AMD Trinity review roundup: good bang for your entry-level buck

DNP AMD Trinity review roundup not bad for the price

It's never easy playing second fiddle, but AMD is trying their best to keep Intel on their toes with its latest line of Trinity desktop chips. We were introduced to the Trinity last week, but now the official reviews are in from the usual specialist sites. The consensus seems to be that it provides solid performance for the price. The Trinity A10-5800K is in the same class as the Core i5 but sells at $130 on NewEgg, which is the going rate for the Core i3-3220 (Guess those price leaks were true). Hot Hardware notes that both the A10-5800K and the A8-5600K offer improved performance and decent overclockability, stating that it offers "roughly a 10 percent kicker in CPU performance" and "15 - 17 percent increase in GPU performance." As for power consumption, Anandtech claims the Trinity isn't quite as good as the Core i3, but "compared to Llano, Trinity is a bit more efficient" so it looks like there's improvement from past AMD chips. TechSpot points out the Trinity also requires a new Socket FM2 motherboard.

Like most reviews, Hot Hardware recommends the Trinity chips as a solid choice for those who want an entry-level system. However, those hungry for power are probably still going to go Intel. Legit Reviews states that the AMD Trinity will do just fine for everyday use and some light gaming, leaving the pricier Intel chips for performance-chasers. Definitely peruse the links below for more details before considering a purchase.

Read - Hot Hardware
Read - Tom's Hardware
Read - AnandTech
Read - Legit Reviews
Read - Benchmark Reviews

Filed under:

AMD Trinity review roundup: good bang for your entry-level buck originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

AMD’s top-end Trinity desktop chip could cost just $130, the same as a budget Core i3

AMD's topend Trinity desktop chip could cost $130, the same as Intel's cheapest Core i3

You can't get a Core i3 on Newegg right now for much less than $130 -- a sum that'll put you almost at the bottom of the Ivy Bridge league with a dual-core processor, 3MB cache and HD 2500 (i.e. not HD 4000) integrated graphics. That's why it's interesting to see these leaked AMD Trinity prices over at retailer BLT. If they're accurate, they indicate that the same amount of cash might afford a top-end Trinity A10 processor with overclockable 3.8GHz quad-cores, 4MB cache and vastly superior Radeon HD 7660D graphics. At the other end of AMD's range, a dual-core A4-5300 APU could cost as little as $60. The only catch we can see -- aside from the issue of accuracy -- is that by the time these processors actually become available rival Intel may well have seen fit to adjust its own prices. In fact, Chipzilla just launched some new Ivy Bridge processors over the weekend that brought the cost of entry down to $117 -- which goes to show that nothing stands still for long. Head past the break for some official gaming benchmark claims about the A10, or see More Coverage for extras.

Continue reading AMD's top-end Trinity desktop chip could cost just $130, the same as a budget Core i3

Filed under:

AMD's top-end Trinity desktop chip could cost just $130, the same as a budget Core i3 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Sep 2012 07:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ZDNet  |  sourceBLT  | Email this | Comments

HP Envy Sleekbook 6z review: an inexpensive thin-and-light with AMD innards

DNP  HP Envy Sleekbook 6z an almostUltrabook with AMD insides

HP has been fleshing out its Ultrabook lineup as of late, most recently adding the metal-clad Envy Spectre XT to the mix, but the company is also addressing the lower end of the market with its Sleekbook line, announced back in May. Confusingly, these thin-and-light systems look exactly the same as the new Envy-branded Ultrabooks, except that the Sleekbooks are less expensive -- namely because for one reason or another they don't meet Intel's Ultrabook guidelines. One such notebook, the Envy Sleekbook 6z, stands apart from the Ultrabook fold with an AMD Trinity APU -- a spec that helps keep the starting price nice and low at $600.

That's not to say that all of HP's Sleekbooks ditch Intel processors, but given the choice between and AMD- and Intel-based model we quickly chose the former. After all, the 6z is the first Trinity-powered system we've had the chance to test, so we were naturally curious to see how it stacks up against recent Ivy Bridge machines -- and we imagine you are, too. So without any further ado, let's get to it.

