CPU by stefan @ 2012-07-04
The 8-core FX-8120 CPU from AMD gets near the 2500K performances in heavy multithreaded apps and thanks to its unlocked features, we can overclock it near 50% (depending on the quality of the batch). Thanks to the latest price reductions and promotions, it gets into the area of mainstream CPUs, making it attractive for people that do not want to spend excessively on their new upgrade.
At first I would like to thank AMD for sending a sample of their AMD FX-8120 CPU for testing and reviewing.
AMD (NYSE: AMD) is a semiconductor design innovator leading the next era of vivid digital experiences with its ground-breaking AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). AMD’s graphics and computing technologies power a variety of solutions including PCs, game consoles and the servers that drive the Internet and businesses.
Our Mission
Lead through innovative, customer-centric solutions that empower businesses, enhance the digital lifestyle and accelerate global digital inclusion.
Since our colleague, Albrecht has already covered most of the technical details in the previous FX-8150 review, we will try to keep it shorter this time in this section. The AMD Bulldozer architecture was launched last year and to be more precise, in October; at that time, every man and dog was waiting for AMD to take the crown again from AMD but it was not the case as we have seen from the reviews at that time. The Bulldozer family had its price reduced in the end so it would be competitive with the quad core Sandy Bridge family of processors from Intel; because of this, we will take the FX-8150’s little brother, FX-8120 and see what it can do in both stock and overclocked states.
While the FX-8150 runs at 3.6GHz with Turbo Core at 3.9GHz (Max. at 4.2GHz), the FX-8120 has 3.1GHz base clock, with Turbo core at 3.4GHz (Max. at 4.0GHz); the FX-8120 also comes in two variants (95W and 125W).
The first digit in the processor name represents the number of integer cores; for example we have the FX-8150 and FX-8120 sporting 8 cores, the FX-6100 with 6 cores and FX-4100 with only 4 cores. The cores part is a little misleading if we do not get a little into details: the Bulldozer architecture integrates modules, each module containing two integer cores and one shared floating point core. Regarding the resources, we can say that each module has its own dedicated cache and each core in the module shares some resources from the module.
The FX-8120 which we will take a look at has 4x64kb L1, 8x16kb of extra L1 cache, 8MB of L2 cache (2MB for each module) and the same L3 cache.
The FX processors work in AM3+ based boards (942pin with DDR3 only support) and the two main chipsets are the AMD 990FX, 990X and 970. All chipsets support AM3+ and AM3 processors, HyperTransport 3.0, SLI and CrossfireX ready, PCI-Express 2.0, SATA 6Gbit/s, up to 14 USB 2.0. Some of the features are different though:
990FX
PCI Express 2.0 (2x16 or 4x8 configurations)
Support for up to 4 graphics cards
19.6 Watt TDP
Southbridge: SB950
990X
PCI Express 2.0 (1x16 or 2x8 configurations)
Support for up to 2 graphics cards
14 Watt TDP
Southbridge: SB950
970
PCI Express 2.0 (1x16 configuration)
13.6 Watt TDP
Southbridge: SB950/SB920
AMD has also announced a cashback program for buyers of their multi-core processors; the sales incentive sees users given a partial refund on their purchase of qualifying products according to the number of cores: quad-core – 10 Euros, six-core – 15 Euros, eight-core – 20 Euros. Not all chips qualify for the promotion however. From the FX Bulldozer series, the FX-8120 and FX-8150 qualify for the maximum cashback value and the quad-core models FX-4100 and FX-4170 for the bottom-end value. Also, two of the launched APUs also qualify, A8-3870K and A8-3670K, for 10 Euros value.
The announced promotion will last until 31st of August, includes a limit of two rebates per person, the CPUs must have been purchased from an authorised retailer and the deadline for final claim submissions will be 18th of September 2012.
The offer is valid in UK, Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden.
USB 3.0 Boost
Faster USB 3.0 Transmission with UASP
New ASUS USB 3.0 Boost technology supports UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol), the latest USB 3.0 standard. With USB 3.0 Boost technology, a USB device's transmission speed is significantly increased up to 170%, adding to an already impressive fast USB 3.0 transfer speed. ASUS software automatically accelerates data speeds for compatible USB 3.0 peripherals without the need for any user interaction.
World’s 1st USB 3.0 UASP Support – 170% faster instantly
Complete USB 3.0 Solution – Performance boost for most USB devices
Simple Plug & Boost – Auto detection design ensures best performance always
Digital Power Design: The New Standard
The world’s first Dual Intelligent Processors from ASUS pioneered the use of two onboard chips - TPU (TurboV Processing Unit) and EPU (Energy Processing Unit). Its new generation of Dual Intelligent Processors 2 with DIGI+ VRM launches power delivery into a digital standard with a programmable microprocessor that perfectly serves power (SVID) requests from the CPU, eliminating digital-to-analog conversion lag. It’s the most precise power delivery available providing the best in class power efficiency, greater performance, and rock solid stability. With ASUS DIGI+ VRM, users can easily adjust power phase performance and system voltages via diverse settings in the intuitive UEFI interface.
DIGI+ VRM
Herald the Arrival of a New Digital Power Design Era
The new ASUS DIGI+ VRM design upgrades motherboard power delivery to a digital standard. The digital architecture adjusts frequencies dynamically, cutting electromagnetic interference by half to enhance system stability through enabling VRM spread spectrum. System performance can also be customized with specific DRAM power control, including CPU/NB load line calibration for increased voltage range and increased CPU/NB current capability for up to an extra 30% current capacitance. The DIGI+ VRM digital power design empowers users with superior flexibility and perfect precision to ensure optimized performance, extreme system stability, and greater power efficiency.
TPU
The Ultimate Turbo Processor
Unleash your performance with ASUS' simple onboard switch or AI Suite II utility. The TPU chip offers precise voltage control and advanced monitoring through Auto Tuning and TurboV functions. Auto Tuning offers a user friendly way to automatically optimize the system for fast, yet stable clock speeds, while TurboV enables unlimited freedom to adjust CPU frequencies and ratios for optimized performance in diverse situations.
EPU
Energy Efficiency All Around
Tap into the world's first real-time PC power saving chip through a simple onboard switch or AI Suite II utility. Get total system-wide energy optimization by automatically detecting current PC loadings and intelligently moderating power consumption. This also reduces fan noise and extends component longevity!
Auto Tuning
Auto System Level Up
Achieve extreme yet stable overclocking results automatically with Auto Tuning! With built-in stability testing, Auto Tuning allows beginners to easily upgrade their CPU performance at no extra cost.
UEFI BIOS (EZ Mode)
Exclusive to ASUS motherboards, its UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is the first ever mouse-controlled graphical BIOS interface designed with dual selectable modes. It delivers a user-friendly interface that goes beyond traditional keyboard-only BIOS controls to enable more flexible and convenient input with quick scrolling. Users can easily navigate the UEFI BIOS with the smoothness of their operating system. Quick and simple overclocking and setup sharing is facilitated by the F12 hotkey BIOS snapshot feature. The exclusive EZ Mode displays frequently-accessed setup info, while the Advanced Mode is for experienced performance enthusiasts that demand far more intricate system control, including detailed DRAM information.
Exclusive ASUS Interface
EZ Mode - gives easy access to selectable, optimized system modes, clear system info display and drag and drop boot prioritizing
Advanced Mode - for experienced performance enthusiasts that demand intricate system settings
AI Suite II
One-stop Access to Innovative ASUS Features
With its user-friendly interface, ASUS AI Suite II consolidates all exclusive ASUS features into one simple-to-use package. It allows users to supervise overclocking, energy management, fan speed, voltage, and sensor readings. This all-in-one software offers diverse and easy to use functions, with no need to switch back and forth between different utilities.
SATA 6Gb/s Support
AMD® SB950 Southbridge natively supports next-generation Serial ATA (SATA) storage interface, this motherboard delivers up to 6.0 Gb/s data transfer rates. Additionally, get enhanced scalability, faster data retrieval, double the bandwidth of current bus systems.
