AMD A10-7800 Review: Testing the A10 65W Kaveri
by Ian Cutress on July 31, 2014 8:00 AM EST
AMD A10-7800 Review: Testing the A10 65W Kaveri
Kaveri was launched as a processor line, on desktop, back in January 2014. At the time we were given information on three of the APUs, the A10-7850K, A10-7700K and A8-7600, and reviewed two of them, including the A8-7600 65W processor. However, at the time, AMD stated that the model we tested was to come out at a later date: that date is today, in a trio of 65W parts. The A10-7800 we are testing today is the locked down version of the A10-7850K, with a slight speed reduction to hit 65W as well as a configurable TDP to 45W.
The Drive to Lower TDP
Previous AMD APU releases have often come with a flurry of processors up and down the price range. Back with the Llano cores and the FM1 platform, two processors were released in the first month followed by six the next and six more by the end of the 2011. With Trinity, it was a similar story: four processors in the first two months, then ten more by the end of the 2012. Richland had eight processors at launch, then other 8 by the end of 2013 and three more for 2014. This is what makes Kaveri a little different: two 95W processors at launch at the start of 2014, and three 65W for July 2014, six months later. Not only is this a large time gap between expanding the processor range, but also a small number of SKUs. That being said, CPU-World lists another 65W APU for release after this trio, and then no more Kaveri until the end of the year when four ‘PRO’ (aka ‘Business Class’) models enter the arena.
Having your mainstream platform headed up by two 95W APUs of the latest generation architecture for so long does nothing for the low power crowd, and AMD’s official reasons for delaying the launch of their 65W parts is due to the lower power message AMD wants to convey, especially in terms of configurable TDP.
Each of the new 65W parts released today has two modes of operation. Out of the box, they will run in 65W mode, using a restricted range of processor frequency in the faster end of operation but with ultimately less efficiency. With an adjustment in the BIOS, they will operate at 45W, which will adjust the base frequency of the processor, relying more on turbo for single threaded workloads. AMD’s numbers above quote a 6-7% dip in performance for a 31% drop in TDP.
If we consider Intel's strategy and AMD's older strategy into the mix, CPU manufacturers would release two processors, one at 45W and one at 65W, in order to offer this difference. That way each die could be tuned for frequency or voltage, as well as processor graphics residency. For whatever reason, AMD decided to consolidate the differing power options, perhaps in order to reduce the number of SKUs on the shelves and make the customer’s choice an easier one.
But therein lies an issue. The number of users prepared to go into the BIOS and adjust the frequency is slim at best, which leads on to system integrators to implement this change in the units they sell. But which system integrators are going to sell products to their customers that do not perform at the maximum performance? It only works when the APU is for a specific design, like an off-the-shelf HTPC or digital signage. The other implementation could be that in order to make the product stack work, it helps to have a few SKUs such that everyone pays more even if they use less – having 45W APUs in the stack might drive sales away from the higher performing models.
The New APUs
AMD’s nomenclature on Compute Cores sums up the number of CPU threads and the number of Compute Units in the processor graphics to give a total number. The previous APUs released were rated at 12 compute cores (A10-7850K) and 10 compute cores (A10-7700K), and the new APUs released today have 12 (A10-7800), 10 (A8-7600) and 6 (A6-7400).
AMD Kaveri APUs | |||||
A10-7850K | A10-7800 | A10-7700K | A8-7600 | A6-7400K | |
TDP | 95W | 65W | 95W | 65W | 65W |
Compute Cores |
4 CPU + 8 GPU |
4 CPU + 8 GPU |
4 CPU + 6 GPU |
4 CPU + 6 GPU |
2 CPU + 4 GPU |
Modules / Threads | 2 / 4 | 2 / 4 | 2 / 4 | 2 / 4 | 1 / 2 |
Base Frequency | 3700 | 3500 | 3400 | 3100 | 3500 |
Turbo Frequency | 4000 | 3900 | 3800 | 3800 | 3900 |
L1 Cache |
192 KB I$ 64 KB D$ |
192 KB I$ 64 KB D$ |
192 KB I$ 64 KB D$ |
192 KB I$ 64 KB D$ |
96 KB I$ 32 KB D$ |
L2 Cache | 4 MB | 4 MB | 4 MB | 4 MB | 1 MB |
Graphics | R7 | R7 | R7 | R7 | R5 |
GPU Cores | 512 | 512 | 384 | 384 | 256 |
GPU Clock | 720 | 720 | 720 | 720 | 756 |
Max DDR3 | 2133 | 2133 | 2133 | 2133 | 1866 |
SSRP | $173 | $155 | $155 | $105 | $77 |
One might imagine that AMD would at some point offer APUs at the same frequency with the same name but without the ‘K’ monitor for overclocking, but the distinct numbering difference is occompanied by the respective frequency adjustments. In this case, the A10-7800 is 200 MHz less on the base frequency than the A10-7850K but +100 MHz over the A10-7700K.
