Amd A10 7870k Dual Graphics Compatibility

• AMD's A10-7870K wipes the floor with Intel HD graphics, offering up to double (and sometimes even more) the performance of the Intel alternatives.
• I have the A10-6800K w/Radeon HD 8670D graphics and a ASRock FM2A88X Extreme 6+ motherboard. I purchased a Sapphire Radeon R9 270X graphics card, but I'm not able to get AMD Dual Graphics to work. Any help would be appreciated. I'm looking at building another machine for a friend and I'd like to get compatible APU and graphics card for Dual.

• A10 7870k Amd
• Amd A10 7870k Dual Graphics Compatibility Software
• Amd A10 5745m Review

'Upgrade Chance' is a probability of a successful processor upgrade/downgrade from the A10-7870K (original CPU) to a specific model. This number is calculated as a percentage of all motherboards, compatible with both original and upgrade CPUs, compared to the number of motherboards, that support the original AMD A10-7870K. Today, the company is also launching the A10-7870K — a new, updated version of the A10-7850K with tweaked CPU clock speeds and a significantly faster GPU. The speeds and feeds are self-explanatory. Intel Core i5-4460 vs AMD A10-7870K: 7. Intel Pentium G4500 vs AMD A10-7870K: 8. AMD A10-7870K vs AMD A8-7670K: 9. AMD FX-6350 vs AMD A10-7870K: 10. Intel Pentium G4400 vs AMD A10-7870K: 11. AMD A10-7870K vs Intel Core i3-4160: 12. Intel Core i7-4790K vs AMD A10-7870K: 13. AMD Athlon X4 845 vs AMD A10-7870K: 14. Intel Core i5-6400 vs AMD A10.

After an extended period of hardware silence, AMD has recently made its resurgence with updated GPU and CPU lines. The Radeon 300 series refreshed the existing R200 lineup, followed shortly by the architecturally revamped Fiji GPU on the Fury X; we've reviewed both of these launches (R9 390 & 380 review / Fury X review). Back in May, we also posted about the company's promised Kaveri refresh – the A10-7870K – and its market positioning.

Today we're reviewing that APU.

The A10-7870K APU is built on the Kaveri architecture and refreshes the A10-7850K, mostly by way of small frequency boosts to the CPU and GPU. This AMD A10-7870K review compares the APU against budget CPU + GPU purchases – like the G3258 – and Intel's own HD 4000 series IGPs.

AMD's A10-7870K is priced at $150 at most retailers. Note that, at the time of this review, Amazon is selling the A10-7870K for $122 as a 'daily deal.' Pricing will return to $150 once the day has concluded.

We understand that AMD's market positioning and target may differ in Asiatic countries. This review strictly looks at the product from a US / Western perspective, where the price structure of competing and ancillary products is more familiar.

AMD A10-7870K Specs

Changes from the A10-7850K

The A10-7870K reflects similar feelings to the R300 refresh. It's not a new architecture, but there are some small changes instituted to the existing platform. As with the R300 vs. R200 references, we would consider the 7870K a 'refresh' to the 7850K; that is, it's not a true 'rebadge' – the selling of an existing product under a new name – but isn't entirely new, either. There is no inherent flaw with refreshing a product as long as the new price and feature updates reflect progress. Most companies, even non-electrical manufacturers (like those who make cases and coolers), will refresh products between cycles.

AMD's 7870K has increased the CPU frequency from 4GHz / 3.7GHz (turbo / standard) on the 7850K to 4.1GHz / 3.9GHz (turbo / standard) on the 7870K; that's a 0.2GHz pre-overclock. The GPU frequency is slightly more noteworthy, increasing from 720MHz to 866MHz. The rest is the same – Dx12, HSA, and FreeSync are all supported on both the 7850K and 7870K. The 7870K still hosts 4 CPU and 8 GPU cores.

AMD's Kaveri platform hosts Steamroller, for those who recall the now-aging Bulldozer / Piledriver / Steamroller nomenclature. The architecture remains heavy on COMPUTE and arithmetic (integer) processing. Steamroller drove IPC performance more heavily than its power-focused predecessor, Piledriver. Kaveri hosts 2.41B transistors on a 245mm^2 physical die package, using 28nm manufacturing process.

Kaveri's programming model allows developers to tap into its heterogeneous system architecture (HSA) for more equal loading of the coupled CPU and GPU components. The CPU and GPU are able to jointly access most sets of data in the same memory locations, theoretically allowing for co-processing in a fashion that accelerates applications. This is something that must be optimized for in the codebase and is not necessarily a 'free' performance improvement.

Test Methodology

We tested using our updated 2015 GPU test bench, detailed in the table below. Our thanks to supporting hardware vendors for supplying some of the test components.

The latest AMD Catalyst drivers (15.7.1) were used for testing. NVidia's 353.62 drivers were used for testing. Game settings were manually controlled for the DUT.