Complete USB 3.0 Integration
Double USB Access, Double Convenience
ASUS facilitates strategic USB 3.0 accessibility for both the front and rear panel - 4 USB 3.0 ports in total. Experience the latest plug & play connectivity at speeds up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0. The M5A99X EVO affords greater convenience to high speed connectivity.
AMD® Socket AM3+ for AMD® FX Series CPU up to 8-core
AMD® FX™-Series / Phenom™ II / Athlon™ II / Sempron™ 100 Series Processors (socket AM3+/AM3)
M5A99X EVO supports AMD® AM3+/AM3 multi-core processors with unique L3 cache and delivers better overclocking capabilities with less power consumption. It features dual-channel DDR3 1866 memory support and accelerates data transfer rate up to 5200MT/s via HyperTransport™ 3.0 based system bus. This motherboard also supports AMD® CPUs in the new 32nm manufacturing process.
AMD® 990X Chipset
AMD 990X Chipset is designed to support up to 5.2GT/s HyperTransport™ 3.0 (HT 3.0) interface speed and PCI Express™ 2.0 x16 graphics. It is optimized with AMD latest AM3+ and multi-core CPUs to provide excellent system performance and overclocking capabilities.
Quad-GPU SLI and Quad-GPU CrossFireX Support!
Flexible Multi-GPU solutions, Your Weapon of Choice!
M5A99X EVO brings you the multi-GPU choice of either SLI™ or CrossFireX. The motherboard features the most powerful AMD® 990X platform to optimize PCIe allocation in multiple GPU configurations. Expect a brand-new gaming style you’ve never experienced before!
GreenASUS and ErP Ready
The motherboard is European Union´s Energy-related Products (ErP) ready, and ErP requires products to meet certain energy efficiency requirements in regards to energy consumptions. This is in line with ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and energy-efficient products through product design and innovation to reduce carbon footprint of the product and thus mitigate environmental impacts.
The combo sent to us by AMD was composed from the FX-8120 CPU in retail packaging, along with the ASUS M5A99X EVO motherboard; the CPU has arrived in a cool themed metallic box, with the FX logo on the front:
Near the “AMD FX 8-Core Processor Black Edition” advertisement, we will find one of the authenticity stickers:
On one of the sides we will find a small product description, the FX Vision logo, along with an AMD seal:
On the back, AMD has written the list of box contents, in multiple languages:
The opposite lateral features a small opening through which we can see how the CPU HSF looks like, along with the inscriptions:
The top cover comes with an additional sticker, with information regarding the product part number:
By removing the top cover, we will find some of the enclosed documentation:
Besides that, there is also a red leaflet, a sticker enclosed with the CPU and the stock cooler:
A warning message is present on the leaflet, which instructs us to update the software (including the BIOS of the motherboard) after the OS is installed, for experiencing optimal system performances:
The documentation is written in multiple language and describes us how the CPU installation must be made:
The stock CPU cooler is pretty tiny, features a PWM fan and 4 heatpipes; some photos of it from different angles will follow:
The thermal paste is pre-applied on the copper plate and covered by a plastic mold, for avoiding dust accumulation:
The CPU is safely placed inside a transparent plastic enclosure and near it we can find a FX case sticker:
Our sample die was manufactured in Dresden, Germany and assembled in Malaysia:
Here is a view on the back of the CPU, where we can see the golden pins; the Bulldozer CPUs come with two additional pins when compared to the Phenom II:
The ASUS M5A990X EVO motherboard comes packed inside a medium-sized cardboard box, with logos of the supported technologies on the front:
The motherboard main components are explained on the back and here we will also find a more detailed description of DIGI+ VRM, TPU, EPU, UEFI BIOS and Auto Tuning features:
Right after opening up the box, we will find the motherboard fully wrapped in an anti-static bag:
This board model does not contain a ton of bundle like we have seen on some ASRock motherboards, but considering the selling price which is considerably lower, we are fine with it:
