
Our older Photoshop workload is composed of threaded filters able to tax each multi-core processor. Given the FX-8350’s first-place finish, it clearly scales to at least eight threads. The improvement over FX-8150 is quantifiable. Meanwhile, AMD’s older four- and six-core chips get left in the dust.

We have a second Photoshop benchmark that exploits the application’s support for OpenCL. The workload is completely different, so you can’t compare it to the chart above. That'd make sense though, since this test takes longer to run.
AMD’s platform just doesn’t do as well. It’s OpenCL-based, so Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 680 and PCI Express 2.0 do play a role. However, this is also a scenario AMD is telling us to expect more of moving forward, so I think it’s still very relevant. All four AMD chips slide back to the rear of the field behind Ivy and Sandy Bridge-based processors from Intel.

We move back over to workloads that isolate processor performance and AMD’s FX-8350 shows us what it’s working with once more. The FX-8150 didn’t do poorly in this test previously, so its position right behind the Core i5-3570K isn’t altogether surprising. But the -8350 soundly bests the Core i5 and pulls right up behind the Core i7. We’ve told this story before, and we know how it ends: when you’re dealing with a threaded application, AMD’s modular architecture does well.

At the same time, when you swap over to a usage model not as well adapted for parallelism, the module concept chokes up. After Effects CS 6 is no friendlier to AMD’s design than CS 5.5 was. A higher base clock rate does help the Piledriver-based FX-8350 land in front of the almost two-year-old Phenom II X6 1100T, but it trails the full complement of chips from Intel.
- Meet AMD’s Piledriver-Based FX Line-Up
- Overclocking And Platform Compatibility
- The Piledriver Architecture: Improving On Bulldozer
- Hardware And Software Setup
- Benchmark Results: PCMark 7
- Benchmark Results: 3DMark 11
- Benchmark Results: SiSoftware Sandra 2013 Beta
- Benchmark Results: Content Creation
- Benchmark Results: Adobe CS 6
- Benchmark Results: Productivity
- Benchmark Results: Compression Apps
- Benchmark Results: Media Encoding
- Benchmark Results: Battlefield 3
- Benchmark Results: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Benchmark Results: World Of Warcraft: Mists Of Pandaria
- Power Consumption And Efficiency
- FX-8350: Still Not The FX Us Old-Timers Remember…
I now really don't see people purchasing it though....people will be buying the 8320.
I now really don't see people purchasing it though....people will be buying the 8320.
If more games / daily use apps start using more cores these new AMD's could really take off.
Thanks for the review.
Btw Chris, how many cups of joe did you had to take for the overclocking testing?
5-12% performance increase 12% less power - sound familiar?
the only difference this time was less hype before the release. (lesson well learned AMD!)
You seem to forget that unlike Intel's Ivy compared to Sandy, Vishera versus Zambezi leaves Vishera the superior overclocker as well as cooler-running and with superior overclocking price/performance ratios. There's also the fact that AMD did this on the same process node, not that that matters as anything other than a foot note.
One really big one. Kept me up till 5AM this morning ;-)
Anyway it good upgrade for owner with am3+ board... (including me
If you are paying that much, why would you let it set idle, turn it off instead!
But wow! at only 195$ this 8350 looks like a clear winner! Nice Comeback AMD !
But wow! at only 195$ this 8350 looks like a clear winner! Nice Comeback AMD !
It really isn't a cut & dry black & white situation. Depends on the workloads and purpose...
for now i'll pass. if it was truely under $200 i would consider it for my next low end system, but so far the price is well over $200 and not worth it.
amd fx-8350 for $219.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113284&name=Processors-Desktops
intel i5-3470 for $199.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115234
intel i5-3570 for $214.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115233
intel i7-3770 for $299.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116502