Testing was split between CPU bottleneck analysis and IGP benchmarks. To test at what point the CPU bottlenecks a high-end GPU, we equipped all platforms with a GTX 980 Ti and performed tests using the following settings:

• Metro: Last Light - Very High w/ high tessellation.
• GRID: Autosport - Ultra, 4xMSAA.
• Shadow of Mordor - Ultra preset.
• GTA V - Very High / High.
• GTA V - Very High / High with Advanced Graphics (to find bottlenecks).
• FireStrike (normal).

IGP testing was performed with a lower-end set of games due to limitations on the on-die GPU:

• CSGO - High / Very High with AA disabled.
• GRID: Autosport - Medium.
• DOTA2 - Medium on the sliders, other settings as below.
• GTA V - Lowest (normal).
• FireStrike (normal) for physics.

All tests had the resolution set to 1080p.

Each game was tested for 30 seconds in an identical scenario, then repeated three times for parity.

Average FPS, 1% low, and 0.1% low times are measured. We do not measure maximum or minimum FPS results as we consider these numbers to be pure outliers. Instead, we take an average of the lowest 1% of results (1% low) to show real-world, noticeable dips; we then take an average of the lowest 0.1% of results for severe spikes. Anti-Aliasing was disabled in all tests except GRID: Autosport, which looks significantly better with its default 4xMSAA. HairWorks was disabled where prevalent. Manufacturer-specific technologies were used when present (CHS, PCSS).

Here is the Intel test bench:

And the AMD bench:

Continue to page 2 for the benchmark results!

What are the different AMD motherboard CPU combos? Our AMD CPU socket list will show you which AMD CPUs and motherboards are compatible.

The most precise and simple method of determining which CPUs and motherboards will work together is to see if they share the same CPU socket.

If you're shopping for a new CPU and motherboard, then you can proceed straight to our AMD processor socket list below.

Want to upgrade your CPU but keep your existing motherboard? Then we'll have to identify the CPU socket on your motherboard first:

1. Download and run CPU-Z.

2. Under the default CPU tab, the 'Package' field will show which AMD CPU socket you have.

Examples of AMD CPU sockets: Socket FM2 (904), Socket AM3+ (942), Socket FM1 (937)

SEE ALSO: Recommended Motherboard CPU Combos

AMD CPU Socket AM4 (Launched in 2017)

AM4 Motherboards

A520, B550 and X570 motherboards are compatible with all Ryzen Zen 2 and Ryzen Zen 3 CPUs. X570 motherboards are also compatible with Ryzen Zen+ CPUs. They don't support 1st Gen Ryzen Zen CPUs.

B450 and X470 motherboards are compatible with all Ryzen Zen, Ryzen Zen+, Ryzen Zen 2 and Ryzen Zen 3 CPUs. A BIOS update may be required for Ryzen Zen 3 CPUs.

A320, B350 and X370 motherboards are compatible with all Ryzen Zen, Ryzen Zen+ and Ryzen Zen 2 CPUs. A BIOS update may be required for Ryzen Zen 2 CPUs. They don't support Ryzen Zen 3 CPUs.

AM4 CPUs

AMD APU Socket FM2+ (Launched in 2014)

Socket FM2+ motherboards are compatible with the following AMD APUs and CPUs:

AMD APU Socket AM1 (Launched in 2014)

Also known as Socket FS1b, Socket AM1 motherboards are compatible with the following AMD APUs:

AMD APU Socket FM2 (Launched in 2012)

Socket FM2 motherboards are compatible with the following AMD APUs and CPUs:

AMD CPU Socket AM3+ (Launched in 2011)

Socket AM3+ motherboards are compatible with the following AMD CPUs:

Motherboards with AM3+ AMD CPU socket supports both AM3+ (Vishera, Zambezi) and AM3 (Phenom II, Athlon II, Sempron) CPUs right out of the box.

AMD APU Socket FM1 (Launched in 2011)

Socket FM1 motherboards are compatible with the following AMD APUs and CPUs:

AMD CPU Socket AM3 (Launched in 2009)

Socket AM3 motherboards are compatible with the following AMD CPUs:

While AM3 motherboards do not officially support the newer AM3+ CPUs (Vishera, Zambezi), some motherboard manufacturers have released BIOS update that allow their AM3 motherboards to work with AM3+ CPUs.

If your motherboard has a AM3 AMD CPU socket, then check out the manufacturer's website to see they have added AM3+ CPU support for your specific motherboard model.

Recommended Motherboard CPU Combos

A10 7870k Amd

Budget Computer: AMD Athlon 3000G CPU + Gigabyte B450M DS3H Motherboard

Testing was split between CPU bottleneck analysis and IGP benchmarks. To test at what point the CPU bottlenecks a high-end GPU, we equipped all platforms with a GTX 980 Ti and performed tests using the following settings:

• Metro: Last Light - Very High w/ high tessellation.
• GRID: Autosport - Ultra, 4xMSAA.
• Shadow of Mordor - Ultra preset.
• GTA V - Very High / High.
• GTA V - Very High / High with Advanced Graphics (to find bottlenecks).
• FireStrike (normal).

