AMD Bulldozer FX 8150 chip benchmarked

Mygaming did some initial testing of one of the new AMD FX processors using synthetic benchmarks to see how it stacked up against the competition.

We used the following system for all testing:

•    AMD FX 8150 @ 3.6/3.9/4.2GHz (depending on turbo speed) stock
•    Asus Crosshair IV Formula
•    2 x 2GB OCZ DDR3 1600 6-8-6-24
•    Windows 7 64 bit
•    Gainward GTX570

Cinebench R11.5

Cinebench R11.5 is a good application to test multiple thread/core performance; a platform where the eight core FX 8150 should perform well.

We achieved a score of 5.99 with the above configuration, slightly below the score of 6.85 achieved by an Intel 2600K system at stock speeds, though higher than an Intel i7 960 system score of 5.48.

wPrime 32m

wPrime v1.55 is another test where multiple threads/cores will result in higher performance figures.

We set the application to handle 8 threads and ran the 32m test, achieving a final calculation time of 8.971 seconds. A core i7 2600K system completed the same test in around 7.586 seconds.

AIDA Extreme

We used AIDA Extreme trial edition to record scores in a variety of benchmarks that showed off the power of the CPU. Interestingly, AIDA includes scores from a variety of other hardware for comparison purposes.

In the AIDA CPU PhotoWorxx test, the FX system scored 44,824, marginally behind the 49,120 scored by Core i7 2600 based system.

However, in the CPU AES test, the FX eclipsed the competition with a score of 35,5284, ahead of the 32,4842 scored by a core i7 2600 test system.

This is thanks to the new AES instruction set present on AMD FX CPUs to speed up tasks where encryption is required.

Heat

Interestingly, the FX 8150 often hit over 70°C while benchmarking on the same cooling solution that kept an AMD Phenom II X6 1090T under 55°C during peak load.

During the wPrime 1024m test (results not included), the system often hit the 90°C thermal shutdown point, a worrying thought for those who plan on overclocking their AMD FX CPUs.

It should be noted that our supplied test-bed did not come with whatever AMD will ship as a stock air cooler, so we used a stock cooler from the previous generation.

Conclusion

Initial testing doesn’t cast the FX 8150 in a favourable light when compared to the Core i7 2600K, though one must keep in mind that the AMD chip should retail for less than its Intel competition.

Once we have confirmed local pricing for the new range of AMD FX CPUs expect a price-performance comparison between Bulldozer and Sandy Bridge.

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