INTRODUCTION
It’s time for technological progress and new technologies as entertainment are gradually entering our lives. Who would have thought even two years ago that 3D television will become quite accessible entertainment, and today televisions supporting newfangled technology are gradually appearing in our homes. Movies, games, online-services and social networks have long been settled on our computers… but this is becoming not enough, it’s somehow cramped. Only the lazy would not dream of having a real 3 at homeD cinema and entertainment center for the whole family. In this article we will talk about a budget home entertainment center.
ARCHITECTURE
Under the general name “VISON” AMD is promoting a family of hybrid chips (APU), in which the x86 central processor is located on the same substrate as the graphics core. This huge family of chips includes the Lynx platform, aimed at the portable device segment. Lynx is based on hybrid processors (APU) “Llano” with a fairly powerful, for its level, integrated graphics system (RadeonHD6xxx) and integrated modern system logic. This design principle is well illustrated in the figure below.
At the heart of the computing part APU“Llano” is based on the well-known architecture used in the desktop segment CPUs AthlonII(Socket AM3) “Stars” K10, but with some small innovations, called “Husky”. The main improvement in the architecture can be considered an increased amount of cache memory. L2 – up to 1 MB per core, the innovations also included improvements to the branch prediction algorithm, the sizes of the main buffers were optimized: the instruction ordering buffer became 20% larger, and the load/save buffers became twice as large, a separate integer division unit was introduced and now the corresponding operations are executed faster, we can also note the introduction of technology TurboCoreII (this technology is not implemented in all models of the line Llano, in particular, the A6-3650 and A8-3850 models do not support TC). TurboC technologygold is capable of dynamically increasing the frequency of individual cores by several hundred megahertz if the task at hand does not use all available processor cores. The frequency of less active cores is reduced to 800 MHz, and the frequency of the most loaded cores increases by 400 or 500 MHz, depending on the processor model. There are few changes, and they did not fundamentally affect the “Stars” microarchitecture itself, so the “Husky” core, like its predecessors, can process no more than three instructions per clock cycle. Overall, AMD says the new core will be up to 6% faster than previous generation chips at the same clock speeds. In addition, the new processor has received a design design SocketFM1.
Per semiconductor chip APU Llano integrated:
– a central processor unit consisting of 2 to 4 computing cores;
– block of the graphic part of the class RadeonHD 6xxx with UVD3 block;
– north bridge;
– digital input/output interfaces (DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort);
– dual-channel memory controller DDR3, supporting a total memory capacity of up to 64 GB;
– a full-fledged PCI-Express controller consisting of 24 lines, 16 of which are used for discrete graphics, 4 make up the UMI interface
and 4 – for servicing other devices;
Unlike similar processors IntelSandyBridgeequipped with entry-level integrated graphics intelHD2000 and HD3000, AMD decided to go a different route: because according to speed indicators AMD unlikely to reach the younger representatives of the line Sandy Bridge, there was an emphasis on powerful integrated graphics and if in the above APU from Intel Approximately 20% of the chip area is used for the video core, then in crystals “Husky» Almost 50% of the area is allocated for the video core, i.e. the same amount as for central processor units. And it really yielded results.
The graphics core architecture, codenamed “Sumo” by AMD, is borrowed from discrete graphics solutions, in particular the discrete “Redwood” GPU with its pros and cons. Among the top representatives of the family APU«Llano“, the graphics accelerator will have 400 stream processors with 20 texture units and 8 rasterization units. In budget versions APU«Llano“One of the SIMD blocks of the graphics core will be blocked by the manufacturer and the number of stream processors will accordingly be reduced to 320. Unlike the Redwood GPU, Sumo is equipped with a new generation Unified Video Decoder block – UVD3, which supports all common modern HD formats video, including the newfangled MVC (Multi-View Codec) used in BluRay3D. It is also interesting that the UVD3 unit can operate independently of the rest of the graphics accelerator, which allows you to disable unused stream processors when playing video.
In different versions APU “Llano” graphics core, depending on the number of stream processors, can be labeled either Radeon HD6410D – in the budget sector, or Radeon HD6530D and Radeon HD6550D in older models.
Integrated graphics, and even of this level, are not bad at all, but AMD has prepared another surprise – “Dual Graphics” technology, in other words, it is possible to use the video core integrated into the APU together with a discrete video card Radeonusing CrossFire technology.
It is also necessary to add that the data APU manufactured using new 32-nm technology, which has a very positive effect on power consumption and operating temperature of new devices.
As a basis for creating HTPC (HomeTheateronPC or PC-based Home Theater) we use the older model of the hybrid processor family – LlanoA8-3850, this device combines enough positive aspects to create our media center, let’s look at its main characteristics:
So, we have a relatively inexpensive 4-core processor with a clock frequency of 2.9 GHz, with powerful integrated graphics, hardware support for decoding the most modern video formats, including DB3D, and at the same time having a thermal package of 65 W – an excellent choice for a quiet home computer or media center .
