Thoughts on the AMD APU chipsets?

[Hiyori Hanaori]

I've been considering looking for a new laptop, as this one is starting to show it's age. There are a very small handful, that I have seen, that are sporting the new AMD APU chips...I'm curious to know, does anyone have any experience with these, and if so, are they any good. It seems like they would be nice in theory because of the elimination of some of the communication protocols to streamline processing, but would love to know if this would be ideal for someone looking for a laptop that has discrete level graphics in a somewhat smaller, more efficient package.

[29582351c3]

Simple enough, just check the benchmarks. It seems that if you are looking for a small laptop the top of the line APU might be comparable. If you are looking for a desktop replacement it can't get anywhere near the performance of a medium to high end CPU and laptop GPU.

[Hiyori Hanaori]

29582351c3

Simple enough, just check the benchmarks. It seems that if you are looking for a small laptop the top of the line APU might be comparable. If you are looking for a desktop replacement it can't get anywhere near the performance of a medium to high end CPU and laptop GPU.

Yeah, not looking for a desktop replacement, just something that's not going to completely die the moment I try to do any light to moderate gaming of some kind. I guess I'm more wondering is how they tend to compare to the i3 and i5's with the intel integrated graphics, since I'm not sure, but that's probably what they would be compared to since that tends to be the most popular type of configuration I see in most OEM laptops these days.

[29582351c3]

Mashed Potato Jones

29582351c3

Simple enough, just check the benchmarks. It seems that if you are looking for a small laptop the top of the line APU might be comparable. If you are looking for a desktop replacement it can't get anywhere near the performance of a medium to high end CPU and laptop GPU.

Yeah, not looking for a desktop replacement, just something that's not going to completely die the moment I try to do any light to moderate gaming of some kind. I guess I'm more wondering is how they tend to compare to the i3 and i5's with the intel integrated graphics, since I'm not sure, but that's probably what they would be compared to since that tends to be the most popular type of configuration I see in most OEM laptops these days.

How it compares depends completely on which APU you get.

Make sure the APU you get is one of the ones with the HD 6620G built in and it should outperform Intel's integrated graphics by a large margin.

[Hiyori Hanaori]

29582351c3

Mashed Potato Jones

29582351c3

Simple enough, just check the benchmarks. It seems that if you are looking for a small laptop the top of the line APU might be comparable. If you are looking for a desktop replacement it can't get anywhere near the performance of a medium to high end CPU and laptop GPU.

Yeah, not looking for a desktop replacement, just something that's not going to completely die the moment I try to do any light to moderate gaming of some kind. I guess I'm more wondering is how they tend to compare to the i3 and i5's with the intel integrated graphics, since I'm not sure, but that's probably what they would be compared to since that tends to be the most popular type of configuration I see in most OEM laptops these days.

How it compares depends completely on which APU you get.

Make sure the APU you get is one of the ones with the HD 6620G built in and it should outperform Intel's integrated graphics by a large margin.

Think it'll be worth the wait, and the money as well, to wait and see if they improve the APU's this year with 7000 series GPU's? I think I heard something about them doing that this year...if I'm not mistaken?

[29582351c3]

Mashed Potato Jones

29582351c3

Mashed Potato Jones

29582351c3

Simple enough, just check the benchmarks. It seems that if you are looking for a small laptop the top of the line APU might be comparable. If you are looking for a desktop replacement it can't get anywhere near the performance of a medium to high end CPU and laptop GPU.

Yeah, not looking for a desktop replacement, just something that's not going to completely die the moment I try to do any light to moderate gaming of some kind. I guess I'm more wondering is how they tend to compare to the i3 and i5's with the intel integrated graphics, since I'm not sure, but that's probably what they would be compared to since that tends to be the most popular type of configuration I see in most OEM laptops these days.

How it compares depends completely on which APU you get.

Make sure the APU you get is one of the ones with the HD 6620G built in and it should outperform Intel's integrated graphics by a large margin.

Think it'll be worth the wait, and the money as well, to wait and see if they improve the APU's this year with 7000 series GPU's? I think I heard something about them doing that this year...if I'm not mistaken?

If you follow that mindset you won't ever get around to purchasing a computer.

