Quad-Core processor HP laptop appears to have just 2 cores

[P4-630]

"HP has over the last several months Pavilion 17 laptops sold a wrongly qualified as a quad-core processor. Both HP itself and several vendors called the AMD A8-7050 processor in their advertisements a quad-core, when in fact it appears to be an APU with only two cores enabled.Hardware.Info came here after a tip from a reader via the forum. From benchmarks indicate that the supply of the wrong chip has a great influence on the performance of the laptops.

The affected model is the 17-p074nb, a type which the Belgian supermarket Carrefour has several times offered as action, including in the directory last week. In the Netherlands, there are models sold with such a processor onboard, including the HP 17-p030nd and 17-p031nd, Computervoorschool.nl shop, Bol.com, Mycom and BCC were selling these versions.

A user of the laptop noticed the error after he saw only two graphs in Task Manager, while on a quad-core processor should normally see four graphs. HP customer reported at first that it was just a quad-core, but in several tests performed at the request of Hardware.Info, it appears that that is not the case.

Said AMD A8-7050 processor's trace on the manufacturer's Web site and does not seem to exist outside of this HP laptops. Possibly this type of specially produced on HP's request, but there is confusion because all A8 models normally have four cores and there is therefore a wrong naming. On the official HP site on the laptop's box and leaflets in stores is that it is a quad-core."

Specs from website HP:
http://www8.hp.com/nl/nl/products/laptops/product-detail.html?oid=8611580#!tab=specs

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http://nl.hardware.info/nieuws/46144/quad-core-processor-in-hp-laptops-blijkt-maar-twee-cores-te-bevatten&edit-text=

 

[yogurt_21]

wow they still failed even in their explanation.

the A8-7050 doesn't exist. the A6-7050 does however. 2 processer units and 4 graphics units make 6 total, not 8. For it to be a dual core it would need 6 graphics units which would make the graphics chip similar to that of the A10-5750. Unfortunately that's not the case.

Overall this chip cpu wise will perform slightly worse than a current gen pentium grade intel while offering similar graphics performance to my i7 4970's HD 4400 graphics.

Someone at HP either deliberately or accidentally labeled it as an A8 as I see no reason AMD would have to done so.

 

[P4-630]

wow they still failed even in their explanation.

the A8-7050 doesn't exist. the A6-7050 does however. 2 processer units and 4 graphics units make 6 total, not 8. For it to be a dual core it would need 6 graphics units which would make the graphics chip similar to that of the A10-5750. Unfortunately that's not the case.

Overall this chip cpu wise will perform slightly worse than a current gen pentium grade intel while offering similar graphics performance to my i7 4970's HD 4400 graphics.

Someone at HP either deliberately or accidentally labeled it as an A8 as I see no reason AMD would have to done so.

The fact is, this processor is not a quad core (4 processor units) CPU as they advertise.

 

[cdawall]

What does CPUz show?

 

[yogurt_21]

@P4-640 nor is it an A8 also as they advertise. The chip has 6 units on it, 2 cpu, 4 gpu. They way they put it makes it seem like they lost 2 cpu cores but gained 2 gpu units, that's not the case. They still have 4 gpu units but only 2 cpu units as opposed to the indicated 4. It's an A6 chip, not an A8.

 

[P4-630]

What does CPUz show?

They did not show that, they only checked in the takmanager and found out that it had just 2 cores.
Yeah they should have checked it with CPU-Z

Currently these laptop models are unavailable on the webshops mentioned.

 

[cdawall]

They did not show that, they only checked in the takmanager and found out that it had just 2 cores.
Yeah they should have checked it with CPU-Z

Currently these laptop models are unavailable on the webshops mentioned.

Task manager should show 2 physical cores (modules) and 4 logical cores.

 

[P4-630]

Task manager should show 2 physical cores (modules) and 4 logical cores.

only two graphs in Task Manager, while on a quad-core processor should normally see four graphs.

 

[dorsetknob]

Typical misleading advertising
AMD 1 core = 2 compute units
intel 1 core = 2 threads

amd 2core = 4 compute units sales talk for 4 core or quad
Intel 2 core = 4 threads sales talk for 4 core or quad

 

[P4-630]

Since today these laptops are unavailable on webshops, people may want to trade in their laptop for another one and someone at HP may have lost his job.

 

[GhostRyder]

It seems to be a custom chip as I cannot find it either. However Sams Club and Walmart up here have them for sale.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/HP-Black-...750GB-Hard-Drive-and-Windows-10-Home/46429954
They are advertised as dual core processors on their websites while other AMD processors like the one below are advertised as quad core
http://www.walmart.com/ip/HP-Refurb...tView-Notebook-AMD-FX-Series-FX-7500/43829421
So they are not making a mistake in the cores vs modules debate. It seems that its a custom chip specifically for HP that has some differences from the A6-7050. Its major differences are that the A8 starts at 1.8ghz and boosts to 3.0ghz where as the A6 starts at 2.2ghz and boosts to 3.0ghz and that the GPU on the A6 only has 3 compute cores versus 4 on the A8 variant.

