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AMD Updates Desktop FX Processor Line With Three New CPUs, Price Cuts

By - Source: Tom's Hardware US | B 64 comments

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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Top Comments
  • 11 Hide
    christinebcw , September 2, 2014 6:18 AM
    I do remain hopeful that AMD will rescind a 3-year-old 'surrender' and re-energize Computing Cores at some point. The computing world NEEDS that valid competition.
  • 11 Hide
    Fr33Th1nk3r , September 2, 2014 6:46 AM
    We'll all stick with our intels, but these CPU's are geared towards people that fall in a lower income bracket. Which is a larger portion of the buyers market. People buy cheap laptops and tablets because they can't afford big flashy expensive i7 rigs which at the cheapest are $1200+.
    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.
  • 10 Hide
    Deus Gladiorum , September 2, 2014 6:33 AM
    Oh AMD, why? I don't think I'm offending anyone when I say this isn't optimal for AMD's desktop CPUs... at least not for the consumers who like them. Until I see some Steamroller desktop cores equipped with L3 cache, I'm sorry to say that I have to stick with camp Intel.
Other Comments
    Add your comment Display all 64 comments.
  • -6 Hide
    Amdlova , September 2, 2014 5:29 AM
    I smell some old dead tech. i have fear to get an amd product right now and it get discontinued. with the price combo of amd i can get a Nice z97 motherboard and a i5
  • 6 Hide
    mariusmotea , September 2, 2014 5:45 AM
    8 core precessors are great if you want a virtualization infrastructure for testings. 125W was to high for me, but 95W seams more resonable and i will buy one.
  • -1 Hide
    christinebcw , September 2, 2014 6:04 AM
    I'm wondering if there's a typo by the author. In the paragraph just under 'the chart', which begins...

    "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..."
  • 2 Hide
    CooLWoLF , September 2, 2014 6:15 AM
    This is disappointing. The base clocks on the 8370E and 8320E are lower than the numbers release a few weeks ago. The "new" cpus are nothing more then underclocked versions of the previous FX line.
  • 11 Hide
    christinebcw , September 2, 2014 6:18 AM
    I do remain hopeful that AMD will rescind a 3-year-old 'surrender' and re-energize Computing Cores at some point. The computing world NEEDS that valid competition.
  • 10 Hide
    Deus Gladiorum , September 2, 2014 6:33 AM
    Oh AMD, why? I don't think I'm offending anyone when I say this isn't optimal for AMD's desktop CPUs... at least not for the consumers who like them. Until I see some Steamroller desktop cores equipped with L3 cache, I'm sorry to say that I have to stick with camp Intel.
  • 11 Hide
    Fr33Th1nk3r , September 2, 2014 6:46 AM
    We'll all stick with our intels, but these CPU's are geared towards people that fall in a lower income bracket. Which is a larger portion of the buyers market. People buy cheap laptops and tablets because they can't afford big flashy expensive i7 rigs which at the cheapest are $1200+.
    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.
  • 1 Hide
    Memnarchon , September 2, 2014 6:49 AM
    Can we hope for a review, perhaps tomorrow?
  • 1 Hide
    Amdlova , September 2, 2014 7:20 AM
    anandtech has the review of this cpu the new 7850k kicks on these cpu!
  • 1 Hide
    runswindows95 , September 2, 2014 7:24 AM
    The 95W's version I hope are released to channels, such as Newegg, unlike the previous FX-8300. A 95W 8-core for under $200 is great for those of us who want to build a cheap VM system.
  • 4 Hide
    SessouXFX , September 2, 2014 7:27 AM
    How about this new concept: "Let's wait for a review before passing judgement.."?

    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.
  • 7 Hide
    chicofehr , September 2, 2014 7:28 AM
    I'm using a Phenom x6 @ 4.2GHz. Still waiting for something to upgrade to from AMD LOL
  • 1 Hide
    vdraconus , September 2, 2014 7:46 AM
    Well looks like the 8370E turns out to be a dud for my needs/wants. It's only 95W but they sacrifice a bit off the base speed to do it, and the standard 8370 isn't really much of an improvement over the 8350.

    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!
  • 1 Hide
    Cryio , September 2, 2014 8:35 AM
    For the performance per money, FX6300 and FX8320/E are still the best buys on the market. Buy these beauties, OC them a little and they'll wipe the floor with i3s and some lower end i5s selling for the same money.
  • 0 Hide
    SessouXFX , September 2, 2014 8:45 AM
    Just read the review from The Tech Report...It's best for AMD to simply move on.

    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...
  • 6 Hide
    photonboy , September 2, 2014 8:48 AM
    Quote:
    How about this new concept: "Let's wait for a review before passing judgement.."?

    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.
  • 1 Hide
    RedJaron , September 2, 2014 8:52 AM
    Yeah, I'm not sure we can call these "new" CPUs.
  • 1 Hide
    christinebcw , September 2, 2014 9:06 AM
    I'm really more concerned about AMD's motherboard chipsets. They seem to maintain the sale of a Lesser Version for older chipsets. The 785 was a great chipset but when those motherboards were sold, all we can find now is the 760s.

    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?
  • 0 Hide
    CaptainTom , September 2, 2014 10:27 AM
    All they have to do is make an FX-9590E for $250 to create a viable i7 competitor. 5 GHz for 150w would be perfectly acceptable. MAKE IT HAPPEN AMD!
  • -7 Hide
    antilycus , September 2, 2014 10:27 AM
    For the price of 1 Intel 8 core, 4.0+ghz base you are looking at near 1000 bucks. JUST for the processor. I'll take AMD anyday. Hell Ic an buy 5 of these chips for the 1 intel is charging. If you think Intel is worth the price, you are just as brainwashed as Apple product buyers. The truth hurts. Value for price, AMD is unbeatable.
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