Test Settings And Overclocking
Test System Configuration | |
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AMD CPU | AMD A10-6800K (Richland): 4.1-4.4 GHz, 4 MB L2 Cache, Socket FM2, Overclocked to 4.50 GHz at 1.425 V |
Intel CPU | Intel Core i7-4770K (Haswell): 3.5-3.9 GHz, 8 MB L3 Cache, LGA 1150, Overclocked to 4.50 GHz at 1.25 V |
AMD Motherboard | Asus F2A85-V Pro Rev 1.03, BIOS 6104 (05/08/2013) |
Intel Motherboard | Asus Z87-Pro Rev 1.02, BIOS 1007 (05/17/2013) |
AMD Graphics | Integrated Radeon HD 8670D, 0.84 GHz |
Intel Graphics | Integrated HD Graphics 4600, 1.25 GHz |
RAM | G.Skill F3-17600CL9D-8GBXLD (8 GB) at DDR3-1600 C9 Defaults |
Hard Drive | Samsung 840 Series MZ-7PD256, 256 GB SSD |
Sound | Integrated HD Audio |
Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
Power | Corsair AX860i: ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Platinum |
Software | |
OS | Microsoft Windows 8 Professional RTM x64 |
AMD Platform | AMD Catalyst 13.4 |
Intel Graphics | Version 9.18.10.3111 |
Intel Chipset | Intel INF 9.4.0.1017 |
When we heard that AMD’s previous-generation motherboards would work with its new-generation processors, we were happy to pull out Asus’ top-overclocking F2A85-V Pro and give it a simple BIOS update.
Our Asus Z87-Pro sample already had firmware of similar vintage to the F2A85-V Pro’s update, so we left it alone.
Scuttlebutt says that AMD’s A10-6800K reaches 4.5 GHz without much effort, but our sample needed 1.425 V to achieve complete stability. It would easily run 4.4 GHz at 1.30 V, so perhaps 4.5 GHz wasn’t a good target?
The problem with 4.4 GHz was that we didn’t want to give the firm a frequency handicap in an article that includes Intel. Our Core i7-4770K was easily running 4.5 GHz at 1.250 V maximum, and we began testing before AMD's sample arrived.
And so the test began with the Intel processor at 4.50 GHz, secure in the knowledge that both CPUs would support DDR3-2400 via overclocking. Two of the kits were DDR3-2400-rated. And one of the kits would even run at DDR3-2666.
Best DRAM Timings at 1.65 V: Intel Core i7-4770K | |||||
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Row 0 - Cell 0 | Max MT/s 12-15-15-35 | DDR3-2400 Optimized | DDR3-2133 Optimized | DDR3-1866 Optimized | DDR3-1600 Optimized |
Adata XPG V2 AX3U2400W8G11-DMV | 2400 | 11-12-11-30 | 10-11-10-27 | 9-9-9-24 | 7-8-8-21 |
AMD Gamer Series AG316G2130U2K | 2133 | 11-13-12-30 | 10-11-10-27 | 9-10-9-24 | 8-8-8-21 |
Crucial Ballistix Tactical BLT2KIT8G3D1869DT1TX0 | 2133 | Failed | 9-10-10-27 | 8-8-8-24 | 7-7-7-21 |
G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-14900CL10D-16GBXL | 2400 | 11-12-12-30 | 9-10-10-27 | 8-9-9-24 | 7-8-8-21 |
Mushkin Redline Ridgeback 997121R | 2400 | 10-12-11-30 | 9-10-9-27 | 8-9-9-24 | 7-8-8-21 |
Patriot Viper 3 PV316G240C0KRD | 2666 | 10-12-11-30 | 9-10-10-27 | 8-9-9-24 | 7-8-7-21 |
AMD’s Richland-based A10 pushed better timings out of these modules at several settings, but its integrated graphics engine was not stable at DDR3-2400. After several attempts to adjust memory controller and DRAM voltage to compensate that instability, I eventually found that increasing the APU from the stock 1.20 V to 1.50 V granted temporary stability. This allowed theoretical XMP-2400 performance data to be gathered on the AMD platform, but you’ll see those results discredited throughout the article.
Best DRAM Timings at 1.65 V: AMD A10-6800K | |||||
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Row 0 - Cell 0 | Max MT/s 12-15-15-35 | DDR3-2400 Optimized | DDR3-2133 Optimized | DDR3-1866 Optimized | DDR3-1600 Optimized |
Adata XPG V2 AX3U2400W8G11-DMV | 2133 | Failed | 10-11-10-27 | 8-9-9-24 | 7-8-7-21 |
AMD Gamer Series AG316G2130U2K | 2133 | Failed | 10-11-10-27 | 8-10-9-24 | 8-8-8-21 |
Crucial Ballistix Tactical BLT2KIT8G3D1869DT1TX0 | 2133 | Failed | 9-10-9-27 | 8-8-8-24 | 7-7-7-21 |
G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-14900CL10D-16GBXL | 2133 | Failed | 9-10-9-27 | 8-9-8-24 | 7-8-7-21 |
Mushkin Redline Ridgeback 997121R | 2133 | Failed | 9-10-9-27 | 8-9-8-24 | 7-8-7-21 |
Patriot Viper 3 PV316G240C0KRD | 2133 | Failed | 9-10-9-27 | 8-9-8-24 | 7-8-7-21 |
The System Builder Marathon gaming suite is easily adapted to integrated graphics performance evaluation by lowering its resolution and/or details to Intel HD Graphics 4600-compliant levels. The HD 8760D won’t even break a sweat.
Benchmark Configuration | |
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3D Games | |
Battlefield 3 | Campaign Mode, "Going Hunting" 90-Sec. Fraps Test Settings: Medium Quality Defaults (No AA, 4x AF) |
F1 2012 | Steam Version, In-Game Test Test Settings: High Quality Preset, No AA |
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | Update 1.5.26, Celedon Aethirborn Level 6, 25-Sec. Fraps Test Settings: Medium Quality Defualts (4x AA, 0x AF) |
Far Cry 3 | V. 1.04, DirectX 11, 50-sec. Fraps "Amanaki Outpost" Test Settings: Medium Quality, No AA, Standard ATC., SSAO |
Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings | |
SiSoftware Sandra 2013 | Version 2013.01.19.11, CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / Cryptography, Memory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark |