AMD Unleashed: Four CPUs, Two GPUs, All Overclocked

By Paul Henningsen
published

Benchmark Results: Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance

3D Games: Supreme Commander Forged Alliance

Both quad-core processors have a slight lead over the triple-core Phenom II at 1280x1024 and the dual-core Athlon 7750 again is in last place. Regardless, there really isn’t sufficient GPU power to allow playable frame rates at even the lowest resolution.

Forget even trying to play with 4x AA enabled. The Athlon 7750 again stands out as an inferior performer, but more GPU power is needed to differentiate the other three processors.

Now we’re talking. The Radeon HD 4870 X2 steps up, delivering over 100% more performance compared to what a single HD 4870 512 MB offers. The quad-core processors have the slight lead, as the Phenom II X4 940 almost seems GPU limited, even at 1280x1024. The Athlon 7750 once again falls way behind, which potentially may be felt by larger drops in minimum frame rates, but it can still easily provide very playable performance.

Raising the resolution to 1680x1050 puts more demands on the graphics card, and we see all processors except the stock Athlon 7750 offer similar performance. At 1920x1200, all remain playable. And now, even the stock Athlon 7750 is within 3 FPS of the quickest processor. This should give us an idea what to expect when AA is enabled. 

The Radeon HD 4870 X2 proves capable with 4x AA all the way up to a 1680x1050 resolution. But at 1920 x1200, its reach is exceeded. Still, the card delivers respectable performance, enabling more stock performance at 1920x1200 with 4x AA than the overclocked Radeon HD 4870 managed at 1280x1024 without AA.

Paul Henningsen
53 Comments Comment from the forums
  • setting aside 1366 and AM3

    In 2 or 3 years when QX9770 chips start showing up for $250-$300.

    Will AMD have a cheaper socket AM2+ compatible chip on the market that will outperform it?

    If so, AMD would be a nice alternative.
    Reply
  • setting aside 1366 and AM3

    In 2 or 3 years when QX9770 chips start showing up for $250-$300.

    Will AMD have a cheaper socket AM2+ compatible chip on the market that will outperform it?

    If so, AMD would be a nice alternative.
    Reply
  • In 2 or 3 years Intel will have 16 cores on a single cpu, and amd tech will, as always, be useless, outdated, and worthless... Just like they are now.
    Reply
  • radguy
    So did I miss somthing or where does it say what each of these processors is overclocked to. I get that the p2 x3 720be is at 3.67 but what about the rest of them. Am I missing it somewhere (very possible) or do I have to look back at your previous articles to figure it out? shouldn't that be on the test systems and configuration page. I am trying to sort through the data.
    Reply
  • dirtmountain
    Nice article Paul and some exhaustive work! Don't overlook the 780G/SB710 that also feature ACC for a price of $72
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157154
    making the Phenom2 x3 720 a viable option in the SBM budget category. I'm also going to be curious about the new Phenom2 x2 and Athlon2 x2 processors that are coming out June 2nd.
    Reply
  • apache_lives
    Has anyone noticed the benchmarks for the i5's on anandtech yet?
    Reply
  • nerrawg
    Great article guys - love the comparisons to the SBM machines - really gives some insight into CPU and GPU scaling and how much to spend on your processor versus your graphics for gaming builds. Thanks!
    Reply
  • Sihastru
    apache_livesHas anyone noticed the benchmarks for the i5's on anandtech yet?
    I did. Considering the pricing scheme of the i5 (so close to AMD) and it's high performance numbers (so close to the i7) AMD is in big trouble.

    Intel will shift all the processors that are now under the i7 (even if the 920 is rumored to become EOL, one step down on it's portfolio, which means high end Intel dual cores, will go into or under the mainstream, where AMD already has a hard time.

    This doesn't make me very happy, even if I am an Intel fanboy. Aggressive pricing schemes are overrated. AMD needs something new. Now.
    Reply
  • DjEaZy
    ... BIG THX to the Tom's crew... was not so hard after all? ... now, thx to YOU, we have a info about intel, nVidia and AMD/ATi solutions... how they stack up in price/performance/cost of ownership... NICELY DONE!!!
    Reply
  • erdinger
    Yes thanks, many people complained in the system builder marathon and you listened to the complaints... great.
    Reply