Hardware What is the Best Graphic Card for me?

[trumpet-205]

Your new APU would also come with a newer, more powerful integrated GPU.

Right now OP has a Trinity APU. Next in line is Richland, which is just a refresh of Trinity with slightly higher stock speed. Not much of an upgrade (CPU and GPU are the same as Trinity).

After Richland is Kaveri, which is a major change, but uses FM2+ socket instead. You cannot use Kaveri on FM2 motherboard.

 

[PityOnU]

Right now OP has a Trinity APU. Next in line is Richland, which is just a refresh of Trinity with slightly higher stock speed. Not much of an upgrade (CPU and GPU are the same as Trinity).

After Richland is Kaveri, which is a major change, but uses FM2+ socket instead. You cannot use Kaveri on FM2 motherboard.

A6-5400K iGPU vs A10-6800K iGPU

Seems like a pretty major performance boost to me, just for the GPU.

The Piledriver "modules" between the two would be very similar, but the latter would have 4 integer cores, allowing modern games (which I understand generally use 3 threads [because of the Xbox's 3 cores]) to stretch out across them. His current setup also only has one floating point unit, whereas the new one would have two.

 

[trumpet-205]

tl

Right, you are comparing a Trinity APU to Richland APU. I assumed moving from A6 to another A6

Both APU use the same GPU core from HD6000 desktop GPU (APU are 1.5 generation behind desktop GPU). As you can see Richland one is clocked higher with more GPU cores unlocked. To harness that GPU performance boost however, DDR3 RAM speed must be fast, 1866 minimum.

Integer core hardly matters in gaming. The module (CMT) design that AMD is using on its APU and FX CPU actually benefits more for server/performance user than desktop user. The idea about CMT is that since I halved the amount of FPU and core resources I keep my die size in check, therefore reduce cost of production per chip and power consumption. Since AMD eventually wants to roll out HSA (off-load FP workload to GPU) this strategy makes sense in the long run (not now I'm afraid). Had AMD stick with traditional design Intel is using (no FPUs or core resources are halved, SMT), the chip would have big die size, and much higher average cost (even higher than Intel) and much higher power consumption (even now AMD consumes more power than Intel).

Hint: Cell used in PS3 and Xenon used in X360 both excelled in FP workload, but not integer workload. SSE and SSE2, commonly used x86 extension, are all about increasing FP throughput.

 

[PityOnU]

stuff

I got about halfway through writing a response, but then I remembered reading somewhere "Arguing with people on the internet is the opiate of the masses."

Personally, I'd go for an APU upgrade before a GPU upgrade for the reasons previously mentioned in this thread, but that's just me. Others seem to feel otherwise for reasons of their own.

I leave it up to the OP to decide what is best for him (he seems to have already made up his mind, but is looking for someone to validate his plan).

 

[ElYubiYubi]

Again, you would see a much larger improvement by upgrading your APU than by installing a graphics card. As has been mentioned multiple times in this thread, your current APU is garbage.

Your new APU would also come with a newer, more powerful integrated GPU.

Can I upgrade to this? *Cross Fingers*


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113331

 

[Thanatos Telos]

It'll run, but the ssecond vid has a dedicated GPU instead of the iGPU.

 

[Lanlan]

I'd say upgrade to an A8 or A10 and spend the rest on a graphics card. Maybe $120 on the APU and $180 on the GPU. That'll make your system better than just throwing in like a 7950 or something.

 

[ElYubiYubi]

It'll run, but the ssecond vid has a dedicated GPU instead of the iGPU.

Yeah I know. But watch this guy's videos using only the APU

https://www.youtube.com/user/STRIKESHARK?feature=

Also

 

[PityOnU]

Yeah I know. But watch this guy's videos using only the APU

https://www.youtube.com/user/STRIKESHARK?feature=

Also

Yes, the A10-6800K is an option for you. And yes, it's pretty damn impressive from what I've seen.

 

[ElYubiYubi]

Yes, the A10-6800K is an option for you. And yes, it's pretty damn impressive from what I've seen.

