AMD FX-8350 4.0 GHz - "Piledriver" for AMD Socket AM3+

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by Super XP

Most if not all Socket AM3+ boards can disable modules. What I am looking for is the ability to disables individual cores within modules. I want to bench 4 cores via 4 modules versus 2 modules w/ 4 cores. The problem is so far beta bioses have this ability, but are not 100% optimised or stable.

I believe the 4 cores via 4 modules would outperform 4 cores via 2 modules especially with Piledriver CPU's.

Interesting theory. Hopefully somebody will find a way to do this and still maintain stability. I can understand why you woit would perform better. Each core would have the full cache and decoder to itself, instead of sharing it with its twin.

[EarthDog]

Not a theory... a practice. This was done with BD.

[cadaveca]

Originally Posted by EarthDog

Not a theory... a practice. This was done with BD.

And still isn't a very smart line of thought, either, just like with BD. If you want Phenom II, go buy Phenom II.

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by Super XP

Most if not all Socket AM3+ boards can disable modules. What I am looking for is the ability to disables individual cores within modules. I want to bench 4 cores via 4 modules versus 2 modules w/ 4 cores. The problem is so far beta bioses have this ability, but are not 100% optimised or stable.

I believe the 4 cores via 4 modules would outperform 4 cores via 2 modules especially with Piledriver CPU's.

Nice theory and undoubtedly true if it is possible to isolate one core in each module. Let me know if progress is made on that front.

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by EarthDog

For BD (like I specifically mentioned).

I believe (someone correct me if I am wrong), not all boards with Vishera/PD in them can do that yet??? BIOS updates are needed on some boards. I read that in one of the 8GHz articles IIRC.

Certainly on all 990 FX motherboards one has that ability.

[EarthDog]

And still isn't a very smart line of thought, either, just like with BD. If you want Phenom II, go buy Phenom II.

Monetarily speaking you are spot on.

Certainly on all 990 FX motherboards one has that ability.

Perhaps. Im not sure what board was used in the article... I just know they could not disable cores on w/e board they were using for w/e reason.

[cadaveca]

I'll never understand why people buy new stuff, and then complain that it's not like the old stuff. Being different is what makes it new. Trying to change it into the old stuff...when you already had the old stuff...man...I'll never understand.


And yes, I was speaking from a financial perspective.

[EarthDog]

Me either... nostalgia perhaps? Trying to get that IPC feeling back again?

OSwiz - double posting machine, LOL!

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by EarthDog

Not a theory... a practice. This was done with BD.

How could it have been done,when the bios doesn't permit you to activate only 1 core per module?
Unless you are referring to some modded bios that proved to be unstable.

[TRWOV]

Originally Posted by os2wiz

How could it have been done,when the bios doesn't permit you to activate only 1 core per module?
Unless you are referring to some modded bios that proved to be unstable.

I'm fairly sure that the Assus Crosshair allowed that. I thing that [H] ran some tests with 1 core per module activated and they used that motherboard if I recall correctly.

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by TRWOV

I'm fairly sure that the Assus Crosshair allowed that. I thing that [H] ran some tests with 1 core per module activated and they used that motherboard if I recall correctly.

No not correct. I have an Asus Crosshairs V and you can turn on and off modules , Not individual cores.

[cadaveca]

Originally Posted by os2wiz

No not correct. I have an Asus Crosshairs V and you can turn on and off modules , Not individual cores.

There was a special BIOS for doing this. I don't mean to be rude here, but google is your friend on this one, for sure.


I did not review the BD CPUs, I actually assembled a package by buying all the parts separately, but ending up with the same review kit as all those other guys and gals got.


I tried the whole core-in-module-disable. was one BIOS only. Was it slightly faster? Sure. But then you lost out on the whole idea of these chips, which is many mores, not a quad-core.

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by cadaveca

There was a special BIOS for doing this. I don't mean to be rude here, but google is your friend on this one, for sure.