Practical testing
As components for our budget HTPC were chosen:
Motherboard Asrock A75M-HVS (Socket FM1, chipset AMD A75 Hudson D3, HDMI 1.4a)
Memory modules, total volume 4GB DDR3 2048Mb AMD (23E64587MCDJ) * 2 Pieces.
mATX Enlight EN7473-250 PSU 250W case
System unit assembly:
The system is assembled, now you can move on to practical testing.
Since one of the main tasks HTPC is the playback of various media files, let’s see what it can do Llanо A8-3850:
We are interested in whether our “test subject” can cope with the most resource-intensive task – playing BD3D (Bluray Disc 3D).
“Playback BD3Dis one of the most difficult tasks for a media center, because APU must simultaneously process two parallel video streams FullHD1920*1080, with a total stream of up to 45 Mbit/s, representing the left and right angles of one image. Two streams are packed with a specially developed video codec MVC ( multiviewvideocodec), based on the well-known H.264″
We will focus on studying this issue. 4 films were chosen for testing:
“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 3D”
3D Format: Blu-ray 3D
Video codec: MVC
Video: 1920x1080p / 23,976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1, H.264
“The Hole 3D”
3D Format: Blu-ray 3D
Video codec: MVC
Video: 1920x1080p / 23,976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1, H.264
“Cars 2 / Cars 2 3D”
3D Format: Blu-ray 3D
Video codec: MVC
Video: 1920x1080p / 23,976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1, H.264
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 3D”
3D Format: Blu-ray 3D
Video codec: MVC
Video: 1920x1080p / 23,976 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1, H.264
The total peak bitrate in films reaches 38 Mbit/sec.
The player used was Arcsoft TotalMedia Theater 5.0.1.114 Final with the “playback using hardware decoding” option set GPU»
APU core load testing data is listed in the table:
As can be seen from the presented graphs, the processor power is more than enough to watch such resource-intensive films. The average load is 15%. The processor load depends on the peak bitrate of the movie. At the same time, it is worth noting that the playback was carried out with the “post-processing” options enabled in the graphic part control panel APU – RadeonHD6550Dto give more saturated color, dynamic contrast and “smoothing” of video stream playback (In strengthsmoothvideoplaybackи Advancedvideocolor).
Let’s consider the performance of the graphics subsystem A8-3850 in gaming applications. To compare performance, we will pair our experimental LlanoA8-3850 as a direct competitor, both in budget terms and in the segment APU-i3-2100, equipped with a graphics core IntelHD 2000.
Test configuration based on i3-2100:
ASRock H61M-GS motherboard
Memory 2 x Goodram DDR3-1333 2048MB
Of course, expect miracles from an integrated graphics core, even one as powerful as the one in the family Llano, it’s not worth it, so testing was carried out in a resolution of 1366×768 with graphics settings – “Medium” Honestly GPU performance RadeonHD6550DWe were pleasantly surprised.
We were also interested in the possibility of overclocking “Llano” and the result obtained during overclocking. Since the multiplier is strictly locked, the APU was overclocked by raising the system bus frequency to 111 MHz, while the frequencies of the processor, video core and memory were 3220 MHz/666/1466 MHz, respectively. It turned out to be impossible to raise the bus frequency higher, because Along with the system bus frequency, the operating frequency of the I\O controllers and system logic rises, the system becomes extremely unstable, which is also affected by the fact that the A8-3850 is the latest representative in the line and is not prone to overclocking. At 111 MHz the system worked perfectly and passed all tests without failure.
A summary of the performance is shown in the graphs:
3D Mark Vantage
The popular test for video cards immediately puts everything in its place, now it becomes clear how powerful the graphics core is in Llano and what can be expected from it.
Sonic Generation
A modern variation of the arcade game, the engine of which consumes quite a lot of graphics system resources. The A8-3850 at a resolution of 1366*768 shows quite playable performance; by overclocking the processor you can squeeze out another 3-4 frames to the results. The graphics part of the i3-2100 does not reach even half of the minimum gaming frequency of 25 frames per second.
Need for Speed: RUN (DX11)
The game uses DX11, so the i3-2100 results are missing due to the fact that Intel graphics do not support this API. Only when overclocked does the A8-3850 produce minimal gaming fps; in nominal mode it barely reaches 22-23 frames per second.
Need for speed: HOT PORSUIT 2010
In the “need for speed” version of 2010, the A8-3850 can handle the graphics load quite well, but the graphics part of the i3-2100 is again an outsider, the difference in performance is almost threefold, in favor of the A8.
Metro 2033
This game was tested using DX10 mode. As you can see from the results, the graphics part of the i3-2100 is again behind the A8-3850, which, with a stretch, but confidently produces a little more than the gaming minimum.
Tom Clancy’s HAWX 1 and 2
Performance in the dogfight simulators Tom Clancy’s HAWX 1 and 2 is quite fast, with frame rates reaching up to 15% higher than the average frame rate shown in the graphics at some points. The performance of the A8-3850 is more than enough for comfortable gaming; the i3-2100 is not doing the best, but is quite playable.