Thanks man!

And its just $150. And with the rest of the money I might buy more RAM or the HD 7750

 

[PityOnU]

Thanks man!

And its just $150. And with the rest of the money I might buy more RAM or the HD 7750

Yup, yup! That's the idea.

Investing in [faster] RAM would cause you to see better performance from your APU while gaming because of previously mentioned memory bottlenecks, but a cheap graphics card would just bypass that whole mess entirely.

 

[trumpet-205]

I don't see the point in HD7750 if you going to move up to A10. Faster RAM will be a better option (this will improve both CPU and GPU).

For the record, you cannot compare how desktop APU performs with PS4/Xbox 720 performance. In fact they use completely different APUs.

PS4/Xbox 720 uses AMD Jaguar core (8 integer cores w/8 FPUs) with GCN core from HD7000 desktop GPU.
Desktop APU uses AMD Piledriver core (4 integer cores w/2 FPUs) with VLIW4 core from HD6000 desktop GPU.

And you should look for video on actual games, not emulator. Emulator hardly push GPU portion to the limit.

 

[ElYubiYubi]

I don't see the point in HD7750 if you going to move up to A10. Faster RAM will be a better option (this will improve both CPU and GPU).

For the record, you cannot compare how desktop APU performs with PS4/Xbox 720 performance. In fact they use completely different APUs.

PS4/Xbox 720 uses AMD Jaguar core (8 integer cores w/8 FPUs) with GCN core from HD7000 desktop GPU.
Desktop APU uses AMD Piledriver core (4 integer cores w/2 FPUs) with VLIW4 core from HD6000 desktop GPU.

And you should look for video on actual games, not emulator. Emulator hardly push GPU portion to the limit.

https://www.youtube.com/user/STRIKESHARK/videos

 

[trumpet-205]

https://www.youtube.com/user/STRIKESHARK/videos

Notice how each games are using DDR3-2400? Faster RAM will be a better option.

Also GPU were overclocked to 1040 MHz.

 

[PityOnU]

PS4/Xbox 720 uses AMD Jaguar core (8 integer cores w/8 FPUs) with GCN core from HD7000 desktop GPU.
Desktop APU uses AMD Piledriver core (4 integer cores w/2 FPUs) with VLIW4 core from HD6000 desktop GPU.

No kidding! They actually slapped the FPU's back in there?

Haven't been following too closely, but does this indicate they will do this with their PC processors as well?

 

[trumpet-205]

No kidding! They actually slapped the FPU's back in there?

Haven't been following too closely, but does this indicate they will do this with their PC processors as well?

No they will not.

AMD Jaguar core is a low power processor, so it sticks to traditional design. Whereas Bulldozer and Piledriver traditional design is not possible since power consumption will be crazy if they slap FPUs back. Instead AMD will gradually let dedicated GPU take over FP workload via HSA.

 

[ElYubiYubi]

Yeah PS4 & Xbox One's APU are monsters. The new desktop one is just like the half of it

I have 8GB of RAM just can't see the speed of it. How do I check that?

 

[PityOnU]

No they will not.

AMD Jaguar core is a low power processor, so it sticks to traditional design. Whereas Bulldozer and Piledriver traditional design is not possible since power consumption will be crazy if they slap FPUs back. Instead AMD will gradually let dedicated GPU take over FP workload via HSA.

Hm. Makes sense I suppose. Shame the support just isn't there yet, though.

 

[trumpet-205]

Yeah PS4 & Xbox One's APU are monsters. The new desktop one is just like the half of it

I have 8GB of RAM just can't see the speed of it. How do I check that?

CPU-Z.

 

[PityOnU]

CPU-Z.

This. Their website is here, and the downloads are on the right. The .zip version is a good choice.

This is the tab it will be on:

Spoiler

If you look in the timings section, you can see my RAM is operating at ~800MHz clock frequency. DDR actually stands for Double Data Rate, which means your RAM operates on both the rising and falling edges of your clock, essentially doubling your clock rate. That means for me, I have 800MHz*2 or DDR3-1600 RAM.