AMD A8-4500M vs Intel Core i5 3210M

[humbleshia]

Hi,

I've been looking for a laptop that's decent for hd video editing (premiere pro/after effects cs6) and hd playback. I've found two samsung laptops with very similar specs, one has AMD A8-4500M cpu with a better integrated graphics card and one has Intel Core i5 3210M with a decent integrated graphics card. Both laptops are at the same price, which would be better for me?

 

[jemm]

The A8-4500M has 4 physical cores, which is best for HD video editing, while the Core i5 3210M is fast, but has only 2 cores, tough with Hyper-Threading.

For what you need I´d get the The A8-4500M, tough a desktop would be even better for performance.

 

[humbleshia]

Yeah I know desktop would be better but I need this laptop for uni too.

 

[jemm]

I´d get the The A8-4500M then.

 

[humbleshia]

I bought the A8, waiting for it to be delivered but now I'm reading how the benchmark for i5 is better and how the A8 is better for gaming but not for video editing

 

[jemm]

Can you post a link for the benchmark you mentioned, please?

According to CPU World the A8-4500M has 4 physical cores http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Bulldozer/AMD-A8-Series%20A8-4500M.html

The Notebook Check also says A8-4500M has 4 physical cores http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-A-Series-A8-4500M-Notebook-Processor.74884.0.html

AMD web site also states that its A8-4500M has 4 physical cores http://products.amd.com/pages/NotebookAPUDetail.aspx?detailId=35&id=34&id=35

The Core i5 3210M has only 2 cores, with Hyper-Threading, making it 4 threads, but only 2 physical cores.

Based on this information the A8-4500M is better for video editing as it has 4 physical cores. Video editing and rendering are tasks very demanding on CPU, and the number of physical cores will make a lot of difference, mean 4 physical cores is much better than 2 physical cores.

However after I read read your post, I have searched it, and I found out that AMD might be not telling the true about the number of physical cores in its AMD A8-4500M -- some people say/believe it has just 2 physical cores.

If AMD is not telling the true, then you can always return or refuse a product you buy based on an information which is not true. If you are not sure, then you can just cancel your order, saying that you took it based on an information AMD provided that in fact is not correct.

 

[emperor piehead]

The thing is that intel graphics are good for video encoding i don't if you do that in your field, but if you do thats why.

 

[jemm]

The thing is that intel graphics are good for video encoding i don't if you do that in your field, but if you do thats why.

Sorry, " thats why" what?

The AMD HD 7640G is better than the I5 HD 4000 http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-7640G.69836.0.html

 

[Wisecracker]

With OpenCL/GL enabled on the Trinity APU, performance increases of 200% to 500% will be seen in certain functions in CS6.

There are articles on Toms concerning this.

 

[jemm]

AMD Trinity On The Desktop: A10, A8, And A6 Get Benchmarked! http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/a10-5800k-a8-5600k-a6-5400k,3224.html

 

[humbleshia]

With OpenCL/GL enabled on the Trinity APU, performance increases of 200% to 500% will be seen in certain functions in CS6.

There are articles on Toms concerning this.

This is for the mobile processors right?

 

[humbleshia]

AMD Trinity On The Desktop: A10, A8, And A6 Get Benchmarked! http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/a10-5800k-a8-5600k-a6-5400k,3224.html

Thanks but I'm specifically after mobile processors

 

[jemm]

I know that -- It is just to inform you that the university must provide you with a PC/Laptop for your course.

In case you get a desktop, which is much more powerful, then you can use it at home, and use a pen drive 16/32GB to save your work, then use it at university, or the other way round.

 

[humbleshia]

But I mainly need a laptop for when I'm in lectures/tutorials. Plus I'll be taking the laptop elsewhere, I know desktop is better.

On this list, the amd is listed as higher but if you go to the individual benchmarks the 3210m actually scores better http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html

And on the same website, the amd is left behind http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html

I don't understand, is this website unreliable?

 

[Wisecracker]

This is for the mobile processors right?

Most all of them use mobile Trinity APUs in the benchies because the desktop Trinity NDA on processing does not lift until midnight.

Here is a specific example:

Can OpenGL And OpenCL Overhaul Your Photo Editing Experience? - Benchmark Results: Photoshop CS6

The i5-2410M used for comparison is quite similar to the i5 3210M. The 'Gateway' APU is the A8-3500M (Llano) w/Radeon HD 6620G & DDR1333. A mobile Trinity APU will likely perform comparably and better with much greater power efficiency.

The Trinity SIMD engine is essentially the same as Llano excepting it has fewer cores but a much higher clock rate.

 

[humbleshia]

What if I use an i5 3210m with a dedicated graphics card? I was thinking of even getting an i7

 

[humbleshia]

My final decision is between
Asus K55A 15.6-inch Laptop (Black) (Intel Core i7 3610QM 2.3GHz, 6GB RAM, 500GB HDD, DVDSM DL, LAN, WLAN, Webcam, Integrated Graphics, Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit)

and

Acer Aspire 5755G
Intel® Core™ i7-2670QM Quad Core Processor
15.6" HD Screen
Windows 7 Home Premium Edition 64-bit
6GB RAM
500GB HDD
DVD Rewriter
Dedicated GT 630M 1GB Graphics

Which to go for?

 

[jemm]

Intel Core i7-3610QM