Continue reading HP Envy Sleekbook 6z review: an inexpensive thin-and-light with AMD innards

HP Envy Sleekbook 6z review: an inexpensive thin-and-light with AMD innards originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Samsung refreshes Series 5 laptops with AMD Trinity processors

Samsung refreshes Series 5 laptops with AMD processors

We recently got a look at Samsung's new Ivy Bridge-enhanced Series 5 laptops, but it turns out that's not the only refresh the line has gotten this month. Samsung's also now rather quietly introduced a pair of new AMD-based models on its website, including an $850 14-inch version with a quad-core A10-4655M APU, and a $700 13.3-inch model with a quad-core A6-4455M (both otherwise known as Trinity processors). You'll also get an AMD Radeon HD 7500G GPU on the 13.3-incher (while the 14 relies on integrated graphics), but their specs remain pretty much in line with their Intel-based counterparts beyond that, including a standard 4GB RAM on both models and 500GB or 750GB hard drives. You can find the full rundown on each at the links below.

Samsung refreshes Series 5 laptops with AMD Trinity processors originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 19:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSamsung (1), (2)  | Email this | Comments

HP Pavilion dv6 gets treated to AMD’s Trinity processor, shakes hands with Ivy Bridge twin

HP Pavilion dv6 gets treated to AMD's Trinity processor, shakes hands with Ivy Bridge version

HP's Pavilion dv6 must be pretty popular. That's how we'd explain the fact that the laptop will be one of the first to land with AMD's Trinity chipset -- despite already appearing with an Ivy Bridge refresh. According to Laptop Reviews, the Pavilion dv6-7010 will arrive with the quad-core AMD A8-4500M APU, teamed with a Radeon 7640G graphics card, six gigs of RAM and 750GB of storage. The outer specs remain unchanged, but there is one other difference worth mentioning; it's priced at $700 -- a hundred bucks less than the Intel version.

[Thanks Andrew]

HP Pavilion dv6 gets treated to AMD's Trinity processor, shakes hands with Ivy Bridge twin originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceLaptop Reviews  | Email this | Comments

AMD shows off its first Windows 8 concept tablet, we go hands-on (video)

AMD shows off its first Windows 8 concept tablet, we go handson video

If Intel and Microsoft have been the royal couple of Computex 2012 (aka the world's biggest Windows 8 Ultrabook tradeshow), AMD has been the third wheel. That doesn't mean it's opted out of the festivities, though. Nope, it's chosen this week to show off its Trinity chips, and it even has its first Windows 8 concept device on display. The reference design, made by Compal, has the same form factor we've seen over and over again this week: an 11.6-inch, 1366 x 768 tablet paired with a keyboard dock. The main differences are that it has a kickstand, and packs one of AMD's Trinity A6 APUs. The chassis is on the chunky side, at a shade under 20mm, and the screen's a fingerprint magnet, but then again, we don't put too much stock in prototype designs; such details are subject to change.

Performance seemed smooth so far as we could tell, but then again, we haven't had the chance to put it through its paces, streaming HD video or attempting anything of productive value. We wish we could tell you a bit about rated battery life, but alas, AMD isn't ready to make any public claims just yet. As for the accompanying dock, the keyboard is far more spacious than what we're used to. Want to see it in action? We've got a quick walk-through of the design, with photos and video below.

Continue reading AMD shows off its first Windows 8 concept tablet, we go hands-on (video)

AMD shows off its first Windows 8 concept tablet, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 01:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Linux kernel 3.4 is out: supports Trinity, Southern Islands, Kepler, Medfield and more

Linux kernel 3.4 is out: supports Trinity, Southern Islands, Kepler, Medfield and more

Heavens, it's already time for another Linux kernel refresh. We're now looking at 3.4, which is available for download now. Whereas the last version was all about green robots, this update focuses on support for the latest processors and graphics cards, including AMD's Trinity and Radeon HD 7000-series, NVIDIA's Kepler stack, plus the graphical component inside Intel's Medfield mobile chip. As if that wasn't enough, there are plenty more changes at the source link, along with a serene missive from the man himself.