AMD confirmed with us after the initial press call the number of streaming processors in the processor graphics, as well as their frequencies. Based on these numbers, the two 78xx APUs have the full complement at 720 MHz, with the 77xx and 76xx reducing down to 6 compute cores. The A6-7400K is interesting in that the frequency is increased to 756 MHz, perhaps indicating that removing one of the CPU modules and half the IGP gives them extra room to play with for frequency. The A6 model does have another metric to set it apart – official memory support is down to DDR3-1866. This differentiation was also present on the Richland 65W A6 and Trinity 65W A6 processors as well.
AMD 65W Bulldozer Based APUs | ||||||||
Trinity | Richland | Kaveri | ||||||
Model |
A6- 5400K |
A8- 5500 |
A10- 5700 |
A8- 6500 |
A10- 6700 |
A10- 7800 |
A8- 7600 |
A6- 7400K |
Microarchitecture | Piledriver | Steamroller | ||||||
Socket | FM2 | FM2+ | ||||||
Modules / Threads |
1 / 2 | 2 / 4 | 1 / 2 | |||||
CPU Base Freq | 3600 | 3200 | 3400 | 3500 | 3700 | 3500 | 3100 | 3500 |
Max Turbo | 3800 | 3700 | 4000 | 4100 | 4300 | 3900 | 3800 | 3900 |
TDP | 65W | |||||||
L1 C$ | 64/32 |
128 KB C$ 64 KB D$ |
192 KB C$ 64 KB D$ |
96/32 | ||||
L2 C$ | 1 MB | 2 x 2 MB | 1 MB | |||||
Graphics |
HD 7540D |
HD 7560D |
HD 7660D |
HD 8570D |
HD 8670D |
R7 | R7 | R5 |
GPU Cores | 192 | 256 | 384 | 256 | 384 | 512 | 384 | 256 |
GPU Clock | 760 | 760 | 760 | 800 | 844 | 720 | 720 | 756 |
Max DDR3 | 1866 | 1866 | 1866 | 1866 | 1866 | 2133 | 2133 | 1866 |
Current Price | $60 | $99 | N/A | $119 | N/A | $155 | $105 | $77 |
Kaveri APU Features
In our initial Kaveri coverage and review of the A10-7850K, AMD spent a large amount of time with the press going over their new features for the Kaveri line of APUs. At the time, Mantle support was the big headline, along with HSA (Heterogeneuous System Architecture) that afforded several compute features which could accelerate certain workloads.
Rahul’s deep dive on HSA is well worth a read, beyond my simple coverage here. The main principles allow the processor threads and integrated graphics to both access the same areas of DRAM (known as a Unified Memory Architecture) without expensive memory copies and maintaining the data structure.
With heterogeneous queuing, both the CPU threads and integrated graphics can generate extra work for the other, allowing for dynamic asynchronous compute.
These features, along with working with software developers to optimize their workflow, allow AMD to quote improvements. In our PR pack with this launch AMD is quoting up to 69% faster upscaling in Adobe Photoshop CC for A10 vs. i5, up to 7x faster in LibreOffice for A8 vs. i3, and up to 65% faster JPEG decoding time on A6 vs. Pentium.
For gaming, alongside Mantle support due to the use of GCN, AMD has also implemented the TrueAudio DSP on the Kaveri APU line. Rather than use CPU power or shaders for complex directional audio affects, the DSP is designed to speed these up and reduce stress on other components of the system for better frame rates. The two games being quoted for TrueAudio are Thief and Lichdom Battlemage.
The other feature using the GCN cores is HEVC Compute support with PowerDVD 14, using OpenCL to speed up decoding for high definition content. With a soon-to-be released update, AMD Fluid Motion Video should also be supported.
Launch Deal
With the launch of the 65W APUs, AMD is going to run a promotion for any user purchasing an A10 between August and October – purchase an A10 APU and have a choice of a free game between Thief, Sniper Elite III and Murdered Soul Suspect.