I did not review the BD CPUs, I actually assembled a package by buying all the parts separately, but ending up with the same review kit as all those other guys and gals got.


I tried the whole core-in-module-disable. was one BIOS only. Was it slightly faster? Sure. But then you lost out on the whole idea of these chips, which is many mores, not a quad-core.

Yes, I never thought it would be good as an overall solution, but in some instances it may have delivered better single thread performance. I knew it had to be a modded bios. I had installed all the official and some beta builds an none of them actually provided that capability. I enjoy mild experimentation, but I have NOT the patience or money to be on the bleeding edge all the time. I enjoy your posts. They are intelligent, witty, and sometimes humorous, and sometimes with a edge of sublime sarcasm. Your technical knowledge is well beyond mine as are many here , who probably work in the industry in some fashion. I feel I learn , sometimes by listening to you all, and sometimes by arguing what I think is right , even if it is not wholly correct. I have never been afraid to express myself. I hate to be in a world where people are not free to express ourselves, such as in the despotic work place, where those who toil are treated like drones with nothing to contribute. Despotism MUST be crushed when it oppresses the multitudes as it is doing now globally. Enough said on this score.

[cadaveca]

Originally Posted by os2wiz

Yes, I never thought it would be good as an overall solution, but in some instances it may have delivered better single thread performance. I knew it had to be a modded bios. I had installed all the official and some beta builds an none of them actually provided that capability.

Modded by ASUS staff.

I enjoy mild experimentation, but I have NOT the patience or money to be on the bleeding edge all the time.

That's what got me into doing this in the first place. I have an extra amount of time right now, planned extra time, so doing hardware reviews and playing with hardware in general was just what I had set out to do.

Actually getting into it though, was hard, and I just happened to be at the right place at the right time...and W1zz gave me a chance.

I enjoy your posts. They are intelligent, witty, and sometimes humorous, and sometimes with a edge of sublime sarcasm. Your technical knowledge is well beyond mine as are many here , who probably work in the industry in some fashion.

Thanks. Really, I don't know much more than anyone else. I do, however, play with a lot of hardware, and always have. Overclocking memory and playing with timings has always been my thing than I enjoyed out of this hobby, and then going sub-zero for cooling opened a whole new realm of possibilities...expensive ones. That didn't last long.

I do not work for anyone in the industry, period. I do home exterior refinishing, vinyl siding actually, but live in Canada, where vinyl can only be installed about 8 months out of the year. I work for myself, get paid according to the work I do, and then take the winter off. Needing/wanting extra money in the winter lead to me doing many other things, but siding is what I do. I'm gonna go back to school soon though, so I can do HVAC in the winter. I enjoy working on people's homes and such too much, making people's visions reality...

Anyway, that's me in a nutshell. I have 4 kids, my wife has a pretty successful executive/engineering career, and childcare is expensive, so the past 2 years, and one year more, I've been home full time caring for my kids...it's been like one long long winter.

I can't sit around and do nothing, so doing reviews works well for me. And I get to share my experiences, I get some info for the companies that make this stuff, and then get to relate that back at you guys. I put my own spin on motherboard reviews, showing what's really what on the board's surface, but really ,anyone with a small bit of knowledge on what numbers to google can do just the same as I do. It's just research, really, and isn't something I personally see as any real skill. It takes time, and I have a lot of that.


I'm just happy I can do something useful with my time. No thanks needed.


The only advantage I have, really, is all this time. Unfortunately, that time has now itself come up short...I'm just simply getting too many product samples, and end up doing nothing but reviews.

But the more samples I get...the more I learn. Really, I'm learning just as much as you are

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by cadaveca

Modded by ASUS staff.

"That's what got me into doing this in the first place. I have an extra amount of time right now, planned extra time, so doing hardware reviews and playing with hardware in general was just what I had set out to do.