IGP testing was performed with a lower-end set of games due to limitations on the on-die GPU:

• CSGO - High / Very High with AA disabled.
• GRID: Autosport - Medium.
• DOTA2 - Medium on the sliders, other settings as below.
• GTA V - Lowest (normal).
• FireStrike (normal) for physics.

All tests had the resolution set to 1080p.

Each game was tested for 30 seconds in an identical scenario, then repeated three times for parity.

Average FPS, 1% low, and 0.1% low times are measured. We do not measure maximum or minimum FPS results as we consider these numbers to be pure outliers. Instead, we take an average of the lowest 1% of results (1% low) to show real-world, noticeable dips; we then take an average of the lowest 0.1% of results for severe spikes. Anti-Aliasing was disabled in all tests except GRID: Autosport, which looks significantly better with its default 4xMSAA. HairWorks was disabled where prevalent. Manufacturer-specific technologies were used when present (CHS, PCSS).

Here is the Intel test bench:

And the AMD bench:

Continue to page 2 for the benchmark results!

What are the different AMD motherboard CPU combos? Our AMD CPU socket list will show you which AMD CPUs and motherboards are compatible.

The most precise and simple method of determining which CPUs and motherboards will work together is to see if they share the same CPU socket.

If you're shopping for a new CPU and motherboard, then you can proceed straight to our AMD processor socket list below.

Want to upgrade your CPU but keep your existing motherboard? Then we'll have to identify the CPU socket on your motherboard first:

1. Download and run CPU-Z.

2. Under the default CPU tab, the 'Package' field will show which AMD CPU socket you have.

Examples of AMD CPU sockets: Socket FM2 (904), Socket AM3+ (942), Socket FM1 (937)

SEE ALSO: Recommended Motherboard CPU Combos

AMD CPU Socket AM4 (Launched in 2017)

AM4 Motherboards

A520, B550 and X570 motherboards are compatible with all Ryzen Zen 2 and Ryzen Zen 3 CPUs. X570 motherboards are also compatible with Ryzen Zen+ CPUs. They don't support 1st Gen Ryzen Zen CPUs.

B450 and X470 motherboards are compatible with all Ryzen Zen, Ryzen Zen+, Ryzen Zen 2 and Ryzen Zen 3 CPUs. A BIOS update may be required for Ryzen Zen 3 CPUs.

A320, B350 and X370 motherboards are compatible with all Ryzen Zen, Ryzen Zen+ and Ryzen Zen 2 CPUs. A BIOS update may be required for Ryzen Zen 2 CPUs. They don't support Ryzen Zen 3 CPUs.

AM4 CPUs

AMD APU Socket FM2+ (Launched in 2014)

Socket FM2+ motherboards are compatible with the following AMD APUs and CPUs:

AMD APU Socket AM1 (Launched in 2014)

Also known as Socket FS1b, Socket AM1 motherboards are compatible with the following AMD APUs:

AMD APU Socket FM2 (Launched in 2012)

Socket FM2 motherboards are compatible with the following AMD APUs and CPUs:

AMD CPU Socket AM3+ (Launched in 2011)

Socket AM3+ motherboards are compatible with the following AMD CPUs:

Motherboards with AM3+ AMD CPU socket supports both AM3+ (Vishera, Zambezi) and AM3 (Phenom II, Athlon II, Sempron) CPUs right out of the box.

AMD APU Socket FM1 (Launched in 2011)

Socket FM1 motherboards are compatible with the following AMD APUs and CPUs:

AMD CPU Socket AM3 (Launched in 2009)

Socket AM3 motherboards are compatible with the following AMD CPUs:

While AM3 motherboards do not officially support the newer AM3+ CPUs (Vishera, Zambezi), some motherboard manufacturers have released BIOS update that allow their AM3 motherboards to work with AM3+ CPUs.

If your motherboard has a AM3 AMD CPU socket, then check out the manufacturer's website to see they have added AM3+ CPU support for your specific motherboard model.

Recommended Motherboard CPU Combos

A10 7870k Amd

Budget Computer: AMD Athlon 3000G CPU + Gigabyte B450M DS3H Motherboard

Mid Range Computer: AMD Ryzen 5 3400G CPU + Gigabyte B450M Aorus M Motherboard

Gaming Computer: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 CPU + Asus AM4 TUF Gaming X570-Plus Motherboard

Home Theater PC: AMD Ryzen 3 3200G CPU + Gigabyte B450 I Aorus Pro Wi-Fi Motherboard

CPU GUIDE

Amd A10 7870k Dual Graphics Compatibility Software

• Recommended Motherboard CPU Combos
  
• AMD CPU Socket Types
  
• How to Check CPU Temperature
  
• Intel CPU Temperatures - Idle, Load, Max Temps
  
• How to Apply CPU Thermal Grease
  
• How to Install a CPU
  

Amd A10 5745m Review

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