AMD continues to perpetuate its FX-series line-up on 2011's AM3+ platform. The company today announced the new FX-8370 CPU, an eight-core X86 processor that ships stock at 4.3GHz, alongside a new “E Series” of FX CPUs. New prices were announced for the entirety of the FX line-up.
AMD's FX-8370 stands as a slight step up from the 8350 at 0.1GHz higher max operating frequency. The unit is marked for $200 flat retail, up against the 8350's MSRP of $180. The E Series of FX CPUs – including the new FX-8370E and FX-8320E – are a lower TDP alternative to eight-core CPUs, shipping at 95W TDP with a 3.3 and 3.2GHz (respectively) modified BCLK. Max frequency is rated as 4.3GHz and 4GHz (respectively). The FX-8370E sells for $200 and is effectively identical in all aspects to the FX-8370, sans lower TDP and lower BCLK. The same goes for the FX-8320E, which is a lower TDP version of the FX-8320. The FX-8320E sells for $147.
Entire AMD FX CPU Line-up Specifications, incl. 8370 & E-Series
AMD Pushing Content Creation & FX-8370 Benchmark
The CPU manufacturer has refocused its efforts on promoting the FX CPUs as an affordable option for “content creation,” to include video editing, post processing, and photography work (RAW to JPG conversion). AMD also restated its Battlefield 4 performance, as assisted by Mantle.
It should be noted that the game benchmarks are pretty confusing in that AMD has elected to use different GPUs for its tests, making it impossible to compare CPU-to-CPU performance linearly without conducting a test ourselves (which will happen after our PAX coverage). The i7 is absent from these benchmarks, but we'll do our own comparison once the PAX craziness dies down.
The takeaway for today's conference call with AMD was a reinforced statement by AMD that its target market is “affordable gaming.” AMD continues to target budget and mid-range system building audiences with its FX processors, even as the platform ages.
We're not seeing Steamroller in FX and likely won't. The AM3+ platform has a limited shelf-life, so at this point, I suspect the next major innovation in the FX series will be done with new architecture and a new platform. It seems likely that AMD will retain the FX brand for its marketing power (though GN's own Michael Mann suspects a return to Phenom), regardless of whether the CPUs stay on AM3.
The new CPUs are due September 2nd. We have received samples and will test post-PAX.
- Steve "Lelldorianx" Burke.