? Is there an Intel alternative to AM1 ?

Long version, (prooves I'm really confused):
I'm not a gamer, so AMD's APUs sound awesome, given that you can upgrade the CPU and GPU in one move, and really like the fact that this "on-board" version will be performance wise comparable to a somewhat older external GPU. I'm not necessarily and AMD fan, but I really really hate Celerons, and last time I tried to pick "the right CPU" the AMD x2 5050e looked like a really smart choice. (65nm). Something came up and I never made the purchase after actually investing weeks in understanding the market.

Now AM2 is totally defunct, and I was surprised to learn that since then there was an AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, FM2 and an FM2+ socket with AM1 being the newest. FM1 is dead as it was replaced by FM2, but if you want compatibility you have to go FM2+, yet it already looks like I'll be stuck there too unless I go with AM1 and even then they might actually just make a few 28 nm cpu's for that and then go to AM1+... all this while intel is at 14nm?

I also have the feeling that they role out the same slightly modified CPU's since two-three years now, yet they change sockets like socks. Not cool.

From what I read, If I want to avoid Celeron class performance, I'll have to go with A8 or A10-s. Yet that's the maximum AMD offers for FM2+. Will they ever make something for this socket that would justifiy an upgrade from there ? Given that they are already working on AM1 I doubt it. This would be my choice currently. I could slowly go from an A4 to an A10 from ebay someday. But in a couple of years my PC would be out of date and there'd be no way to upgrade to an i7 like performance. I have an impression that this isn't the case with Intel's 1155 or 1150. but I haven't wrapped my head around Intel yet.

I really don't want to go with the crowd and buy Intel and would like to show some love to AMD for pocket friendly prices and go wild with an APU, but, if you have like 2 cpus per socket and one of them works with certain chipsets only, I'm sort of out of options.

The AMD Athlon 5350 is the best out of the 4 processors currently available for AM1. With only 128 shaders on board and based on the now annoying 28 nm, it's not going to be amazing, but I trust will still outperform my 5050e or a Celeron. AMD must release something for this platform in the future right ? What are the chances this socket will see anything smaller than 28 nm ? Will this socket live for more than a few years ? Does anyone except me care ?

I am very tempted to buy this but maybe someone can tell me how intel makes more sense. Is there an Intel, USB 3.0, 6GB sata alternative to the above Athlon ?

PS. I would appreciate a link/chart/socket family tree or something for the Intel family. I tried to search but I couldn't find anything to give me an overview there. Maybe some of you know where to look.

Update. After reading more here on this site, I'm even more confused. What are the chances that FM2+ is going to be continued, when they have the AM1 which integrates more than just the GPU. It would have made sense to call this FM3 thus replace the FM2/+ and make some good APUs for it. AM3+ is too old to invest in. Yet AM1 seems to stay capped at 2 GHz which despite 4 cores sounds like trouble. What are the plans for the FM2+ ? Is AM1 really stuck at 2GHz or will they throw out something at around 3 GHz some day ? Any hints, ideas ?

 

[clutchc]

Unless you need nothing more than the power of a tablet, stay away from the AM1 platform. Stay with the FM2+ platform since gaming isn't a big necessity for you. (if you were a gamer, I'd suggest Intel or the AM3+ socket) Intel makes faster more advanced processors, but you will pay a premium for that and the components that make up the rest of the platform.
FM2+ is not dead. That is probably the way AMD will roll for the near future. But no socket/platform is secure in today's ever-changing world. Intel changes sockets like I change underwear. If you use your PC for internet and everyday use, the FM2+ line will be perfect for you. And it the higher end APUs can game decent at 720p resolution if you ever change your mind in that regard.

 

[GradualFailureRecovery]

The currently most powerful Soc for AM1 scored 2600 in benchmarks. Comparing it to my previous Core Duo with only 1600, I can't really see the tablet in there. What am I missing ? If these numbers aren't lying... I should be more than happy with it. Next gen USB and SATA is tempting too.
AMD A8 6410 - is rated 2250 @ $40... yet indeed, room for upgrade is a certainty on FM2+. The cheaper A10's scored around 4500. The others reach 5500.Still if the best Beema could go 3800-ish... I'd say value wise I'd get the most over there for the $. The socket is also younger.

