Review Consensus: AMD FX Processor 8150 Underwhelming

[Covert_Death]

Covert_Death, which resolution do you play at?

BFBC2 and BF3 are multithreaded. Reviews show the FX series perform better in the BF3 beta than even the I7 2600k, so I doubt you'd need to overclock it to see the benefit.

As for the ArmA series I'm not sure if its multithreaded, so somebody else will have to comment on that.

thanks, sorry i guess i should have included more info...

i run at 1920x1080 60Hz with two GTX460's in SLI OC'd quiet a bit...

i also do a LOT of CAD rendering (mechanical engineering major) and im pretty sure i would see quiet a large benefit in this area as well...

 

[Horrux]

thanks, sorry i guess i should have included more info...

i run at 1920x1080 60Hz with two GTX460's in SLI OC'd quiet a bit...

i also do a LOT of CAD rendering (mechanical engineering major) and im pretty sure i would see quiet a large benefit in this area as well...

Yeah, CAD is usually heavily threaded, so it looks good for you, I think.

 

[Dent1]

i also do a LOT of CAD rendering (mechanical engineering major) and im pretty sure i would see quiet a large benefit in this area as well...

Single threaded 3D rendering performance is poor, but multithreaded 3D rendering in Cinebench the FX @ 4.6GHz seems on par with the 2500K @ 4.8GHz.
Not sure if POV Ray is multi threaded, but FX 8120 @ 4.6GHz seems on par with the i5/i7 series @ 4.8GHz.

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/10/11/amd_bulldozer_fx8150_desktop_performance_review/8

 

[Covert_Death]

hmmm, looks very tastey... now to decide if i buy one now or wait for stepping revision or see if piledriver is AM3+....... decisions decisions

 

[TheoneandonlyMrK]

the futures starting to look rosey then since single threadeds on the decline and multithreaded processings on the up, i might go with an upgrade this xmass after all, i think a lot has been made of early benches on un optimised software and hardware and that new soft and games as they arrive that do use more then 1 - 4 cores things will start leaning AMD's way

 

[Goodman]

hmmm, looks very tastey... now to decide if i buy one now or wait for stepping revision or see if piledriver is AM3+....... decisions decisions

Save your money & keep it as it is or buy an PIIx6 & don't ever look back

 

[ensabrenoir]

because you design for the futuer... this is a stepping block for future CPU's from AMD

True yet you must also stay usable in the present or there won't be a future for you. We may all drive electric cars in the future. Hower there is not PRESENTly a large enough support infastructure for ford to only make electric cars . So the hybrid (gas & electric) exist until that future point.

 

[Covert_Death]

And the fact that hybrids are more fuel efficient then electric Electrics are still natural gas and oil vehicles in the long run, the engine is just no longer in the car but at a power plant.... hydrogen is the future as its only biproduct is water

Anyway, I'm not buying another pII when I already have one,, I wannt great multithread use since that's all I do basically ... I THINK bd is the answer for me, again unless pd comes quickly and is am3+

 

[LordJummy]

The future = magnets. Everyone knows this.

 

[Covert_Death]

Once we can unravel a magnetic field yes haha

 

[MadClown]

well guess im not building a new pc just yet

 

[HalfAHertz]

Just do AMD a favor and don't buy Bulldozer CPUs. Let them fry for a bit and shave some fat ...

 

[Prima.Vera]

mmm not really. now you're just getting into wishful thinking territory.

the 8150 as it turns out actually can perform quite well under the right circumstances. it is far better than your c2q overall.

Not in the games it isn't. Don't take my word. Just check the charts from some pages before...

 

[Horrux]

Just do AMD a favor and don't buy Bulldozer CPUs. Let them fry for a bit and shave some fat ...

I thought they fried and shed the fat in the Phenom I days, and then some more lately? I'm thinking AMD looks thin and frail right now... They don't need to get on a diet, believe me.

Just go look at their financials...

 

[Jack Doph]

I'm pretty sure this thread has outlived its longevity...

 

[Super XP]

And the fact that hybrids are more fuel efficient then electric Electrics are still natural gas and oil vehicles in the long run, the engine is just no longer in the car but at a power plant.... hydrogen is the future as its only biproduct is water

Anyway, I'm not buying another pII when I already have one,, I wannt great multithread use since that's all I do basically ... I THINK bd is the answer for me, again unless pd comes quickly and is am3+

I believe it's been already established that Piledriver is indead going to sit on Socket AM3+. The future Piledriver II based on a 10 core design is said to be on Socket FM2 in around Q1 2013. But in reality, AMD can change there minds if they wanted.

well guess im not building a new pc just yet

You got what I have a Phenom II x4 940 with a max OC of 3.60 GHz. Can't go over this number no matter what I do. I am due for an upgrade, but will hold off alittle longer for now.

I thought they fried and shed the fat in the Phenom I days, and then some more lately? I'm thinking AMD looks thin and frail right now... They don't need to get on a diet, believe me.

Just go look at their financials...

I believe Barcelona and it's launch was worst than Bulldozer. But AMD quickly resolved most of it's issues with Phenom II. Hopefully they can do the same with Bulldozer, such as a AMD FXII or something. But they would need a much wider performance gap between say original Bulldozer vs Bulldozer II. The PI and PII gap was good, just not as good, but not great. PII had the ability to clock higher.

 

[techtard]

They should ditch AM3+ for piledriver, and move on to the next socket. Break compatibility, and hopefully INNOVATE.

Sometimes you have to break some eggs to make an omlette.
I personally think that all this backwards compatibility limited their options. They had to design a brand new architecture, but force it to work with some old and tired components.

Look at all the tinkering the motherboard makers are having to do to try to get this chip to run properly.

 

[DigitalUK]

you always break all the eggs when making an omlette?