FlatOut 2
Quite an old game from 2006, but still capable of keeping the player in a frantic race, it is not for nothing that it is the best game in the racing genre according to IGN in 2006. The game is strictly tied to the monitor frequency, so the result obtained is limited by the monitor frequency of 68 Hz. Since the game is relatively not resource-intensive by modern standards, both processors show high performance.
Flat Out: Ultimate Carnage
Remake of FlatOut2, but with improved graphics, model 2007. The engine is not very well optimized and therefore does a good job of pushing modern GPUs to low performance. Graphics from Intel cannot cope with “improved graphics”, the A8 -3850 produces a completely playable 32 frames per second, and an additional 4-5 frames can be squeezed out by overclocking the system.
FarCry 2
I remember in the old days, the first part of this action game crashed the most sophisticated computers, but time has passed and even the integrated graphics core represented The A8-3850 copes with the game engine in no time, showing high performance. As you might expect, the Intel graphics don’t even reach the minimum gaming level.
DIRT 3
As can be seen from the graph, the A8-3850 demonstrates good performance in such a modern game. Even in DX11 mode, the performance of the integrated graphics system is at a good level, the difference in performance with DX9 is only 4-5 frames. Since INTEL graphics do not support the DX11 API, the i3-2100 did not participate in testing. The DX11 performance graph is provided for informational purposes only to evaluate the A8-3850’s performance in DX9 and DX11.
Crysis 2
The situation is in many ways similar to METRO 2033. The AMD graphics system produces little more than the gaming minimum. Overclocking the processor allows you to add 3 more frames to the result.
COD Modernwarfare 2
The ratio of results between the i3-2100 and A8-3850 is quite familiar, nothing new – AMD graphics are again in the lead and provide a gaming minimum.
Battlefield 3
The results of the confrontation in the newest hit are quite predictable and similar to the results in COD and Crysis2. AMD graphics provide the minimum, unlike the i3-2100.
Alien vs Predator (DX11)
Another “heavy” game for representatives of integrated graphics, with DX11 mode. The A8-3850 without overclocking is slightly short of the minimum, but with overclocking you can squeeze out a few frames and correct the situation.
The results table also shows several games with DX11 support, because… The i3 HD2000 graphics core does not support it, so there is no data on performance in these games. It is also worth mentioning the results in the game FlatOut 2 – the frame rate in the game is tied to the monitor frequency and the result turned out to be equal to the scan frequency -68Hz.
Based on the presented diagram, we can draw a unanimous conclusion in favor of APU«Llano“with its internal graphics core RadeonHD6550D. Even updated graphics from Intel, in the face HD3000, used in i3-2150 is not able to improve the situation, the performance gap with A8-3850 is 2 times or more, not in favor Intel.
Conclusions
We can say that in the usage segment APUas a multimedia home computer or HTPC, this new product is from AMD quite a success.
For a very reasonable price, you can purchase APU with an excellent price/performance ratio and a fairly good graphics core that supports DirectX11 and almost doubles the performance of the competitor’s graphics core HD Graphics 3000. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to play modern video games at maximum resolution, but it’s quite possible to pass the time with the gaming hits of the last season. In addition, it is possible, using Dual Graphics technology, to combine the performance of integrated and inexpensive discrete video cards, for example, RadeonHD 6670 and get very good results in modern games.
Of course, we were also upset by some aspects inherent in this family. The “Llano” APU is based on the already quite aged, albeit “cosmetically” modified, but still the same “Stars” K10 microarchitecture from 2007, and the clock frequencies of these processors will not surprise anyone today. Even the “top” model of the A8 -3850 family operates at a frequency of less than 3 GHz, but if you rely on optimizing multi-threaded applications, then the A8 models can easily compete in cost and performance with the Core i3. This product should not be considered as an alternative to productive desktop systems based on Phenom II and Athlon II – it will adequately occupy the niche of budget solutions for the office and home multimedia entertainment center.
Let’s summarize, let’s start with the advantages:
- Modern integrated graphics core with high performance;
- DX11 support and UVD3 block;
- the ability to use the graphics cores of the video subsystem to increase performance in parallel computing;
- technology – Dual Graphics, which makes it possible to combine the resources of integrated and discrete video cards;
- integration into the chip of modern interfaces and device controllers, full-fledged PCI–Express;
- energy efficiency, moderate heat dissipation;
- Good price/performance ratio;
Now about the disadvantages:
- There is practically no possibility of overclocking;
- Low frequency indicators by modern standards;
- Outdated microarchitecture of processor cores;
- Non-continuous, specific processor socket FM1, without system upgrade capability (not physically compatible with socket FM2 for APU on the new architecture “Trinity“);
- Technology TurboCore, which does not work at maximum load of the graphics subsystem even in older models of the line;
- Unfinished Dual Graphics technology that does not work in all games;
The best applications for A-Series APU APUs are office computers or entry-level home computers where the processing power “Llano“That’s enough, but the best option is as a basis for a multimedia center used for all-day viewing FullHD and 3D videos, photographs and amateur video shooting, surfing the Internet, a torrent client and a music center, as well as while away a couple of hours in 3D a toy, while having a compact, quiet and budget computer.
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Rating 96%