Or I just don't get the numbers ? If I'm not mistaken, there should be a Beema Soc on it's way at 2.4GHz... and possibly an even better one later ?

I'm still not sure, but maybe it's because I can't look at AM1 as a tablet. Maybe the fact that there is an 1.3GHz processor for it should be a hint that it'll never go 3GHz..... but I somehow expect it to outlive FM2+.

Also, higher end APU's ask for an A88X chipset which drive the mobo's price up too, and I don't think I will be willing to invest in a board that is stuck with usb2.0, when I have roughly comparable performance to an A6 and more with AM1, plus Socs sound a whole lot more upgrade-friendly and are a lot cheaper. The only question is will AM1 support something akin to an A10 for AM1 in a year ?

I have a hunch FM2+ will be for APUs, and when AM3+ dies, they'll create a platform for high end SOCs, say AM4, AM1 on steroids, (or they could uncap it and make it AM1+), I'm afraid that's what I'm actually seeking. Or maybe powerful SOCs make no sense or they aren't scalable ?

I know very little about Intel's alternatives right now, but if Beema or Carizzo won't look really promissing... I might even end up over there.

 

[CTurbo]

1. What exactly are you wanting/needing in a PC?
2. What is your budget?
3. Is "futureproof" REALLY that important if you get something that can last 5+ years?

 

[GradualFailureRecovery]

I tried to answer your questions but I'm afraid I wouldn't make too much sense if I said I'm just trying to get the most for the least amount of $.
But I don't value performance only. I also valued the idea of upgrading a lot more than just a CPU with just one move - SOCs.

But it doesn't matter anymore. According to this: http://forum.hardware.fr/hfr/Hardware/hfr/annonce-beema-mullins-sujet_956583_1.htm AM1 is already condemned to die. And there are still only 4 SOCs for it in the first place. The best case scenario is that there will be some Pumas for it in 2015. There's nothing about it on amd's web-page.

AM3+ is too old. AM1 seems to be another FM1. It's either FM2+ or Intel.

AMD A6-6400K APU seems to be it. It's $50. It performs somewhat better than the Athlon 5150 for the same price.

But with Intel dominating 80% of the market I'll have to consider them too. If I'm not mistaken both 1150 and 1155 are viable paths ?

 

[CTurbo]

I'm wondering why you just don't get a $300-400ish laptop with an i3 or A6/A8. Unless you have access to a copy of windows, or you have a lots of parts you can reuse, you'd be hard pressed to build yourself a viable desktop for under $300

 

[Calculatron]

If you are just going to be browsing the internet, and watching HD movies, then, yes, the AM1 platform may be good for you. They are APUs that use Jaguar cores, which are the low-energy processor variants AMD built for use in mobile devices, such as tablets and laptops. I do not know about the longevity of the AM1 platform, but I do know that AMD has already put out a refresh/update of Jaguar-based hardware (I think it's called "Puma").

The issue with the AM1 platform is that you may want more connectivity than what it has to offer - it's pretty limited in how many SATA ports it has, and USB connectivity isn't the best either. I don't think many AM1 motherboards support plugs from your case either, but I could very well be wrong on that.

Anyway, AMD has some life planned for the FM2+ yet; at least one more generation.

If you want an FM2+ build, consider this (I'm going to assume you are going to re-use your case, and do have access to a copy of windows):
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Xq72zy

This will be more than good enough for what you want out of a PC, and should last you a while. It has plenty of upgradability and connectivity, so you'll never be found wanting for expansion.

 

[GradualFailureRecovery]

I'm wondering why you just don't get a $300-400ish laptop with an i3 or A6/A8. Unless you have access to a copy of windows, or you have a lots of parts you can reuse, you'd be hard pressed to build yourself a viable desktop for under $300

I noticed mobile CPUs are cheaper. It's an idea. But I have parts I can reuse. On the other hand, I just tried to search for the Beema's that are out for netbooks. I found an Acer at around $480.

I'm using linux.

If you are just going to be browsing the internet, and watching HD movies, then, yes, the AM1 platform may be good for you. They are APUs that use Jaguar cores, which are the low-energy processor variants AMD built for use in mobile devices, such as tablets and laptops. I do not know about the longevity of the AM1 platform, but I do know that AMD has already put out a refresh/update of Jaguar-based hardware (I think it's called "Puma").

