AMD Updates Desktop FX Processor Line With Three New CPUs, Price Cuts
AMD Now Offers Eight-Core Processors For 95-Watt Motherboards, providing a low-budget upgrade path to respectable multi-threading performance. In addition, the new FX-8370 processor has arrived, and prices have been cut across the board.
Until last month, all of AMD's 8-core FX processors had a minimum TDP of 125 Watts. That changed with the August announcement of the FX-8300, a 95-watt model that features eight execution cores, a nominal 3.2 GHz core clock, and a maximum 3.5 GHz boost clock. This product is only targeted at Greater China's OEMs, though, leaving the rest of the world's AMD enthusiasts who own 95-Watt motherboards without an 8-core upgrade path.
That changes today with the launch of the new FX-8320E and FX-8370E, two new processors with a 95-Watt TDP. The FX-8320E ($147 MSRP) sports 3.2/4.0 GHz nominal/max boost clock rates, while the FX-8370E ($199 MSRP) features higher 3.3/4.3 GHz limits. Like all FX processors, these 95-watt 'E' models are multiplier-unlocked and have significant overclocking headroom if you're willing to deliver power over the stock power limit.
There's also a new 125-Watt model, the FX-8370. This represents a new high-water mark for FX processors with this power limit, boasting a maximum boost clock of 4.3 GHz. It shares the same 4.0 GHz nominal clock rate as the FX-8350, though.
Aside from these fresh offerings, AMD claims that MSRPs have been significantly reduced across the entire 8-core FX lineup. If the company's new targets are respected by retailers we should see about a $65 drop in the FX-9590 (without bundled liquid cooler); a $20 drop in the FX-9370 (also without the cooler); and a $10 decrease for the FX-9590, FX-8350, and FX-8320 compared to last month's e-tail pricing.
*Note that model numbers ending in WOX indicate that a liquid cooler is included
Price reductions are always welcome, but the most significant news is definitely the viability of 8-core FX CPUs for folks who own a budget AM3+ motherboard limited to a 95 Watt CPU socket. There are few low-cost AMD boards out there, and it's nice to see a real upgrade option for 4- or even 6-core AMD processor owners.
Intel has a lock on the premium multi-threading market, but with the bottom-rung Core i7 costing about $300 we're happy to see a price-conscious alternative for half of that buy-in, especially one that can be accommodated without a premium 125-watt motherboard. When it comes to processing multiple threads, a powerful Core i5 will be bested by an 8-core FX processor in many applications, so there's a unique value proposition offered by AMD here.
We are less inspired by the new 125-Watt FX-8370, as the meager 100 MHz maximum turbo speed bump over the FX-8350 leaves us wanting. As for the 220-Watt options such as the FX-9370 and FX-9590, we're skeptical about the value these can offer vs. an Intel Core i7, considering the relatively high cost of an AMD motherboard that is compatible with these high-power processors. In addition, you'd have to invest even more cash into an aftermarket cooler if you don't choose the costlier option that includes a bundled liquid cooler. In contrast, socket 1150 Core i7 processors all come equipped with standard Intel coolers that do a decent job at stock clocks.
In any case, we'd like to see what these new FX models can do. We haven't had time to properly test them yet, but we will have a full review for our readers soon.
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I built an FX8320 system for a relative and he can play sniper elite 3 on ultra with his radion card, and i built that system inlcluding the OS for 800 bucks. Mine costed me $2500 and I love it.
In order to steal more people from the 500 dollar laptop market and 500 dollar consol market, we need cheaper CPU's like AMD's lineup. I just wish they'd work on single core and wattage a little more.
"Price reductions are always welcome...", he writes
"There are few low-cost AMD boards out there..."
I wonder if he meant to type "There are A few..."
I built an FX8320 system for a relative and he can play sniper elite 3 on ultra with his radion card, and i built that system inlcluding the OS for 800 bucks. Mine costed me $2500 and I love it.
In order to steal more people from the 500 dollar laptop market and 500 dollar consol market, we need cheaper CPU's like AMD's lineup. I just wish they'd work on single core and wattage a little more.
Seems to me, too many out there too readily pass judgement of AMD, due to their pass misgivings. we don't know if they simply found a way to lower the TDP or actually improved the process.
All we're seeing is what these chips are supposed to do by a chart. If it were that easy, we wouldn't need websites such as The Tech Report, Tom's or Hardware Secret, etc...to tell us if these chips are worth it or not.
Unless somehow they improved the single thread/core performance in the 8370 I can't see it being worth the $200 to upgrade from my 6300, and I feel like the 8730E would practically be a downgrade despite gaining 2 cores!
The problem here is these chips are too far behind to be compared to anything Intel is doing right now, and it shows. These chips were being designed during a time Intel was going through Sandy Bridge, and were being redesigned during a turnover period. By that time, Intel was already thinking Haswell.
But we know they won't do that. They'll drag this thing out until they're ready. They may as well cancel Steamroller, it should have been out two years ago. But they put it off while turning off power users for focusing on Kaveri...
Seems to me, too many out there too readily pass judgement of AMD, due to their pass misgivings. we don't know if they simply found a way to lower the TDP or actually improved the process.
All we're seeing is what these chips are supposed to do by a chart. If it were that easy, we wouldn't need websites such as The Tech Report, Tom's or Hardware Secret, etc...to tell us if these chips are worth it or not.
We already know exactly what the performance will be. It's using the same architecture but has a frequency cap to limit power for 95W sockets.
If AMD had a new CPU that would not only be HUGE news but it would have a completely different name.
Then, it was the 890FXs that were hot commodities, but then they only sold the 870s after that first year.
Those were replaced by the 990s and 970s, but there are more 970-laden motherboards for sale than the 990FXs now.
I don't understand why AMD is pushing the lowest-common denominator for a motherboard chipset rather than maintaining the Last Best Version.
Three years ago, AMD said they were throwing in the competitive towel over CPU performance and were going to focus on APUs. Fine. But here again, we see this odd sidetracking/ backtracking status. "What's the matter, folks? Slow day at the office? Someone ask what the engineers were doing lately?"
Of course, if they want to REALLY drop prices, fine. Slash 'em in half. And get RAM halved, and storage, too. If they want to gain low-end market, REALLY DO IT.
As for Sess's "wait and see", nawww... heck, what am I supposed to do with all this tar and all those feathers I've already unpacked?