AMD FX-8150 “Zambezi” Bulldozer Desktop Processor Hands-On Review

Rating:  

Computer gurus have been chomping at the bit in anticipation of the big day when AMD FX processors are released. These multi-core models (codenamed Zambezi) feature the new Bulldozer microarchitecture and are geared to high performance users thanks to vast overclocking potential. Up for review today is the AMD FX-8150 CPU, which is the world’s first 8 core chip. With a base stock speed of 3.6GHz, the AMD FX-8150 has 8MB each of L2 and L3 cache and is competitively priced at $245 (suggested retail). But does the AMD FX-8150 have what it takes to meet customer demands? Find out in the full review below.

• Pros: Fully Unlocked, Fast in Multi-Threaded Applications, Priced Aggressively
• Cons: Most Programs Cannot Utilize 8 Cores
• The Bottom Line: AMD FX-8150 is Ahead of its Time.

Review – AMD FX-8150 Bulldozer Desktop Processor

For starters, AMD FX chips are fully unlocked, so you don’t have to worry about dealing with “K” processors versus regular models in the Sandy Bridge line (the K designates that the chip is fully unlocked). AMD is targeting high performance gamers and overclocking enthusiasts, so why waste resources putting out another model that is locked down? We personally like how AMD makes the line easy to decipher. Here’s the full rundown on FX models available at launch:

Image Courtesy AMD

As you can see, the FX-8150 is the high end model, but it still is competitively priced at $245 USD. Compared to an Intel Core i7-2600K which has a suggested channel price of $317, the AMD FX-8150 is significantly cheaper. The FX line also utilizes the AM3+ socket so if you already run an 1100T, for instance, you can upgrade the processor without having to purchase another motherboard. This is a plus in the finance department, and you also get extra PCI-Express lanes compared to Sandy Bridge chips since AMD left the North Bridge and South Bridge in place.

Architecture specifications include a ~315 mm² die size and a ~2 billion transistor count. The chips also has 16KB of L1 Data Cache per core, which is a little low in our opinion, since the AMD Phenom II X6 1100T has 64KB per core. However, AMD could have specific reasons for this figure.

Benchmarks

But how well does the AMD FX-8150 perform in a real life environment? The results are mixed – however, this is due to the fact that many of today’s applications (and even benchmarking tools) simply cannot utilize all eight cores. For those who live in the “now” moment, it can definitely be a downside. But for forward thinkers or those who utilize applications such as Handbrake and WinRAR, you’ll find the AMD FX-8150 to be versatile and fast. And here are the benchmarks to illustrate performance in both applications:

Left: FX-8150 benchmarks in WinRAR at stock speed. Right: FX-8150 benchmarks in WinRAR overclocked to 4.85GHz.

As shown above, the performance boost is significant when the chip is overclocked to 4.85GHz. For further comparison, the FX-8150 is over 70% faster in WinRAR compared to an AMD Phenom II X6 1100T machine overclocked to 4.0GHz (which scored 2,933 KB/s). To get the FX-8150 overclocked to nearly 5GHz, we used a Corsair Hydro Series H100 Liquid CPU cooler, which offers two 120mm fans for lower temps. Under load, we reached 47 degrees Celsius at stock speeds and 61 degrees Celsius when overclocked to 4.85GHz. The multiplier was set to 23 and the bus speed was raised to 210MHz to achieve this overclock. We were unable to get the multiplier to go higher than 23; anything higher caused the machine to not even post. We were able to get the bus speed up to 220 with a 23 multiplier, but no matter how much voltage we fed it, we were unable to get it stable to run benchmarks. We were able to achieve this result using offset voltage which maxed out to 1.476V.

AIDA64 Extreme Edition Benchmarks

• 13882 MB/s Memory Read
• 10241 MB/s Memory Write
• 17780 MB/s Memory Copy
• 53.1 ns Memory Latency
• 31673 CPU Queen
• 51326 CPU PhotoWorxx
• 262.6 MB/s CPU ZLib
• 375286 CPU AES
• 3674 MB/s CPU Hash
• 3042 FPU VP8
• 11902 FPU Julia
• 6079 FPU Mandel
• 2638 FPU SinJulia

Left: AMD FX-8150 Stock TrueCrypt benchmarks. Middle: AMD FX-8150 OC TrueCrypt Benchmarks. Right: AMD Phenom II X6 1100T TrueCrypt Benchmarks.

TrueCrypt benchmarks also proved to be varying with the overclocked AMD FX-8150 processor proving superior to the AMD Phenom II X6 1100T, which is to be expected.

Handbrake Benchmarks

• AMD FX-8150 (Stock): 183 fps
• AMD FX-8150 (Overclocked 4.85GHz): 233 fps
• AMD Phenom II X6 1100T (Overclocked 4.0GHz): 186 fps

As you can see, the overclocked 1100T beat the stock FX-8150. However, when the FX-8150 was overclocked it was the clear winner when encoding video in Handbrake.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, the AMD FX-8150 processor is great for those who already have an AM3 890FX or AM3+ 990FX motherboard, especially if you use multi-threaded applications for video encoding, 3D rendering, and more. Please note: If you have an AM3 motherboard, be sure the manufacturer has released a BIOS that supports the FX chip.

However, if you already have an Intel Core i5-2500K or Core i7-2600K, you most likely won’t see enough of a speed increase to warrant the change in hardware at least until applications can take advantage of more cores. Once FMA, AVX, and XOR instructions are utilized, performance should improve greatly. On the other hand, if you are a hardware enthusiast who enjoys the challenge of overclocking a chip to push it to the max or if you’re seeking an affordable solution for a gaming rig, you’ll find the AMD FX-8150 to be a worthy component for a high performance system.

Are you planning on purchasing an AMD FX processor? If so, share your thoughts in the comments below.

Where to Buy