The AMD A8-3500M APU Review: Llano Is Unleashed

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Code-named Llano, AMD’s first desktop-class APU arrives today. This single-chip combination of the Stars CPU architecture and Radeon graphics brings unique strengths (and weaknesses) to the table, and we’re here to compare them to Intel's Sandy Bridge.

HD Video Quality Benchmark: HQV 2.0

When it comes to HD video playback, Radeon cards are the most highly regarded, according to our testing. Let’s concentrate in the differences between Sandy Bridge’s HD Graphics 3000 and Llano’s Radeon HD 6620G using the HQV 2.0 benchmark for comparison:

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HQV Benchmark version 2.0 Results (out of 210 possible)
Row 0 - Cell 0 AMD A8-3500MRadeon HD 5670Intel HD Graphics 3000
Test Class 1:Video Conversion909078
Test Class 2: Noise and Artifact Reduction444444
Test Class 3: Image Scaling and Enhancements303025
Test Class 4: Adaptive Processing272712
Totals:191191159

This benchmark is not perfect in that it’s largely subjective. Having said that, you shouldn’t see more than 10 or 15 points difference between seasoned reviewers using the same hardware and driver versions.

So, how does Llano do? With 191 out of 210 possible points, it performs like a Radeon HD 5570, which is to say, quite well indeed.

The Intel HD Graphics 3000 scores 159 out of 210, which is significantly lower. We’re impressed with Intel HD Graphics 3000’s ability to handle noise and compression artifacts, and to optimize poor skin tones. On the other hand it disappointed us with poor 2:2 Film Resolution cadence support, substandard contrast enhancement, and terrible chroma up-sampling and scaling performance.

On top of this, Intel HD Graphics continues to suffer from Intel’s inability to support 23.976 FPS video playback, doubling a frame every 40 seconds. All things considered, AMD wins in this discipline.

134 Comments Comment from the forums
  • _Pez_
    HO ! GOD FINALLY I am the first to read this !! Im feeling a Nerdgasm !! :D :D !!
    Reply
  • oneblackened
    I now really want a laptop with Llano. Also first.
    Reply
  • fstrthnu
    AMD is kind of in a fix here, the more enthusiast gamers won't even bother looking at the Llano computers while this is kind of overkill for casual gamers. MAYBE money-pressed college students or something, but most people will just skip this and either buy a regular gaming computer or build their own using one of the guides from this very site! Going for good graphics in cheap desktops is kind of a futile exercise, the people who will care will just get the more expensive stuff anyways. Notebooks are more understandable, but the prices on the decent gaming desktops are just too good for Llano to be very competitive (and also, the CPU portion will be a letdown for the average person. Noticeably slower than the comparable Intel Core i5.)
    Reply
  • vz7
    Do you know when the desktop review for llano will be out?
    Reply
  • stingstang
    Good job, AMD. You finally made a better cpu/gpu combo than intel in terms of graphics power.
    ....big win there...
    Reply
  • vz7
    After reading the desktop benchmarks on anandtech I can't say I'm impressed. The top of the line a8 3850 manages to scratch the best intel integrated graphics, which doesn't say much. Its CPU power seems to be a toss up with the i3. I think this hardly justifies the +70 premium (over an i3) that you'd have to spend to get it.
    Reply
  • billj214
    This APU being somewhat low power and good graphics almost deserves to be in a tablet PC since CPU processing is not critical in tablet PC's and graphics is something that can help with media and games.

    Ditto on the "Good Job AMD" definitely on the right track.
    Reply
  • cangelini
    vz7Do you know when the desktop review for llano will be out?
    The NDA is up on the 30th.
    Reply
  • niceview
    two things:

    1) What happened to the Game Charts results for the Radeon HD 5570, when the games were benchmarked? I thought you made a point to say you were going to compare the APU's 6620G with a discrete card (that has the same number of SPs and same clock). So much for that, unless you thought only comparing the two with a synthetic test was enough. Oh well. Tom's can be such a tease!

    2) I'm just a little disappointed that the APU's graphics power was not able to double Intel's.... Under the best of circumstances, AMD's latest integrated graphics came close to being twice as fast, but i guess that is ok since we are not playing horseshoes. I just thought it would be nice if it had made a nice even doubling, or more. Now, i'm worried IVY BRIDGE will beat it....
    Reply
  • niceview
    sorry, i guess that should be:

    we ARE playing horseshoes...

    and i have to give credit where credit is due: props to AMD for almost doubling Intel's HD Graphics in the integrated space....
    Reply