Trinity on the Desktop, Part 1
by Anand Lal Shimpion September 27, 2012 12:00 AM EST
- Posted in
- CPUs
- AMD
- Trinity
- GPUs
139 Comments
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139 Comments
IntroductionCrysis: Warhead & Metro 2033 PerformanceDiRT 3 & Shogun 2 PerformancePortal 2 & Battlefield 3 PerformanceStarcraft 2 & Skyrim PerformanceMinecraft & Civilization V PerformanceCompute & SyntheticsPower ConsumptionFinal Words
After years of waiting, AMD finally unveiled its Llano APU platform fifteen months ago. The APU promise was a new world where CPUs and GPUs would live in harmony on a single, monolithic die. Delivering the best of two very different computing architectures would hopefully pave the way for a completely new class of applications. That future is still distant, but today we’re at least at the point where you can pretty much take for granted that if you buy a modern CPU it’s going to ship with a GPU attached to it.
Four months ago AMD took the wraps off of its new Trinity APU: a 32nm SoC with up to four Piledriver cores and a Cayman based GPU. Given AMD’s new mobile-first focus, Trinity launched as a notebook platform. The desktop PC market is far from dead, just deprioritized. Today we have the first half of the Trinity desktop launch. Widespread APU availability won’t be until next month, but AMD gave us the green light to begin sharing some details including GPU performance starting today.
AMD’s Trinity APU, 2 Piledriver modules (4 cores)
We’ve already gone over the Trinity APU architecture in our notebook post earlier this year. As a recap, Piledriver helped get Bulldozer’s power consumption under control, while the Cayman GPU’s VLIW4 architecture improved efficiency on the graphics side.
Compared to Llano this is a fairly big departure with fairly different CPU and GPU architectures. Given that we’re still talking about the same 32nm process node, there’s not a huge amount of room for performance improvements without ballooning die area but through architecture changes and some more transistors AMD was able to deliver something distinctly faster.
| Trinity Physical Comparison | |||||
| Manufacturing Process | Die Size | Transistor Count | |||
| AMD Llano | 32nm | 228mm2 | 1.178B | ||
| AMD Trinity | 32nm | 246mm2 |
1. 303B |
||
| Intel Sandy Bridge (4C) | 32nm | 216mm2 | 1.16B | ||
| Intel Ivy Bridge (4C) | 22nm | 160mm2 | 1.4B | ||
On the desktop Trinity gets the benefit of much higher TDPs and thus higher clock speeds. The full lineup, sans pricing, is below:
Remember the CPU cores we’re counting here are integer cores, FP resources are shared between every two cores. Clock speeds are obviously higher compared to Llano, but Bulldozer/Piledriver did see some IPC regression compared to the earlier core design.
You’ll notice a decrease in GPU cores compared to Llano as well (384 vs. 400 for the top end part), but core efficiency should be much higher in Trinity.
Again AMD isn’t talking pricing today, other than to say that it expects Trinity APUs to be priced similarly to Intel’s Core i3 parts. Looking at Intel’s price list that gives AMD a range of up to $134. We’ll find out more on October 2nd, but for now the specs will have to be enough.
Socket-FM2 & A85X Chipset
The desktop Trinity APUs plug into a new socket: FM2. To reassure early adopters of Llano’s Socket-FM1 that they won’t get burned again, AMD is committing to one more generation beyond Trinity for the FM2 platform.
The FM2 socket itself is very similar to FM1, but keyed differently so there’s no danger of embarrassingly plugging a Llano into your new FM2 motherboard.
Socket-FM1 (left) vs. Socket-FM2 (Right)
AMD both borrows from Llano as well as expands when it comes to FM2 chipset support.
The A55 and A75 chipsets make another appearance here on new FM2 motherboards, but they’re joined by a new high-end option: the A85X chipset.
The big differentiators are the number of 6Gbps SATA and USB 3.0 ports. On the A85X you also get the ability to support two discrete AMD GPUs in CrossFire although obviously there’s a fairly competent GPU on the Trinity APU die itself.
Gallery: AMD Desktop Trinity Review
The Terms of Engagement
As I mentioned earlier, AMD is letting us go live with some Trinity data earlier than its official launch. The only stipulation? Today’s preview can only focus on GPU performance. We can’t talk about pricing, overclocking and aren’t allowed to show any x86 CPU performance either. Obviously x86 CPU performance hasn’t been a major focus of AMD’s as of late, it’s understandable that AMD would want to put its best foot forward for these early previews. Internally AMD is also concerned that that any advantages it may have in the GPU department are overshadowed by their x86 story.