The issue with the AM1 platform is that you may want more connectivity than what it has to offer - it's pretty limited in how many SATA ports it has, and USB connectivity isn't the best either. I don't think many AM1 motherboards support plugs from your case either, but I could very well be wrong on that.

Anyway, AMD has some life planned for the FM2+ yet; at least one more generation.

If you want an FM2+ build, consider this (I'm going to assume you are going to re-use your case, and do have access to a copy of windows):
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Xq72zy

This will be more than good enough for what you want out of a PC, and should last you a while. It has plenty of upgradability and connectivity, so you'll never be found wanting for expansion.

AM1 might be enough right now, but the low-clocks seem trouble in the long run. The Puma's you mentioned have the Beema cores I talked about above,(or the other way around according to some) and Mullins cores for the tablets. But they aren't made for the AM1 platform which has an FS1b socket on it... they have FT3b sockets and are for laptops only. Or at least I haven't found them. These pumas aren't called Sempron or Athlon XXXX, they call it E2 and A8/A10 -XXXX. Cause they are APUs. The desktop SOCs for AM1 aren't out or never will be. Even if they will eventually make FS1b versions of them, they will be the last SOCs for that socket - as far as I expect from what I read. And yes, connectivity, might be an issue I didn't look into anyway. Thank you for the heads up.

If FM2+ isn't even a year old and we're looking forward to just one more generation ?... Socket 478 lasted 7 years ! What happened ? Anyone know if Intel's alternatives are longer lived ?

Thanks for your inputs.

 

[CTurbo]

Personally, I don't think it matters how long any particular platform "lasts" before getting "replaced" as long as you get 5+ years out of whatever you choose. We're talking about a general use PC and not a heavy gaming PC. My 9 year old Gateway laptop is still more than fast enough for web browsing, Office, and video playback. My HTPC has an A10-6800k, 8GB RAM, A88X fm2+ mobo, with Win7 on a ssd and unless something breaks, I expect it to still be viable for close to 10 years. It's mainly for video playback, but it sees it's share of general usage too.

 

[Calculatron]

AM1 might be enough right now, but the low-clocks seem trouble in the long run. The Puma's you mentioned have the Beema cores I talked about above,(or the other way around according to some) and Mullins cores for the tablets. But they aren't made for the AM1 platform which has an FS1b socket on it... they have FT3b sockets and are for laptops only. Or at least I haven't found them. These pumas aren't called Sempron or Athlon XXXX, they call it E2 and A8/A10 -XXXX. Cause they are APUs. The desktop SOCs for AM1 aren't out or never will be. Even if they will eventually make FS1b versions of them, they will be the last SOCs for that socket - as far as I expect from what I read. And yes, connectivity, might be an issue I didn't look into anyway. Thank you for the heads up.

If FM2+ isn't even a year old and we're looking forward to just one more generation ?... Socket 478 lasted 7 years ! What happened ? Anyone know if Intel's alternatives are longer lived ?

Thanks for your inputs.

Confusing nomenclature and codenames aside, yeah, hopefully AMD does release some sort of update for the AM1 platform, or otherwise provide more longevity for the platform.

Anyway, as for Intel's longevity, they have it set up, with their tick-tock strategy, to require a different socket every other year. New Architecture -> Die Shrink -> New Architecture. Each new architecture gets a new socket.

Improvements are very incremental these days, and although basic computing hasn't changed, there are a ton of augmentations being added at a rapid pace. The market is just different now - AMD can't spend six years reverse engineering a product to make it bigger, better, faster stronger, like what it did with the 386.

 

[GradualFailureRecovery]

Personally, I don't think it matters how long any particular platform "lasts" before getting "replaced" as long as you get 5+ years out of whatever you choose. We're talking about a general use PC and not a heavy gaming PC. My 9 year old Gateway laptop is still more than fast enough for web browsing, Office, and video playback. My HTPC has an A10-6800k, 8GB RAM, A88X fm2+ mobo, with Win7 on a ssd and unless something breaks, I expect it to still be viable for close to 10 years. It's mainly for video playback, but it sees it's share of general usage too.

that "unless something brakes" is exactly one of those things I'm tedious about picking a platform. But you're safe, FM2+ is probably the future and the next main platform (at least for a while) and parts probably will abound. When I first posted, I just knew that AM1 came out after FM2+ and thought it's replacing it. I had no idea it's a low-energy thing in parallel. I also found out meanwhile that AMD just doesn't care to compete with i7's. < - this part with bold is more or less the solution to my question.