What it looks like to me is that it gets that name for the upper GPU R5 name which according to the website is only available A8+. It looks to me like an attempt to make a custom lower power machine that has a higher GPU. Someone looked up what A8's generally have and made that mistake without actually knowing it was a custom Dual-Core.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Windows 8 and newer Task Manager should say Cores: 2 and Logical Processors: 4 on that processor. Everything is as it should be. See this thread for a debate about this subject.


Edit: Here's the original source and that's exactly how the confusion started (Task Manager).

AMD is presently getting sued for false advertising among other things because of this.

There does appear to be a problem for this user, however, because he claims to only see two graphs when there should be four. I think HP botched their BIOS so the extra logic cores are disabled.

 

[Toothless]

Well, good thing I'm a happy camper with my real quad-core 3420m since it sounds like that A6 is a laptop i5-lookalike. 2 cores 4 threads.

 

[newtekie1]

Windows 8 and newer Task Manager should say Cores: 2 and Logical Processors: 4 on that processor. Everything is as it should be. See this thread for a debate about this subject.


Edit: Here's the original source and that's exactly how the confusion started (Task Manager).

AMD is presently getting sued for false advertising among other things because of this.

There does appear to be a problem for this user, however, because he claims to only see two graphs when there should be four. I think HP botched their BIOS so the extra logic cores are disabled.

This isn't what is going on in this case. That is a totally different issue. Until that case is settled, AMD's claim of 2 modules, each module containing 2 cores, for a total for 4 cores means 4 cores. It doesn't matter what Microsoft says or thinks, AMD makes the processors and calls them 4-cores.

In this instance, this is a 2-cores(1 module) CPU that is being sold as a 4-Core by HP.

 

[cdawall]

This isn't what is going on in this case. That is a totally different issue. Until that case is settled, AMD's claim of 2 modules, each module containing 2 cores, for a total for 4 cores means 4 cores. It doesn't matter what Microsoft says or thinks, AMD makes the processors and calls them 4-cores.

In this instance, this is a 2-cores(1 module) CPU that is being sold as a 4-Core by HP.

Or HP is selling a 2 module 4 core unit with half the cores shut off in the BIOS due to a simple BIOS fuck up.

 

[newtekie1]

Or HP is selling a 2 module 4 core unit with half the cores shut off in the BIOS due to a simple BIOS fuck up.

Could be, but I doubt it.

 

[cdawall]

If it is an A8 it will have 4 cores if it is an A6 it will be a dual. No idea where the typo is...

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Yup, AMD wouldn't call it an A8 if it only had one module. The hardware has to be there but this particular HP model isn't using it.

 

[GhostRyder]

If it is an A8 it will have 4 cores if it is an A6 it will be a dual. No idea where the typo is...

Not all are dual cores this time, A6 processors this generation can also come in a quad core configuration.

Yup, AMD wouldn't call it an A8 if it only had one module. The hardware has to be there but this particular HP model isn't using it.

Well I am under the impression they are calling it that due to the extra GPU module active on it. They maybe using a cut down A8 processor with that module disabled and the GPU module enabled specifically for HP on those laptops as besides the slight different base clock speeds on the A6-7050 that is one of the only differences. It seems that only the site listed was in mistake as all the other retailers selling those HP laptops with that chip list it as a dual core.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

GPUs don't have modules. They have GCN cores. If that is the case then AMD might as well prepare for another class action lawsuit.

Someone needs to run CPU-Z and GPU-Z on it.

 

[GhostRyder]

GPUs don't have modules. They have GCN cores. If that is the case then AMD might as well prepare for another class action lawsuit.

Someone needs to run CPU-Z and GPU-Z on it.

That's what I was referring to, I just used a different phrasing. I meant how an R4 has 3 GCN compute cores versus R5 having 4.

 

[cdawall]

Not all are dual cores this time, A6 processors this generation can also come in a quad core configuration.

There are still no dual core A8's which is more what I was implying.

 

[newtekie1]

Yup, AMD wouldn't call it an A8 if it only had one module. The hardware has to be there but this particular HP model isn't using it.

Traditionally, I'd agree. But AMD has been doing some craziness lately. So I wouldn't put it past them to make a special part for HP that was named A8 but only had 2 cores.

 

[GhostRyder]

There are still no dual core A8's which is more what I was implying.

I agree that this is an odd conundrum as that should be the case. However this chip then does not fit in any of the molds we are used to which makes it an oddity. It maybe as you said and has two disabled cores (One Module) while they kept the GPU cores unlocked.

Maybe they are doing something similar to how Intel does on certain platforms (Similar to having the low power dual core i7's).

 

[cdawall]

It's a 17" laptop I can't imagine they would use a low power chip.