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[H]i guys (and gals)!
I just wanted to share my thoughts about the A10-5800k after using it for about two weeks now. And what better place is there to share it?
I decided to go with a APU-based solution when my old, old Athlon 7750 system decided to just not do what I needed it to do anymore (weird video/hardware acc. issue I couldn't wrap my head around - it's in the OS section of this board).
Why did I choose an APU?
I'm not a gamer (anymore). My daily PC usage mainly consists of the usual office stuff (Word, PP, Excel, etc.), web-based stuff, somewhat medium Photoshop usage (print sized graphics, 300 - 700 MB file size) and most importantly entertainment (music playback, live TV, streaming). The last one is the most important, because everything else can be done using my i5 IB notebook just fine.
An APU fit my needs - and even more important: my budget. My screen and laptop died in the weeks before, so I (being in college, although working as well) didn't have a ton to spend. On top of that, my old (no-name, never again) PSU developed crazy coil whine when I confronted it with the A10-5800k (which shouldn't use any more power than the old 7750 Black Edition with a 4670). So yeah, that too.
So always keep in mind: This is a system for very certain needs and a low, low budget. And highly sensitive ears, but more about that later.
The System I went with
I read a whole lot about the APU's performance and "needs" and decided to go with 2133MHz Ram, even though the A10's memory controller is only certified to 1866. Therefore I chose a motherboard, that (allegedly) could handle up to 2600, the AsRock FM2A75 Pro4-M. For the RAM, I went with 2x4GB G.Skill Ares 2133 sticks (the orange ones), which are running 2133MHz at slower timings (I can live with that) but lower voltage than their faster blue siblings (which are also more expensive). The rest isn't as important, but the cheap Arctic Freezer 13 runs at a custom fan speed (thanks AsRock UEFI) that makes it impossible to hear and the be quiet! L8 430W I bought to replace my old no-name PSU is not a point of concern. It's amazing and freaking silent.
All in all, this cost me right around 300€. But subtracting 60€ for the PSU, it's a hell of a deal for that kind of performance/power usage/heat/noise, in my opinion.
Overclocking
As I used to do back in the day, I spent the first few days trying to find out what I could get out of the system. 2133 Ram ran just fine, I was easily able to run the system at CPU@4,3GHz, GPU@1013GHz (slightly higher voltage needed) without going crazy on the voltages. But damn, did that get hot and loud. The performance for what little it cost me was great, though. While it wasn't pretty, even Planetside 2 ran somewhat okay (low settings @ 1080p: ~20FPS min, 40FPS max). Again: I'm not a gamer. I just wanted to see what it was capable of. At the highest OC point, I was scoring around 1730-1750 3DMarks in 3D Mark11 - which, I know, isn't something to write home about. But it's not too bad either.
Stock Clocks & Undervolting
Times change, so does usage. Now I'm running all stock clocks with lower voltages and an almost completely silent PC (I think the HDD is by far the most noticeable part right now) - and superb temps, in my opinion. I can't stress how great this is to me. Also see: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/a10-5800k-trinity-efficiency,3315-2.html
I'm running stock clocks (CPU@3,8GHz - 4,2GHz TC, GPU@800MHz, RAM@2133MHz) with the following voltages:
CPU: 1.3V
NB VID: 1.25V
RAM: 1.575V (down from 1.6V)
The temperatures are great:
CPU (completely idle, 22°C room): ~27°C
CPU (normal usage, 22°C room): ~30-32°C
CPU (heavier usage, 22°C room): ~35-40°C
CPU (100% load, prime95 for 1hr+, 22°C room): ~50°C (the fans never kick into overdrive, which should start at about 50° - this is huge!)
Summary
This most likely won't make [H]'s collective jaw drop in amazement. But for a certain type of needs the APU platform is just great. Low noise, low heat, low power usage (no dedicated GPU, undervolted - and honestly, the A10 does just fine in idle/low usage situations), low pricepoint, great day-to-day performance for most people (yeah, yeah, I know) coupled with a semi-usable iGPU. If your needs are somewhat like mine or you're thinking about what to put into various degrees of HTPCs, this could be the platform for you.
Once Richland hits, I'll give the 6800k or 6700 another look. Should be a somewhat cheap upgrade somewhen down the road (end of the year, or Kaveri later, if it's still on FM2).
Disclaimer
I'm by no means an "AMD fanboy". I love the i5 IB in my notebook and I do not really care about names/brands. I care about the right solution to a certain problem. For me the A10-5800k just fit the bill beautifully.