 

[techtard]

LOL. Never been called out on that saying before. +1 for you.

 

[Wile E]

Like I said, you are an enthusiast, just by having an account here, so your view is not important.

Like i know that might sound like me just bieng a jerk, but the fact of the matter is that it is 100% true. CPU cost has no bearing when buying a full system. Final system cost does. If a 2500K system is even $50 more than an 8150 system is, guess which one is going to sell more often than not?


If you are an enthusiast, AMD expects you to overclock, at which point, cost and stock performance is not important, because your costs are much more than the chip anyway, with extra cooling and such figured in. retail cost of the chip according to AMD is $245, and retailers are currently gouging prices hard, by $45 in some instances. That $245 includes markup for the retailer to make money, while OEMs that build systems pay far less because they buy in far larger quantities, and do nto have such large markups. At this point, retail pricing is very much a moot point.

Since when does the number of units they sell, and how, make any difference on the performance level of a chip? The reviews are about the performance. The way they are sold is irrelevant in that context.

Defending the performance of a product based on where the majority of it's sales are based, does not make it a well performing product.

BD = underperforming, period.

I guess you are wrong. lol

http://www.techpowerup.com/153573/ASRock-Announces-Wide-Ranged-Support-for-AMD-FX-Processors.html

ASRock have prioritized AM3+ motherboard implementation and is the first to produce the most sophisticated AM3+ CPU-capable motherboards. The entire range of AM3+ mobo includes AMD's 9-Series, 8-Series, 7-Series and Nvidia's GeForce 7025 chipset series. Importantly, ASRock have a complete motherboard products line (from high-end, performance to budget-level) supporting AM3+ Bulldozer processors. Users are able to enjoy the exciting AM3+ performance with the latest BIOS update. ASRock is confident to say that they are the only motherboard maker that can offer so many AM3+ mobo choices based on difference chipsets. And this is what other mobo makers cannot do.


PS. isnt the 7025 chipset like 6 years old. Anyone with a crappy AM2/AM2+ board should be able to drop in a AMD FX without breaking the bank.

Wrong. BD does not support DDR2. SO unless those boards sprouted DDR3 slots, AM2/AM2+ is out, period. Those chipsets can be made compatible if built on the AM3/AM3+ socket, not on current AM2/AM2+ boards.

They should ditch AM3+ for piledriver, and move on to the next socket. Break compatibility, and hopefully INNOVATE.

Sometimes you have to break some eggs to make an omlette.
I personally think that all this backwards compatibility limited their options. They had to design a brand new architecture, but force it to work with some old and tired components.

Look at all the tinkering the motherboard makers are having to do to try to get this chip to run properly.

I have to agree. I really think it's time for them to move to a newer platform.

you always break all the eggs when making an omlette?

Not if you buy carton eggs.

 

[Steevo]

I'm buying a 1100T for my system today so I get the good chips before they are gone.


I will send my 940 to my parents and get their X2 back for a cheapo build for a friend.


Edit....I ordered it. $189.00 with free shipping....

 

[cadaveca]

BD = underperforming, period.

It's not like the offered performance prevents BD from completing any tasks, nor does it lack compatibility to run software, nor does it break anything. If it doesn't meet YOUR expectations, that's fine. Not everyone needs to have the fastest chip possible.

When 90% of the chips sold aren't intended for users like you, you bet it's a viable excuse. You're just disappointed because AMD didn't have the capability of meeting the needs of both markets, but the market where the real numbers of chips sell do not have the same expectations that enthusiast do. Catering to those with the big bucks ensures they can have the funds to further reiterate on the product, as they have done countless times in the past.

Don't forget, the Athlon/Phenom core design stuck around for like 8 years. BD will most likely last just as long as well.

I mean really now, if AMD really had enthusiasts in mind, would enthusiasts be presented with a very limited supply of chips? I wouldn't be surprised to see AMD barely release any to retail as PileDriver is expected very soon. Where are teh BD chips AMD has been making, after all? Who got shipped chips first as a customer? Definitely not the retail space!!

 

[Steevo]

Most of BD went to server chips. Plus AMD is making craploads more APU units than BD.

 

[Wile E]

It's not like the offered performance prevents BD from completing any tasks, nor does it lack compatibility to run software, nor does it break anything. If it doesn't meet YOUR expectations, that's fine. Not everyone needs to have the fastest chip possible.

When 90% of the chips sold aren't intended for users like you, you bet it's a viable excuse. You're just disappointed because AMD didn't have the capability of meeting the needs of both markets, but the market where the real numbers of chips sell do not have the same expectations that enthusiast do. Catering to those with the big bucks ensures they can have the funds to further reiterate on the product, as they have done countless times in the past.

Don't forget, the Athlon/Phenom core design stuck around for like 8 years. BD will most likely last just as long as well.

I mean really now, if AMD really had enthusiasts in mind, would enthusiasts be presented with a very limited supply of chips? I wouldn't be surprised to see AMD barely release any to retail as PileDriver is expected very soon. Where are teh BD chips AMD has been making, after all? Who got shipped chips first as a customer? Definitely not the retail space!!

None of that changes the fact that it doesn't even outperform the previous generation in some tests. It's a poor performer, and it got the reviews it deserved. No amount of "intended market" spin you throw on it changes that.

 

[Covert_Death]

None of that changes the fact that it doesn't even outperform the previous generation in some tests. It's a poor performer, and it got the reviews it deserved. No amount of "intended market" spin you throw on it changes that.

your words "in some tests"

sooooo based on what your saying, if it excels in test that you would use on a daily basis then it is good for you. most of the test where PII did better was single threaded... and if you don't care for single threaded performance then why would you not buy it based on tests that don't pertain to your usage ?