AMD A10-7800 Review: Testing the A10 65W Kaveri
by Ian Cutress on July 31, 2014 8:00 AM ESTConclusions
When AMD launched their 95W Kaveri APUs and we had the opportunity to test the top A10 model, it offered some of the best integrated graphics performance for a desktop we had seen. The fact that the die is partitioned such that more than 50% of it is for the graphics, along with expanding HSA and OpenCL support, means that for applications that can be computationally enhanced by integrated graphics, AMD has the edge for the single chip solution.
In our testing, because the A10-7800 shares the same processor graphics configuration and speed as the A10-7850K, results were fairly similar despite a +100 MHz advantage to the A10-7850K. This means that, at stock, AMD is offering a similar CPU for $18 less.
If we remove the price from the equation, the biggest contender for the title of ‘best processor graphics’ is Intel’s Iris Pro. The upside of AMD’s Kaveri at the minute is not only the price, but also the form factor – Iris Pro is only available as a soldered on (BGA) CPU at this point in time whereas Kaveri is in both soldered and socketed form. Also, Iris Pro relies on an extra L4 cache, which adds size to the CPU package as well as cost and power consumption. News from Intel might change that with Broadwell, as back in May an announcement regarding a socketed, overclockable Iris Pro CPU would be coming to market. We have not the slightest clue when AMD will have this competition, but it looks good for AMD given that recent reports suggest that Broadwell for the desktop may be delayed beyond the expected launch of 14nm Core-M in Q1 2015.
In that respect, it may give AMD some time to prepare for their new 64-bit x86 architecture, or give AMD another chance to leap forward in with their Carrizo APUs (still based on modules and GCN) if they are launched in 2015.
Back to the A10-7800 reviewed today, and as it stands it is the most cost effective processor graphics solution available. Here is all the speed of the A10-7850K for $18 cheaper, and more performance than the A8-7600. The 45W configurable TDP makes it even more enticing as a lower power consumption part.
The only issue users might come across is the speed and feel when running single threaded tasks that do not utilise OpenCL or HSA – our web benchmarks put the AMD APUs behind many of our 55W Intel samples for the last couple of generations. But for anything that uses OpenCL as an accelerant, such as the software on which PCMark8 is based or anything compute, AMD comes out on top.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
147 Comments
View All Comments
Morawka - Thursday, July 31, 2014 - link
but as you can see, if you have the Kavari GPU 512 config, it uses 65 watts minimum. That's waaaay to hot for a laptop. AMD makes great integrated gpu's but they produce comparible heat and power to a separate dedicated keplar or maxwell part.AMD is being held back by being reliant on external FAB's. Intel is shrinking every 2 years and has a huge advantage. 14nm baking now, vs 28nm everyone else is on.
Gigaplex - Thursday, July 31, 2014 - link
That's why you get the mobile variant, not the desktop variant.asimov1979 - Thursday, July 31, 2014 - link
Intel i5-4590S is $190 not $170 as you stated.http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...
http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-i5-4590S-Processo...
nathanddrews - Thursday, July 31, 2014 - link
Why people still buy CPUs from Newegg is beyond me.http://www.microcenter.com/product/432162/Core_i5-...
I bought my 3570K from Microcenter for $159.
bebimbap - Thursday, July 31, 2014 - link
Shipping is beyond MicrocenterMorawka - Thursday, July 31, 2014 - link
and microcenter only has about 12 locations lol. basically you gotta live in a huge city, and the cost of living offsets any discounts you'd get from a cheap cpu.inighthawki - Thursday, July 31, 2014 - link
There's a Microcenter not too far from where I used to live in Ohio, and it wasn't really what I would consider a large city by any means. It was a pretty standard suburban area. It was about 40 minutes (give or take, I only went a couple times and I never had to drive) from my house, and we lived in pretty much the middle of nowhere.inighthawki - Thursday, July 31, 2014 - link
Actually I just mapped it, it was 30 minutes away.kmmatney - Thursday, July 31, 2014 - link
OK - if you are using Microcenter, you can buy an AMD A10 7850 + motehrboard for $129, which is no where near the price you above above. This is with a mediocre MB (good enough for most people), but even a better one would only drive the price to $160.HardwareDufus - Thursday, July 31, 2014 - link
I haven't purchased a discrete Graphics Card in over 6 years. I've gone with Intel HD in the original 655K I5 CPU .. and now have HD3000 in my i7-3770k.I will probably buy my very first high end laptop (I always go for middle of the road laptops) with a Broadwell I7 CPU with IGPHD5200 (with the 128MB L4 cache).. With a good fast SSD, I don't imagine I will feel at all comprimised... Day to day use it will feel as quick as all of the super rigs loaded with fans folks are still building.. I don't GAME... so what's the point in a dGPU?