Actually getting into it though, was hard, and I just happened to be at the right place at the right time...and W1zz gave me a chance"



I do not work for anyone in the industry, period. I do home exterior refinishing, vinyl siding actually, but live in Canada, where vinyl can only be installed about 8 months out of the year. I work for myself, get paid according to the work I do, and then take the winter off. Needing/wanting extra money in the winter lead to me doing many other things, but siding is what I do. I'm gonna go back to school soon though, so I can do HVAC in the winter. I enjoy working on people's homes and such too much, making people's visions reality...

Anyway, that's me in a nutshell. I have 4 kids, my wife has a pretty successful executive/engineering career, and childcare is expensive, so the past 2 years, and one year more, I've been home full time caring for my kids...it's been like one long long winter.

I can't sit around and do nothing, so doing reviews works well for me. And I get to share my experiences, I get some info for the companies that make this stuff, and then get to relate that back at you guys. I put my own spin on motherboard reviews, showing what's really what on the board's surface, but really ,anyone with a small bit of knowledge on what numbers to google can do just the same as I do. It's just research, really, and isn't something I personally see as any real skill. It takes time, and I have a lot of that.


I'm just happy I can do something useful with my time. No thanks needed.

But the more samples I get...the more I learn. Really, I'm learning just as much as you are

Time is not an issue for me, I am retired as of May. So I enjoy some finageling but I do have my limits. When it gets a little hairy for me, my stress levels go up and I have to pull back. Bad heart. I like to stretch my mind . I love the learning-teaching aspect of life and this is just a small piece of the grander scheme of things .

I worked 32 years as diagnostic medical sonographer (ultrasound tech). I enjoyed the work, my co-workers, and the patients. Come from the working class, though I am formally educated, and have no personal ambition to be rich, just be comfortable in an unassuming way. I use every opportunity to engage people in discussion, whether it is science, computers, politics, or organizing to change the world. I love the ride of life and have an imdominatable spirit.

[jihadjoe]

The new FX processors were on TR's podcast, and an interesting point raised was that while the TDP differences suggests a 48W gap between Intel and AMD, in actual practice the measured difference at the wall was about 100W.

That's HUGE, especially if you're running your computer 24/7 for one reason or another (servers, folding nuts, etc). 100W 24/7 at 15c per kWh is $11 a month in electricity. That's $130+ a year or roughly the difference in platform cost compared to an Ivy Bridge i7; if you keep your rig for 2 years an Ivy i7 actually ends up being cheaper to own+operate.

Where I live, the applied electricity rate is actually close to 30c per kWh, so that's a whopping $260 difference in electricity alone for just one year. It actually makes running an FX processor a rather silly option for me.

[Garage1217]

Yeah however the mass majority of us do not run our PC's 24-7.

Also here is a good average power consumption benchmark from guys known to be Intel biased
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...w,3328-16.html

8350 to i7 3770K was around 53W

[cdawall]

Originally Posted by jihadjoe

The new FX processors were on TR's podcast, and an interesting point raised was that while the TDP differences suggests a 48W gap between Intel and AMD, in actual practice the measured difference at the wall was about 100W.

That's HUGE, especially if you're running your computer 24/7 for one reason or another (servers, folding nuts, etc). 100W 24/7 at 15c per kWh is $11 a month in electricity. That's $130+ a year or roughly the difference in platform cost compared to an Ivy Bridge i7; if you keep your rig for 2 years an Ivy i7 actually ends up being cheaper to own+operate.

Where I live, the applied electricity rate is actually close to 30c per kWh, so that's a whopping $260 difference in electricity alone for just one year. It actually makes running an FX processor a rather silly option for me.

Depends on the server farm as to if they even care. Thing is as we sit AMD offers more threads per board. That does matter not to mention in those specific scenario's AMD typically performs better.