Test Setup
As these APUs are still part of the Kaveri line, they should work with any FM2+ motherboard, although depending on the motherboard manufacturer it may require a BIOS update. We suggest that you contact the retailer to ensure that the motherboard BIOS is up to date and compatible with the new APU.
Test Setup | |
Processor |
AMD A10-7800 2 Modules, 4 Threads |
Motherboards | MSI A88X-G45 Gaming |
Cooling |
Corsair H80i Thermalright TRUE Copper |
Power Supply | OCZ 1250W Gold ZX Series |
Memory | 2 x Corsair Vengeance Pro 2x8 GB DDR3-2400 10-12-12 Kit |
Memory Settings | 2133 8-9-9 |
Video Cards | MSI GTX 770 Lightning 2GB (1150/1202 Boost) |
Video Drivers |
Catalyst 14.3 NVIDIA Drivers 337 |
Hard Drive | OCZ Vertex 3 256GB |
Optical Drive | LG GH22NS50 |
Case | Open Test Bed |
Operating System | Windows 7 64-bit SP1 |
USB 2/3 Testing | OCZ Vertex 3 240GB with SATA->USB Adaptor |
WiFi Testing | D-Link DIR-865L 802.11ac Dual Band Router |
147 Comments
View All Comments
wintermute000 - Saturday, August 2, 2014 - link
not enough cores for a virt platform. I am aware its fine for say freenas.tcube - Friday, August 1, 2014 - link
They tested hd resolution as that is a valid scenario for most: play modern or slighly older games on hd maxed out with 30-60 fps or more. This excelent. The simplicity of kaveri the noise level and heat outup are quite ok plus the less hassle with one extra fan for the dgpu. You can even play aaa games of this year on these chips and they are perfectly smooth on hd. Moving to fullhd you will need to tone down the graphics a bit to get smooth frames...Cerb - Sunday, August 3, 2014 - link
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2014/07/31/amd-a-...Power usage actually looks quite decent. Nothing that's going to worry Intel, but I can see why HP is willing to put slow ones into new Elitebooks.
Conficio - Friday, August 1, 2014 - link
I would like to see a validation of the 45W performance difference claims. Would it be possible to run the same benchmarks in 45W mode?zodiacfml - Saturday, August 2, 2014 - link
Compelling GPU performance.....yet, I don't game anymore. I hope AMD could catch up with CPU performance, at this rate, the CPU will become the bottleneck for their integrated GPUs.johnny_boy - Saturday, August 2, 2014 - link
I know DDR3 2400 isn't officially supported but given how cheap CL10 stuff is these days (a few more bucks than 2133) it would be nice to see gaming benchmarks for 2400 too.johnny_boy - Saturday, August 2, 2014 - link
Given the nearly identical performance of the A8-7600 and its ability to run at 45W TDP and its significantly lower price (over 30 euros here), I see no reason to buy the A10-7800.Valantar - Saturday, August 2, 2014 - link
Will the benchmark results from this review be added to Bench soon?beck2050 - Sunday, August 3, 2014 - link
Most applications are not optimized for Open Cl so Intel's solutions are better genererally.Allan_Hundeboll - Monday, August 4, 2014 - link
Like a lot of people these days I'm unemployed and have to save money wherever I can.My overclocked q6600 is fast enough for almost everything except some of the most demanding new games. Here in Denmark electricity is very expensive, so I'm thinking about upgrading to something more efficient, but because my funds are limited I can't replace all my components in one month. After reading about power efficiency and and game performance, a dirt cheap motherboard, 4GB DDR3 and the overclockable pentium anniversary edition seem like the best route. Then I will "recycle" my Nvidia gtx 260 graphics card until I can afford the power efficient gtx 750ti. Of Course 4GB isn't optimal but that's also easy to upgrade later.
I dont like the idea of upgrading my old quad with a dualcore without HT but looking at gaming benchmarks it seem I would need a 6 "core" amd to keep up with that, and that wouldn't be power efficient. The small pentium AE is dirt cheap and with a intel socket 1150 based motherboard I can upgrade the CPU to a i5 when games start to require 4 cores. Hopefully I can get a new i5 cheap in a year or so...
But I do fear that AMD can't survive because they seem so far behind intel. This is really sad because I do remember intels pricing before AMD "conroed" the cpu war with the mighty Athlon.
So please support AMD a bye their products, sadly I can't afford to do so!