AMD A8-3850 + GIGABYTE GA-A75M-UD2H Motherboard Review.
Introduction
After our recent foray into AMD 'APU' country with the excellent E35M1-I deluxe AMD have once again pushed the boundaries of the technology with the Llano group of APU's.
The Llano APU (the desktop variety on test here is codenamed 'Lynx') contains the CPU, GPU and northbridge. As a consequence production costs and physical power costs are reduced greatly meaning cost to the consumer is lowered and a competitive performance level is maintained while providing a convenient and streamlined solution.
The E3850 on test today is the higher performing model in AMD's initial release. It contains a quad core central processor that runs at a useful 2.9GHz. It's based on the K10.5 architecture used in its current quad core models and while it lacks the L3 cache of the Phenom II it does contain twice the L2 cache of the Athlon II - there are also additional tweaks to the architecture to further improve performance and helps position it just between these two classes of CPU.
Also present is the integrated GPU. This is where the AMD solution beats current Intel offerings. Rather than a cut down graphics processor the Llano's HD6550D design incorporates a core based on the 5670 'Redwood'. It should compete well with some affordable graphics cards and even manage to provide sufficient performance for relatively modern games at reasonable settings.
Harnessing this power is Gigabytes A75M-UD2H. A MATX design that is probably the preferred form factor for the majority of HTPC and 'compact' PC builds. Being a Gigabyte design it will no doubt be a solid and dependable item using premium components and sport genuinely innovative design touches.
E3850 Specifications
At the heart of the system is the Llano A3850. It's an impressive item with quad core capability and that full fat GPU in the form of the HD6550D with its 400 stream processors, decent clock speed and UD3 capability.
I found this descriptive image of the Llano core. All that computing power squashed into a chip no larger than the previous generation of pure 45nm AMD quad core CPU's. Very impressive!
Product on Review: Gigabyte A75M-UD2H and A3850 APU
Manufacturer and Sponsor: Gigabyte and AMD
Motherboard RRP: Around £90
E3850 RRP: £100-£105
Manufacturer and Sponsor: Gigabyte and AMD
Motherboard RRP: Around £90
E3850 RRP: £100-£105
The Llano APU (the desktop variety on test here is codenamed 'Lynx') contains the CPU, GPU and northbridge. As a consequence production costs and physical power costs are reduced greatly meaning cost to the consumer is lowered and a competitive performance level is maintained while providing a convenient and streamlined solution.
The E3850 on test today is the higher performing model in AMD's initial release. It contains a quad core central processor that runs at a useful 2.9GHz. It's based on the K10.5 architecture used in its current quad core models and while it lacks the L3 cache of the Phenom II it does contain twice the L2 cache of the Athlon II - there are also additional tweaks to the architecture to further improve performance and helps position it just between these two classes of CPU.
Also present is the integrated GPU. This is where the AMD solution beats current Intel offerings. Rather than a cut down graphics processor the Llano's HD6550D design incorporates a core based on the 5670 'Redwood'. It should compete well with some affordable graphics cards and even manage to provide sufficient performance for relatively modern games at reasonable settings.
Harnessing this power is Gigabytes A75M-UD2H. A MATX design that is probably the preferred form factor for the majority of HTPC and 'compact' PC builds. Being a Gigabyte design it will no doubt be a solid and dependable item using premium components and sport genuinely innovative design touches.
E3850 Specifications
At the heart of the system is the Llano A3850. It's an impressive item with quad core capability and that full fat GPU in the form of the HD6550D with its 400 stream processors, decent clock speed and UD3 capability.
I found this descriptive image of the Llano core. All that computing power squashed into a chip no larger than the previous generation of pure 45nm AMD quad core CPU's. Very impressive!