Being tedious makes all the more sense considering that Intel has 4 times the market share. I probably don't have to be as careful there. It's painful that I had to search for basic info this much and still know nothing about intel. Does anyone know where I could get a (graphical) overview for Intel or where to start so that it doesn't take another day of research ?

 

[GradualFailureRecovery]

AM1 might be enough right now, but the low-clocks seem trouble in the long run. The Puma's you mentioned have the Beema cores I talked about above,(or the other way around according to some) and Mullins cores for the tablets. But they aren't made for the AM1 platform which has an FS1b socket on it... they have FT3b sockets and are for laptops only. Or at least I haven't found them. These pumas aren't called Sempron or Athlon XXXX, they call it E2 and A8/A10 -XXXX. Cause they are APUs. The desktop SOCs for AM1 aren't out or never will be. Even if they will eventually make FS1b versions of them, they will be the last SOCs for that socket - as far as I expect from what I read. And yes, connectivity, might be an issue I didn't look into anyway. Thank you for the heads up.

If FM2+ isn't even a year old and we're looking forward to just one more generation ?... Socket 478 lasted 7 years ! What happened ? Anyone know if Intel's alternatives are longer lived ?

Thanks for your inputs.

Confusing nomenclature and codenames aside, yeah, hopefully AMD does release some sort of update for the AM1 platform, or otherwise provide more longevity for the platform.

Anyway, as for Intel's longevity, they have it set up, with their tick-tock strategy, to require a different socket every other year. New Architecture -> Die Shrink -> New Architecture. Each new architecture gets a new socket.

Improvements are very incremental these days, and although basic computing hasn't changed, there are a ton of augmentations being added at a rapid pace. The market is just different now - AMD can't spend six years reverse engineering a product to make it bigger, better, faster stronger, like what it did with the 386.

tick-tock. Had no idea. Really helpful. Thanks a lot.
And yeah, I hope AM1 isn't abandoned yet. But the new fastest Beema performes worse than the current best Athlon 5350. (2500 compared to 2600 in benchmarks). Upgrading won't make sense unless you want to go from 25W to 15W or really want to use the face login feature or something like that.

If they'd "overclock" things for the desktop that would be something though. Is a 3GHz Athlon impossible ? Given that it's going to be 2015... that would still be low-end, but at least not low-low...

Unfortunately I can't wait till I find out, black friday is knocking on the door already...

 

[GradualFailureRecovery]

Unless you need nothing more than the power of a tablet, stay away from the AM1 platform. Stay with the FM2+ platform since gaming isn't a big necessity for you. (if you were a gamer, I'd suggest Intel or the AM3+ socket) Intel makes faster more advanced processors, but you will pay a premium for that and the components that make up the rest of the platform.
FM2+ is not dead. That is probably the way AMD will roll for the near future. But no socket/platform is secure in today's ever-changing world. Intel changes sockets like I change underwear. If you use your PC for internet and everyday use, the FM2+ line will be perfect for you. And it the higher end APUs can game decent at 720p resolution if you ever change your mind in that regard.

I owe you an apology. You actually gave me all the right answers from the beginning. Except you weren't convincing because to me saying "FM2+ is not dead" is not the same as "FM2+ is currently the mainline socket and is here to stay". When you added "probably" and "near future", I kinda heard... "but don't count on it too long."

I also wasn't sure we agreed where the power for a tablet ends and a pc for every day use begins. Also, nowhere does it say that the two can't overlap in my book - while in your it obviously did. All in all, thank you and I didn't mean to ignore you.

 

[GradualFailureRecovery]

I just found info on the upgrades for AM1 and they don't make sense. They are still based on Kabini and have (according to preliminary info) the GPU's disabled. If that's true, and it is likely, AM1 is really a non-option. The new Pumas will probably be released next season, somewhere in 2015, and that will be the end of it. The new K12 in 2016 will probably put an end to FM2+ soon after that. We'll see.