AMD’s recent re-hire of Jim Keller was designed to help address the company’s long-term CPU roadmap, however until then AMD is still in the difficult position of trying to sell a great GPU attached to a bunch of CPU cores that don’t land at the top of the x86 performance charts.
It’s a bold move by AMD, to tie a partial NDA to only representing certain results. We’ve seen embargoes like this in the past, allowing only a subset of tests to be used in a preview. AMD had no influence on what specifics benchmarks we chose, just that we limit the first part of our review to looking at the GPU alone. Honestly with some of the other stuff we’re working on I don’t mind so much as I wouldn’t be able to have a full review ready for you today anyway. Our hands are tied, so what we’ve got here is the first part of a two part look at the desktop Trinity APU. If you want to get some idea of Trinity CPU performance feel free to check out our review of the notebook APU. You won’t get a perfect idea of how Piledriver does against Ivy Bridge on the desktop, but you’ll have some clue.
From my perspective, Piledriver seemed more about getting power under control — Steamroller on the other hand appears to address more on the performance side.
We’ll get to the rest of the story on October 2nd, but until then we’re left with the not insignificant task of analyzing the performance of the graphics side of AMD’s Trinity APU on the desktop.
The Motherboard
AMD sent over a Gigabyte GA-F2A85X-UP4 motherboard along with an A10-5800K and A8-5600K. The board worked flawlessly in our testing, and it also gave us access to AMD’s new memory profiles. A while ago AMD partnered up with Patriot to bring AMD branded memory to market. AMD’s Performance line of memory includes support for AMD’s memory profiles, which lets you automatically set frequency, voltage and timings with a single BIOS setting.
We’ve always done these processor graphics performance comparisons using DDR3-1866, so there’s no difference for this review.
The only change is we only had to set a single option to configure the platform for stable 1866MHz operation.
Processor graphics performance scales really well with additional memory bandwidth, making this an obvious fit. There’s nothing new about memory profiles, this is just something new for AMD’s APU platform.
Crysis: Warhead & Metro 2033 Performance
IntroductionCrysis: Warhead & Metro 2033 PerformanceDiRT 3 & Shogun 2 PerformancePortal 2 & Battlefield 3 PerformanceStarcraft 2 & Skyrim PerformanceMinecraft & Civilization V PerformanceCompute & SyntheticsPower ConsumptionFinal Words
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AMD A10-5800K vs AMD A8-5600K: What is the difference?
47points
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63 facts in comparison
AMD A10-5800K
AMD A8-5600K
Why is AMD A10-5800K better than AMD A8-5600K?
- 5.
56% faster CPU speed?
4 x 3.8GHzvs4 x 3.6GHz - 40MHz faster GPU clock speed?
800MHzvs760MHz - 0.3GHz higher turbo clock speed?
4.2GHzvs3.9GHz - 5.55% higher PassMark result?
4700vs4453 - 5.97% higher PassMark result (single)?
1474vs1391
Why is AMD A8-5600K better than AMD A10-5800K?
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Price comparison
User reviews
Performance
1.
CPU speed
4 x 3.8GHz
4 x 3.6GHz
The CPU speed indicates how many processing cycles per second can be executed by a CPU, considering all of its cores (processing units). It is calculated by adding the clock rates of each core or, in the case of multi-core processors employing different microarchitectures, of each group of cores.
2.CPU threads
More threads result in faster performance and better multitasking.
3.turbo clock speed
4.2GHz
3.9GHz
When the CPU is running below its limitations, it can boost to a higher clock speed in order to give increased performance.
4.Has an unlocked multiplier
✔AMD A10-5800K
✔AMD A8-5600K
Some processors come with an unlocked multiplier which makes them easy to overclock, allowing you to gain increased performance in games and other apps.
5.L2 cache
A larger L2 cache results in faster CPU and system-wide performance.
6.L3 cache
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
A larger L3 cache results in faster CPU and system-wide performance.
7.L1 cache
A larger L1 cache results in faster CPU and system-wide performance.
8.L2 core
1MB/core
1MB/core
More data can be stored in the L2 cache for access by each core of the CPU.
9.L3 core
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
More data can be stored in the L3 cache for access by each core of the CPU.
Benchmarks
1.PassMark result
This benchmark measures the performance of the CPU using multiple threads.
2.PassMark result (single)
This benchmark measures the performance of the CPU using a single thread.
3.Geekbench 5 result (multi)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
Geekbench 5 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures a processor’s multi-core performance. (Source: Primate Labs, 2022)
4.Cinebench R20 (multi) result
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
Cinebench R20 is a benchmark tool that measures a CPU’s multi-core performance by rendering a 3D scene.