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by jihadjoe

The new FX processors were on TR's podcast, and an interesting point raised was that while the TDP differences suggests a 48W gap between Intel and AMD, in actual practice the measured difference at the wall was about 100W.

That's HUGE, especially if you're running your computer 24/7 for one reason or another (servers, folding nuts, etc). 100W 24/7 at 15c per kWh is $11 a month in electricity. That's $130+ a year or roughly the difference in platform cost compared to an Ivy Bridge i7; if you keep your rig for 2 years an Ivy i7 actually ends up being cheaper to own+operate.

Where I live, the applied electricity rate is actually close to 30c per kWh, so that's a whopping $260 difference in electricity alone for just one year. It actually makes running an FX processor a rather silly option for me.

Actually if you are not running a 24/7 business and are essentially using your computer only for defined tasks, the best way to compute usage would be watts/computation. That would the most efficient method of energy useage.

[Super XP]

Originally Posted by cadaveca

I'll never understand why people buy new stuff, and then complain that it's not like the old stuff. Being different is what makes it new. Trying to change it into the old stuff...when you already had the old stuff...man...I'll never understand.

And yes, I was speaking from a financial perspective.

I think you misunderstood my point, it was and still is pure curiosity that I would like to perform this comparison. AMD speaks highly of this sharing within its new unique design.

Personally if disabling 1 core per module proves to be a better performer, I would still keep it running at all 8-cores

Now last I heard its all up to the board and bios. Currently not possible on the Crosshair V Formula unless you use a hacked bios.

[os2wiz]

Originally Posted by Super XP

I think you misunderstood my point, it was and still is pure curiosity that I would like to perform this comparison. AMD speaks highly of this sharing within its new unique design.

Personally if disabling 1 core per module proves to be a better performer, I would still keep it running at all 8-cores

Now last I heard its all up to the board and bios. Currently not possible on the Crosshair V Formula unless you use a hacked bios.

Correctamon, Gaston!

[xenocide]

Originally Posted by Super XP

I think you misunderstood my point, it was and still is pure curiosity that I would like to perform this comparison. AMD speaks highly of this sharing within its new unique design.

It was tested on Bulldozer and it did result in slightly higher performance--because there was no bottleneck at the scheduler.

[os2wiz]

[QUOTE=cadaveca;2751515]


I just got my CPU today FX-8350. The batch number is 1236 PGN. Does any one know if this is one of the better batches that overclock better?

I live in NY the chip was shipped 2nd day UPS air last Friday. Because of the hurricane and 2 days of UPS incompetence I got it a week later. I have had numerous problems in the last few months with UPS. Apparently they are having a major mid to lower level management change with forced retirements. They are losing key know ledgeable personnel. Now there are many cases of items being put on the wrong trucks sometimes going to the wrong state for a local delivery. It is sad. Par for the course for US business. ,They are so fixated on short-tern profits they are destroying good businesses and millions of workers lives.

[eidairaman1]

Considering this only launched recently we dont know, why not compare it to the Chinaman that OCd to 8.1 GHz on all 8 cores

[QUOTE=os2wiz;2765339]

Originally Posted by cadaveca

I just got my CPU today FX-8350. The batch number is 1236 PGN. Does any one know if this is one of the better batches that overclock better?

I live in NY the chip was shipped 2nd day UPS air last Friday. Because of the hurricane and 2 days of UPS incompetence I got it a week later. I have had numerous problems in the last few months with UPS. Apparently they are having a major mid to lower level management change with forced retirements. They are losing key know ledgeable personnel. Now there are many cases of items being put on the wrong trucks sometimes going to the wrong state for a local delivery. It is sad. Par for the course for US business. ,They are so fixated on short-tern profits they are destroying good businesses and millions of workers lives.

[os2wiz]

I hope that was a joke. I have a Corsair H100 lying here ready for installation with the cpu, not a LN2 setup.. I am having installation Monday when the power supply unit is supposed to arrive. I think 4.8 GHZ is my likely target.