 

[slyu9213]

AM1 honestly isn't meant to replace or compete against FM2/+ and those can't really compete with AM3+. Then AMD struggles to compete with Intel.

AM1 isn't meant for people who want great performance. You're not looking to game but your "wants" are that of a high gaming/performance component. AM1 is about low power almost as much as Tablet SoCs. You have Quad-Core APUs but they aren't clocked that high and I don't know if they can be OCed and to what extent. So no AM1 won't replace FM2+.

The likeliness of FM2 being continued for much longer is also almost ZERO. FM2+ is about to become EOL after Carrizo is released in 2015. AMD is trying hard to improve/catch up with their 'Zen' so they shouldn't use their resources on both the older Bulldozer-line APUs and the newer architecture.

USB 3.0, SATA 6, etc? Intel already has those. AMD has little to nothing that Intel doesn't have except a superior IGP. Intel will perform better in most everything with AMD's equivalent and even the higher products. The architecture is more efficient for otherthings not related to gaming either. How do you expect to be 'future proof' with a computer build that may not cost even as much as a console?

I agree with clutchc. FM2+ seems perfectly fine for your needs. Without gaming in mind FM2+ Kaveri seems good for HTPC/Video watching and other non professional intensive tasks. I have a FM2+ motherboard with a A4-4000 right now (860k coming by the end of the week). With that APU I have 8GB of DDR3, and SSD + HDD. But once you want to get into gaming or you just need something that can run intensive programs/tasks you can buy a A8/A10 APU (Quad-Core). I wouldn't buy a A6 APU as they are dual-core and the only improvement would be being able to overclock them. Once the 7850K price drops its a good APU that can do basic gaming with the IGP.

You're wanting a Future-Proof socket right? Think about the LGA 1150. The Pentium G3258 is unlocked and overclockable. It's plenty strong enough to beat AMD's Athlon X4 860K in games, and will perform better than AMD's CPU/APUs if the program does not use more than 2-Cores. While FM2+ may fit your needs, it doesn't have a long to live as far as new updates/upgrades to it's socket. FM2+ performance improvements will die when the last Carrizo/Excavator APU is released. On the other hand you can go with LGA 1150 buy the ~$69.99 Pentium G3258, beat whatever FM2+ has currently (at stock), and probably beat their Excavator APUs when they release too (might need to overclock). Then while FM2+ socket might be discontinued in 2015/2016 you can upgrade to an i5/i7 locked or unlocked and unless AMD makes a miracle with Zen (K12), the Haswell/Broadwell i5/i7 will still be better or as good as what AMD has to offer then.

 

[CTurbo]

Again, why is "future proof" so important for a general use PC when you can get an i3 or an A8/A10 on a mid-range motherboard and will last years and years?

 

[GradualFailureRecovery]

Again, why is "future proof" so important for a general use PC when you can get an i3 or an A8/A10 on a mid-range motherboard and will last years and years?

Because I wouldn't like to invest "currency" into "deprecacy". By extension... Neither in technology that becomes deprecated tomorrow and defunct the day after. I just like the prospect of having options. Google "Buyer's remorse" if you don't get me. Options = Longer life, but it also makes sense to be on the edge... so no AM3+.

It's going to save me some money if I want to upgrade or if I have to buy parts, because I don't have to go to another socket. Even if I'm talking about $10, I'll still have the option to save $10 as opposed to not having that option. AM1 with only 6 processors for the platform is a nightmare.

Carrizo and the low prices make FM2+ worth considering. On top of that FM2+ is also backwards compatible.

 

[GradualFailureRecovery]

@CTurbo. Maybe you're trying to say there are more important things to look for in a system than long term compatibility. Or maybe you're thinking that DDR4 is going to brake things for every socket soon anyway. Or maybe it's something else ? I'm listening.

 

[GradualFailureRecovery]

AM1 honestly isn't meant to replace or compete against FM2/+ and those can't really compete with AM3+. Then AMD struggles to compete with Intel. AM1 isn't meant for people who want great performance. You're not looking to game but your "wants" are that of a high gaming/performance component. AM1 is about low power almost as much as Tablet SoCs. You have Quad-Core APUs but they aren't clocked that high and I don't know if they can be OCed and to what extent. So no AM1 won't replace FM2+.