5.Cinebench R20 (single) result
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
Cinebench R20 is a benchmark tool that measures a CPU’s single-core performance by rendering a 3D scene.
6.Geekbench 5 result (single)
Unknown.
Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
Geekbench 5 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures a processor’s single-core performance. (Source: Primate Labs, 2022)
7.Blender (bmw27) result
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
The Blender (bmw27) benchmark measures the performance of a processor by rendering a 3D scene. More powerful processors can render the scene in less time.
8.Blender (classroom) result
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
The Blender (classroom) benchmark measures the performance of a processor by rendering a 3D scene. More powerful processors can render the scene in less time.
9.performance per watt
This means the CPU is more efficient, giving a greater amount of performance for each watt of power used.
Integrated graphics
1.GPU clock speed
800MHz
760MHz
The graphics processing unit (GPU) has a higher clock speed.
2.GPU turbo
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
When the GPU is running below its limitations, it can boost to a higher clock speed in order to give increased performance.
3.GPU execution units
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
A graphics processing unit (GPU) with a greater number of execution units can deliver better graphics.
4.supported displays
Using multiple displays you can create a larger workspace, making it easier to work across multiple apps.
5.DirectX version
DirectX is used in games, with newer versions supporting better graphics.
6.OpenGL version
OpenGL is used in games, with newer versions supporting better graphics.
7.OpenCL version
Some apps use OpenCL to apply the power of the graphics processing unit (GPU) for non-graphical computing. Newer versions introduce more functionality and better performance.
8.texture mapping units (TMUs)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
TMUs take textures and map them to the geometry of a 3D scene. More TMUs will typically mean that texture information is processed faster.
9.render output units (ROPs)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
The ROPs are responsible for some of the final steps of the rendering process, writing the final pixel data to memory and carrying out other tasks such as anti-aliasing to improve the look of graphics.
Memory
1.RAM speed
1866MHz
1866MHz
It can support faster memory, which will give quicker system performance.
2.maximum memory bandwidth
21GB/s
21GB/s
This is the maximum rate that data can be read from or stored into memory.
3.DDR memory version
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
DDR (Double Data Rate) memory is the most common type of RAM. Newer versions of DDR memory support higher maximum speeds and are more energy-efficient.
4.memory channels
More memory channels increases the speed of data transfer between the memory and the CPU.
5.maximum memory amount
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
The maximum amount of memory (RAM) supported.
6.bus transfer rate
5.4GT/s
5.4GT/s
The bus is responsible for transferring data between different components of a computer or device.
7.Supports ECC memory
✖AMD A10-5800K
✖AMD A8-5600K
Error-correcting code memory can detect and correct data corruption. It is used when is it essential to avoid corruption, such as scientific computing or when running a server.
8.eMMC version
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
A higher version of eMMC allows faster memory interfaces, having a positive effect on the performance of a device. For example, when transferring files from your computer to the internal storage over USB.
9.bus speed
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value.
(AMD A8-5600K)
The bus is responsible for transferring data between different components of a computer or device.
Features
1.uses multithreading
✖AMD A10-5800K
✖AMD A8-5600K
Multithreading technology (such as Intel’s Hyperthreading or AMD’s Simultaneous Multithreading) provides increased performance by splitting each of the processor’s physical cores into virtual cores, also known as threads. This way, each core can run two instruction streams at once.
2.Has AES
✔AMD A10-5800K
✔AMD A8-5600K
AES is used to speed up encryption and decryption.
3.Has AVX
✔AMD A10-5800K
✔AMD A8-5600K
AVX is used to help speed up calculations in multimedia, scientific and financial apps, as well as improving Linux RAID software performance.
4.SSE version
SSE is used to speed up multimedia tasks such as editing an image or adjusting audio volume.
Each new version contains new instructions and improvements.
5.Has F16C
✔AMD A10-5800K
✔AMD A8-5600K
F16C is used to speed up tasks such as adjusting the contrast of an image or adjusting volume.
6.bits executed at a time
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A10-5800K)
Unknown. Help us by suggesting a value. (AMD A8-5600K)
NEON provides acceleration for media processing, such as listening to MP3s.
7.Has MMX
✔AMD A10-5800K
✔AMD A8-5600K
MMX is used to speed up tasks such as adjusting the contrast of an image or adjusting volume.
8.Has TrustZone
✖AMD A10-5800K
✖AMD A8-5600K
A technology integrated into the processor to secure the device for use with features such as mobile payments and streaming video using digital rights management (DRM).
9.