Linux kernel 3.4 is out: supports Trinity, Southern Islands, Kepler, Medfield and more originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 07:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SoftPedia  |  sourceLKML  | Email this | Comments

AMD Trinity laptop review roundup: beats Ivy Bridge on gaming, but CPU lets the herd down

AMD Trinity laptop review roundup: beats Ivy Bridge on gaming, but CPU lets the herd down

If you've been following AMD's game plan over the last couple of years, then you probably won't be totally shocked by what follows. That said, reviewers' verdicts of the new high-end Trinity laptop APU, the 2.3GHz quad-core A10-4600M, do include some dizzying highs and despairing lows, which are still kinda surprising in their own way. Like how? Well, HotHardware found that AMD's chip beats Intel's Ivy Bridge (with integrated HD 4000 graphics) by 30 to 50 percent in some games, albeit with a few stumbles over immature DX11 drivers. Similarly, AnandTech's handy table above shows just how far ahead Trinity is across fifteen common titles. On the other hand, most reviewers found that non-gaming CPU performance fell far short of Ivy Bridge and even Sandy Bridge mobile chips. For example, Hexus's Geekbench scores put the APU 40 percent behind last year's Dell XPS 15z, which is totally underwhelming. So, as usual, it'll all depend on what you need a laptop for -- but if you're after something that costs $699 or less, handles regular day-to-day tasks okay and can also play current games with decent frame-rates, then you'll be keen to conduct further research at the links below.

Read - HotHardware
Read - AnandTech
Read - Hexus
Read - PC Perspective

AMD Trinity laptop review roundup: beats Ivy Bridge on gaming, but CPU lets the herd down originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 08:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

AMD reveals Trinity specs, claims to beat Intel on price, multimedia, gaming

AMD reveals Trinity specs, claims to beat Intel on price, multimedia, gaming

Itching for the details of AMD's latest Accelerated Processing Units (APUs)? Then get ready to scratch: Trinity has arrived and, as of today, it's ready to start powering the next generation of low-power ultra-portables, laptops and desktops that, erm, don't run Intel. The new architecture boasts up to double the performance-per-watt of last year's immensely popular Llano APUs, with improved "discrete-class" integrated graphics and without adding to the burden on battery life. How is that possible? By how much will Trinity-equipped devices beat Intel on price? And will it play Crysis: Warhead? Read on to find out.

Continue reading AMD reveals Trinity specs, claims to beat Intel on price, multimedia, gaming

AMD reveals Trinity specs, claims to beat Intel on price, multimedia, gaming originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

AMD confirms Trinity and Brazos 2.0 shipping now, globally available ‘soon’

Image

Any troglodytes out there who didn't know that AMD's next APU architecture is inbound? If so, we're gonna toast marshmallows outside your cave and give you a little pre-brief: Trinity will be a range of processors for "performance" notebooks and desktop PCs, which will continue in AMD's Fusion tradition of providing both the CPU and discrete-class graphics in a single-chip, power-efficient design. A potential rival to Ivy Bridge and the coming stampede of Ultrabooks? Yes indeed, although it's too early to say how closely matched these athletes will be, despite some early indications of 4GHz+ clock speeds. Judging from our recent look at a Trinity-packing Compal laptop, undercutting Ultrabooks on price will also be part of AMD's strategy -- along with throwing out Brazos 2.0 APUs to mop up the extreme low-power category. After all, Ivy Bridge probably won't offer truly discrete-class graphics until it's paired with an add-on GPU, which will inevitably bump up its price for gamers and multimedia types. If Trinity serves up great visuals and next-gen performance all in one go, AMD's accountants might be able to leave their subterranean hideouts too.

[Thanks, Tyler]

AMD confirms Trinity and Brazos 2.0 shipping now, globally available 'soon' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAMD  | Email this | Comments