I get that now, but I honestly didn't have a clue in the beginning. I saw no reasons for SoCs not to live alongside APUs. As for my wants, I just don't want anything to lag. (I'm on linux because windows has a built in 400 ms delay for the start button's reaction. I'm kiddin')

The likeliness of FM2 being continued for much longer is also almost ZERO. FM2+ is about to become EOL after Carrizo is released in 2015. AMD is trying hard to improve/catch up with their 'Zen' so they shouldn't use their resources on both the older Bulldozer-line APUs and the newer architecture.

USB 3.0, SATA 6, etc? Intel already has those. AMD has little to nothing that Intel doesn't have except a superior IGP. Intel will perform better in most everything with AMD's equivalent and even the higher products. The architecture is more efficient for otherthings not related to gaming either. How do you expect to be 'future proof' with a computer build that may not cost even as much as a console?

Intel's architecture being more performant ? For the same price tag or ? I know they have superior single-thread performance, but I'm not sure if that's what you mean. I'm heavily multitasking and I'd expect multiple-cores would make things snappier. Although, this won't be an issue in the first few years, it will in the long run.

I agree with clutchc. FM2+ seems perfectly fine for your needs. Without gaming in mind FM2+ Kaveri seems good for HTPC/Video watching and other non professional intensive tasks. I have a FM2+ motherboard with a A4-4000 right now (860k coming by the end of the week). With that APU I have 8GB of DDR3, and SSD + HDD. But once you want to get into gaming or you just need something that can run intensive programs/tasks you can buy a A8/A10 APU (Quad-Core). I wouldn't buy a A6 APU as they are dual-core and the only improvement would be being able to overclock them. Once the 7850K price drops its a good APU that can do basic gaming with the IGP.

You're wanting a Future-Proof socket right? Think about the LGA 1150. The Pentium G3258 is unlocked and overclockable. It's plenty strong enough to beat AMD's Athlon X4 860K in games, and will perform better than AMD's CPU/APUs if the program does not use more than 2-Cores. While FM2+ may fit your needs, it doesn't have a long to live as far as new updates/upgrades to it's socket. FM2+ performance improvements will die when the last Carrizo/Excavator APU is released. On the other hand you can go with LGA 1150 buy the ~$69.99 Pentium G3258, beat whatever FM2+ has currently (at stock), and probably beat their Excavator APUs when they release too (might need to overclock). Then while FM2+ socket might be discontinued in 2015/2016 you can upgrade to an i5/i7 locked or unlocked and unless AMD makes a miracle with Zen (K12), the Haswell/Broadwell i5/i7 will still be better or as good as what AMD has to offer then.

Thank you for your input. I haven't had the time yet to compare benchmarks and sockets for Intel yet, but I have a hunch that your last sentence is exactly what I've been searching for. I take there's no need for me to bother researching for 2011 or 1155. It's either FM2+ or LGA 1150. Thanks again.

To do:
Compare Pentium G's performance with the APU's.
Find out whether it has IGP or if it does but it's weaker is it an issue ? - I might start using photoshop and such, and how long do you have to wait for an effect to be applied does matter. I don't care if converting a video takes 2 mins longer.
Check prices for the 1155 compatible i5/i7's.

 

[slyu9213]

I take there's no need for me to bother researching for 2011 or 1155. It's either FM2+ or LGA 1150. Thanks again.

To do:
Compare Pentium G's performance with the APU's.
Find out whether it has IGP or if it does but it's weaker is it an issue ? - I might start using photoshop and such, and how long do you have to wait for an effect to be applied does matter. I don't care if converting a video takes 2 mins longer.
Check prices for the 1155 compatible i5/i7's.

The reason why I didn't mention the 2011 or 1155 is because they won't be getting any new updates anymore. I believe another member explained Intel's Tick and Tock design for their CPUs. Tick is an die shrink and Tock is a change in architecture. LGA 2011 X79 in 2011. Sandy Bridge E was the Tock (Architecture Change) and Ivy Bridge E was the Tick (Die Shrink). LGA 2011 has had both it's Tick and Tocks so their will be no new CPUs for the 2011 socket. Similarly LGA 1155 x60s/x70s chipset was released in 2011 also. It had it's Tick and Tock with Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge also.

