FRONTPAGE AMD FX-8150 - Bulldozer - Processor Review

[Mario1]

Looks promising, as far as priceerformance ratio goes.
Also looks like Intel won't be releasing Ivy soon, since there's obviously no competition in the eyes of AMD.
Lets hope Piledriver will make an AMD comeback and kick some ***!
Great review, hokie!

 

[EarthDog]

Wait Archer, ED what are you talking about? Its hard keeping up with everything here.

The extreme power consumption under load... WHY? Design or process issues?

 

[Dolk]

Well, the Cores now have DOUBLE the execution units, L1 and Memory... That tends to eat a lot of power.

Intel only beefs up their front end while leaving the same amount on the rest of the core.

Yes this uses more power and resources but as you can see, the Multitasking aspects of this CPU are paying off.

As for the Fab itself, there are so many different parts of the silicon design process that it could really be anything if its leaking power. I'm not going to guess on that end. I would need one of my professors to help me out.

 

[EarthDog]

So as it stands its in the design and not the fab...until we can get more information.

 

[Dolk]

Indeed. Like I have said several times, I am writing up a paper on the architecture itself to hopefully describe the complications and the wonders of this architecture.

The architecture itself is new, different, but old all the same. AMD tried something out for the first time and it payed off pretty well. Most of you do not see it, but if you look past the results and really look at what AMD has done, you may be able to see what I see.

 

[Janus67]

Indeed. Like I have said several times, I am writing up a paper on the architecture itself to hopefully describe the complications and the wonders of this architecture.

The architecture itself is new, different, but old all the same. AMD tried something out for the first time and it payed off pretty well. Most of you do not see it, but if you look past the results and really look at what AMD has done, you may be able to see what I see.

?

Oh, we already have a smiley for that



I can't wait to read through your paper though, are you doing it for a class as well?

 

[EarthDog]

Im hoping your article will show the technical side and be elementary enough to help those without your technical backround to 'see what you see'...

As it stands performance wise, its just not for me as a bencher. When the price gouging stops and it comes back to MSRP, then its worth taking a look at for a daily driver, if I wanted to save some money.

Im just not the type of person to marvel at the technology to make a widget. Im the type of person that enjoys using that widget..... like most users are. They dont care about the marvel of the guts of this chip, they just care how it performs.

 

[Archer0915]

Well, the Cores now have DOUBLE the execution units, L1 and Memory... That tends to eat a lot of power.

Intel only beefs up their front end while leaving the same amount on the rest of the core.

Yes this uses more power and resources but as you can see, the Multitasking aspects of this CPU are paying off.

As for the Fab itself, there are so many different parts of the silicon design process that it could really be anything if its leaking power. I'm not going to guess on that end. I would need one of my professors to help me out.

The extreme power consumption under load... WHY? Design or process issues?

So as it stands its in the design and not the fab...until we can get more information.

Indeed. Like I have said several times, I am writing up a paper on the architecture itself to hopefully describe the complications and the wonders of this architecture.

The architecture itself is new, different, but old all the same. AMD tried something out for the first time and it payed off pretty well. Most of you do not see it, but if you look past the results and really look at what AMD has done, you may be able to see what I see.

I think the answer will come with revisions. If there is no drop in power consumption but an increase in clocks (air OC avreage) then it is design but if it is burning considerablly less power with the same OC then it was the fab.

 

[EarthDog]

OMG... polls updating threads in USER CP...please turn off. This thread is just constantly lit up!!!

 

[redrumy3]

OMG... polls updating threads in USER CP...please turn off. This thread is just constantly lit up!!!

lol they can see who voted omg run

 

[Nathan0490]

Do we have any idea if the 8120 will clock within range of the 8150 (4.6-5GHZ).

If so, I can't justify the extra $60 if I can just OC it nearly the same. They are both unlocked and both have the same cache.

 

[Janus67]

lol they can see who voted omg run

Looks like we have 3 people that love this chip so far
hanleychan, Mario1, redrumy3

For whatever reason

 

[redrumy3]

Looks like we have 3 people that love this chip so far
hanleychan, Mario1, redrumy3

For whatever reason

they overclock like a beast who wouldnt love them

 

[Archer0915]

Looks like we have 3 people that love this chip so far
hanleychan, Mario1, redrumy3

For whatever reason

Well I would love it if I needed an upgrade and had a board for it. Hell I was totally disapointed but I would still have one just to check out the brute force power.

 

[EarthDog]

You already have the same brute force power with your 2500k (I kid, I kid!).

I gave this thing a 7... only because of the MSRP pricing.

 

[Sammich]

I went ahead and ordered mine with next day from newegg. I come out of this with a learning experience, AMD was formerly my "people's champion" offering gaming power @ an affordable price. If I would have saw this outcome months ago I would have just went with a 2500k.. who wouldn't?

But it's my fault for holding on to that Phenom II 555 for so long, several people told me if you wait for the best you'll be waiting forever. Oh, and that marketing campaign from AMD, poking fun at Intel? Why... why would you do this? Judging by the graphs AMD expects to be on par with the 2600k by 2014? Le sigh, lesson learned. At least I can run a decent livestream now, maybe I can get some ad-sense going from that to pay off the processor.

Oh, and I gave it a 6. To be honest it's a strong 7, but at this point AMD has no business taunting intel. It's like that kid at the red light in his honda civic racing his engine with eyes locked on a ferrari driver.

 

[terran2k]

okay so what needs to be done for this chip to be all it can be?

 

[Archer0915]

You already have the same brute force power with your 2500k (I kid, I kid!)

Dude I just think there is more to these things than has been revealed. I might buy one just to push it to its limits if nobody else will. I am just one of those PPL who cant believe this CPU has no real redeeming qualities.

I refuse to accept that this is just an incomplete processor (hint: win 95) waiting for a patch; piledriver.

 

[hokiealumnus]

okay so what needs to be done for this chip to be all it can be?

Clock it as high as it will clock and remain stable. The good news is it's a great clocker.

 

[Dolk]

@Terran, that is a complicated question. Something I hope to figure out here soon.