[Hiyori Hanaori]

29582351c3

Mashed Potato Jones

29582351c3

Mashed Potato Jones

29582351c3

Simple enough, just check the benchmarks. It seems that if you are looking for a small laptop the top of the line APU might be comparable. If you are looking for a desktop replacement it can't get anywhere near the performance of a medium to high end CPU and laptop GPU.

Yeah, not looking for a desktop replacement, just something that's not going to completely die the moment I try to do any light to moderate gaming of some kind. I guess I'm more wondering is how they tend to compare to the i3 and i5's with the intel integrated graphics, since I'm not sure, but that's probably what they would be compared to since that tends to be the most popular type of configuration I see in most OEM laptops these days.

How it compares depends completely on which APU you get.

Make sure the APU you get is one of the ones with the HD 6620G built in and it should outperform Intel's integrated graphics by a large margin.

Think it'll be worth the wait, and the money as well, to wait and see if they improve the APU's this year with 7000 series GPU's? I think I heard something about them doing that this year...if I'm not mistaken?

If you follow that mindset you won't ever get around to purchasing a computer.

True enough...so the HD 6620G built in. Would that pretty much encompass the majority of the A8 APU's?

[29582351c3]

Mashed Potato Jones

29582351c3

Mashed Potato Jones

29582351c3

Mashed Potato Jones

29582351c3

Simple enough, just check the benchmarks. It seems that if you are looking for a small laptop the top of the line APU might be comparable. If you are looking for a desktop replacement it can't get anywhere near the performance of a medium to high end CPU and laptop GPU.

Yeah, not looking for a desktop replacement, just something that's not going to completely die the moment I try to do any light to moderate gaming of some kind. I guess I'm more wondering is how they tend to compare to the i3 and i5's with the intel integrated graphics, since I'm not sure, but that's probably what they would be compared to since that tends to be the most popular type of configuration I see in most OEM laptops these days.

How it compares depends completely on which APU you get.

Make sure the APU you get is one of the ones with the HD 6620G built in and it should outperform Intel's integrated graphics by a large margin.

Think it'll be worth the wait, and the money as well, to wait and see if they improve the APU's this year with 7000 series GPU's? I think I heard something about them doing that this year...if I'm not mistaken?

If you follow that mindset you won't ever get around to purchasing a computer.

True enough...so the HD 6620G built in. Would that pretty much encompass the majority of the A8 APU's?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMD_Fusion_microprocessors#Mobile_Processors

[Yuki the Third]

I have some experience. Great on windows but ADSFASFGSDFSDF ******** LINUX

Boot up, and either it won't boot X at all (defaults to 4000x4000 for some damn reason), or it'll boot in safe graphics mode. Install the driver, and everything is good untill oh look, minor kernel update. Restart, and SDGADSFGSDF BLACK SCREEN, have to uninstall and reinstall the drivers via terminal because you can't get to the GUI. At. All.

If you d**k around in linux, stick with intel.

[29582351c3]

Yuki the Third

I have some experience. Great on windows but ADSFASFGSDFSDF ******** LINUX

Boot up, and either it won't boot X at all (defaults to 4000x4000 for some damn reason), or it'll boot in safe graphics mode. Install the driver, and everything is good untill oh look, minor kernel update. Restart, and SDGADSFGSDF BLACK SCREEN, have to uninstall and reinstall the drivers via terminal because you can't get to the GUI. At. All.

If you d**k around in linux, stick with intel.

If you are talking Ubuntu won't an apt-get update fix that?

[Disconsented]

I think that it is a good concept, they are doing better than intel and the battery life is just amazing but what I like most of all is the graphics onboard which is good for 'casual gamers'

[Yuki the Third]

29582351c3

Yuki the Third

I have some experience. Great on windows but ADSFASFGSDFSDF ******** LINUX

Boot up, and either it won't boot X at all (defaults to 4000x4000 for some damn reason), or it'll boot in safe graphics mode. Install the driver, and everything is good untill oh look, minor kernel update. Restart, and SDGADSFGSDF BLACK SCREEN, have to uninstall and reinstall the drivers via terminal because you can't get to the GUI. At. All.

If you d**k around in linux, stick with intel.

If you are talking Ubuntu won't an apt-get update fix that?

nope.you have to use the .run binary from ATI's site to load the drivers for the chipset.

You could load the ones from their restricted driver manager, but I have no clue how to access that from the shell. when there's no GUI and trying to start x not only make it go black, but makes the screen go no power black.