I just wanted to share my thoughts about the A10-5800k after using it for about two weeks now. And what better place is there to share it?
I decided to go with a APU-based solution when my old, old Athlon 7750 system decided to just not do what I needed it to do anymore (weird video/hardware acc. issue I couldn't wrap my head around - it's in the OS section of this board).
Why did I choose an APU?
I'm not a gamer (anymore). My daily PC usage mainly consists of the usual office stuff (Word, PP, Excel, etc.), web-based stuff, somewhat medium Photoshop usage (print sized graphics, 300 - 700 MB file size) and most importantly entertainment (music playback, live TV, streaming). The last one is the most important, because everything else can be done using my i5 IB notebook just fine.
An APU fit my needs - and even more important: my budget. My screen and laptop died in the weeks before, so I (being in college, although working as well) didn't have a ton to spend. On top of that, my old (no-name, never again) PSU developed crazy coil whine when I confronted it with the A10-5800k (which shouldn't use any more power than the old 7750 Black Edition with a 4670). So yeah, that too.
So always keep in mind: This is a system for very certain needs and a low, low budget. And highly sensitive ears, but more about that later.
The System I went with
I read a whole lot about the APU's performance and "needs" and decided to go with 2133MHz Ram, even though the A10's memory controller is only certified to 1866. Therefore I chose a motherboard, that (allegedly) could handle up to 2600, the AsRock FM2A75 Pro4-M. For the RAM, I went with 2x4GB G.Skill Ares 2133 sticks (the orange ones), which are running 2133MHz at slower timings (I can live with that) but lower voltage than their faster blue siblings (which are also more expensive). The rest isn't as important, but the cheap Arctic Freezer 13 runs at a custom fan speed (thanks AsRock UEFI) that makes it impossible to hear and the be quiet! L8 430W I bought to replace my old no-name PSU is not a point of concern. It's amazing and freaking silent.
All in all, this cost me right around 300€. But subtracting 60€ for the PSU, it's a hell of a deal for that kind of performance/power usage/heat/noise, in my opinion.
Overclocking
As I used to do back in the day, I spent the first few days trying to find out what I could get out of the system. 2133 Ram ran just fine, I was easily able to run the system at CPU@4,3GHz, GPU@1013GHz (slightly higher voltage needed) without going crazy on the voltages. But damn, did that get hot and loud. The performance for what little it cost me was great, though. While it wasn't pretty, even Planetside 2 ran somewhat okay (low settings @ 1080p: ~20FPS min, 40FPS max). Again: I'm not a gamer. I just wanted to see what it was capable of. At the highest OC point, I was scoring around 1730-1750 3DMarks in 3D Mark11 - which, I know, isn't something to write home about. But it's not too bad either.
Stock Clocks & Undervolting
Times change, so does usage. Now I'm running all stock clocks with lower voltages and an almost completely silent PC (I think the HDD is by far the most noticeable part right now) - and superb temps, in my opinion. I can't stress how great this is to me. Also see: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/a10-5800k-trinity-efficiency,3315-2.html
I'm running stock clocks (CPU@3,8GHz - 4,2GHz TC, GPU@800MHz, RAM@2133MHz) with the following voltages:
CPU: 1.3V
NB VID: 1.25V
RAM: 1.575V (down from 1.6V)
The temperatures are great:
CPU (completely idle, 22°C room): ~27°C
CPU (normal usage, 22°C room): ~30-32°C
CPU (heavier usage, 22°C room): ~35-40°C
CPU (100% load, prime95 for 1hr+, 22°C room): ~50°C (the fans never kick into overdrive, which should start at about 50° - this is huge!)
Summary
This most likely won't make [H]'s collective jaw drop in amazement. But for a certain type of needs the APU platform is just great. Low noise, low heat, low power usage (no dedicated GPU, undervolted - and honestly, the A10 does just fine in idle/low usage situations), low pricepoint, great day-to-day performance for most people (yeah, yeah, I know) coupled with a semi-usable iGPU. If your needs are somewhat like mine or you're thinking about what to put into various degrees of HTPCs, this could be the platform for you.
Once Richland hits, I'll give the 6800k or 6700 another look. Should be a somewhat cheap upgrade somewhen down the road (end of the year, or Kaveri later, if it's still on FM2).
Disclaimer
I'm by no means an "AMD fanboy". I love the i5 IB in my notebook and I do not really care about names/brands. I care about the right solution to a certain problem. For me the A10-5800k just fit the bill beautifully.