I specifically mentioned LGA 1150 for Intel because Haswell is an actual architectural change/update to the Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge, and the Tick or die shrink has yet to happen with Broadwell to be released later.

The LGA 2011 and 1155 are still very powerful compared to anything AMD has to offer for CPU performance. The only thing is that they don't have a cheap $60-70 unlocked Dual-Core Pentium like in LGA 1150.

In general the Haswell Pentium G3258 will outperform AMD's Top FM2+ Processors in gaming with a discrete video card. It will also outperform in any softwares that only utilize two-cores. The cheap Quad-Cores for FM2/+ have an advantage on software that utilize more than two-cores but because Intel has a higher IPC the Pentium G3258 can still outperform the AMD Quad-Cores, especially when overclocked. It might be hard to find comparison benchmarks so you will probably have to find single review/benchmarks on G3258 (a lot) and then single ones of AMD's processors, than compare the numbers.

As for an IGP, yes the Pentium CPUs have an IGP but it is not as strong as AMD's APUs. I believe the IGP in the Pentium is weaker than the ones in the i3/i5/i7 CPUs. The thing is @$70 or lower in the US you can buy a G3258 and a cheap discrete video card and it will cost similar to a high-end cpu like a 7850K and it will perform better than an APU too.

I can't say anything about using effects in photoshop. I use photoshop a lot for photo and other graphic design work but I have yet to try it on a APU with disabled IGP, High-End APU, or a Low-End APU. I don't own a Pentium G3258 either.

Here is one benchmark that shows the G3258 and 750K performing on Photoshop CC.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pentium-g3258-overclocking-performance,3849-13.html

You can see that the G3258 finishes the benchmark workload 1 second before the 750K at stock settings. When both CPUs use OpenCL acceleration the G3258 finishes the workload almost a minute faster. When both CPUs are overclocked the G3258 finishes 9 seconds faster and with OpenCL acceleration about 1 minute 2 seconds faster. The G3258 finishes the photoshop workload a few seconds faster than the 750K at stock settings when the Pentium two cores less than the 750K and has no HT like the i3. With OpenCL acceleration the G3258 works even better. A i5 4690K will do an identical Photoshop workload that a Pentium takes 1:11 to finish with OpenCL acceleration in 1:19 without acceleration. With acceleration it will finish in 1:04, a few seconds faster.

 

[CTurbo]

I'm having trouble figuring out what exactly you are looking for. You don't like the AM1 chipset because of the low clock speeds of the available cpus, but the performance of the quad core Athlon 5350 @ 2.05ghz is right in line with current laptop A8s, A10s, i3s, and desktop A4s, A6s, and Pentiums, as well as some older but well known popular cpus like the Athlon II X3 450, A6-3500/3600, and the fastest Core 2 Duos. Add a ssd to that little Athlon and you have a pretty quick little PC.

I think you may be putting too much stock in cpu clock speeds, and you're definitely over thinking things a good bit. The only reason I would stay away from the AM1 socket is because it is so extremely limited as far as connectivity goes. I don't think any of them offer more than 2 sata ports and I'm also pretty sure they are still capped at single channel memory even with 2 dimms.

The Athlon 5350 + ssd would be much faster in most uses than an A10-6800k + 7200rpm hard drive despite the A10 having more than twice the clock speed.


Yes ssds make that much difference.

 

[slyu9213]

He wants to know a socket that is somewhat future proof and not overly expensive also. Not exactly fair to compare an AM1 + SSD with an A10 with a 7200RPM. An SSD will make any computer much faster in general usage.

 

[will221996]

if you don't really care about graphics just go with a lga 1155 or 1150 cpu. if graphic are important to you go with fm2+ or am3+ a gpu (r9 270 or 650)

 

[slyu9213]

or he can go LGA 1150 with Pentium G3258 with a GPU and then be able to get an i5/i7 later (which will beat everything on Fm2+ and AM3+

 

[CTurbo]

Haswell i3 and done