1x SLI Bridge
4x SATA 6Gb/s cables
1x 2-in-1 ASUS Q-Connector kit
1x I/O Shield
Documentation is also available; we have a Quick Start Guide, a User Guide and the Installation DVD with a case ASUS sticker:
With the detailed User Guide, we also get a SATA Mode notice leaflet:
The board features a clean PCB design, with non-obtrusive heatsinks; ASUS has mixed blue, light blue, white and black connectors, seen on other motherboards in the past as well:
Let’s have a close look at the board components: on the top side we have the DIGI+ EPU. DIGI+VRM EPU ASP1000C was built by CHiL Semiconductor Corp and it’s function is to manage the power phases and hands off commands to the EPU driver, which coordinates some functions via voltage control software:
Next to it we have the blue 8-pin CPU power connector:
The AMD 990X and VRM heatsinks are linked with a heatpipe:
On the left side of the PCB we will find the Realtek RTL8111E Gigabit Ethernet Controller:
Further down we will locate the JMicron JMB362 PCI Express to SATA II Host Controller, in charge for the dual eSATA ports on the I/O:
Near it we’ll find the larger VIA Fire VT6308P 1394 Host Controller:
The audio interface is provided by the Realtek ALC892 CODEC with Content Protection:
On the bottom, from right to left, we will find:
-System Panel Header
-Clear CMOS Jumper
-Chassis Fan Header
-Serial Port Connector
-3 USB 2.0 Headers
-EPU Switch
-TPU Switch
-IEEE 1394a Port Connector
-Front Panel Audio Connector
-SPDIF_OUT Connector
Here is a closer look on the TPU and EPU processor switches; by default, they are in the disabled position and when they get enabled, the respective LEDs will also power up:
On the lower left side, we’ll find the ITE IT8721F Super I/O chip:
Near it there is the TPU which helps to automatically overclock the system:
A small light blue heatsink is present on the SB950 southbridge:
A secondary JMB362 Controller is present near the standby green LED and enables the black SATA II ports:
Near the SB heatsink we will also find the BIOS chip:
ASMedia ASM1042 controls a single USB 3.0 header placed on the right side of the PCB:
One ICS 9LPRS477DKL clock generator is placed between the PCI-E slots; it controls host clocks, CPU and SB:
The board comes with 8 internal SATA ports, 6 which are SATA3 and 2 SATA2:
Near the USB 3.0 header we mentioned about earlier we can also find an additional fan header:
A blue 24-pin ATX power connector is placed near the memory slots:
The MemOK button helps us reset the memory settings to the default values in case the system becomes unbootable:
An additional PWM fan header is located near the NB heatsink:
After the removal of the sticker, we will uncover the memory slots, which are color coded:
The board has 3x PCIE x16 slots, 2x PCIE x1 slots and a single PCI slot:
On the I/O we have:
1)PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port
2)USB 2.0 ports 3 and 4
3)USB 2.0 ports 5 and 6
4)USB 3.0 ports 1 and 2
5)LAN port
6)USB 2.0 ports 1 and 2
7)Optical S/PDIF Out
8)Power External SATA port
9)Firewire IEEE 1394a port
10)External SATA port
11)USB 2.0 ports 7 and 8
12)Audio I/O ports
As we have seen on the ECS board previously reviewed, the ASUS also features an UEFI with two separate interfaces, an EZ Mode and the Advanced Mode. The EZ mode allows us to see most of the SuperIO monitoring, can adjust the system performance by choosing different presets or select the boot device priority:
The Advanced Mode interface is split into multiple sections; the Main one informs us of the BIOS Version, Build date, installed memory capacity and running frequency; here we will be also able to adjust the date/dime or security levels:
The AI Tweaker is the most interesting section and provides settings for fine-tuning the system performance. Depending on what AI Overclock Tuner setting we select, different options will be available to modify. In this menu we are able to select options like CPU Ratio, Bus Frequency, enable/disable Turbo CORE feature, Memory, CPU/NB, HT Link Frequency:
The same section comes with the DRAM Timing Control/Driving Control Menus, DIGI + VRM options and voltage adjustment settings:
In the DRAM Timing Control Menu, we will be able to select the necessary memory timings, to stabilize the system in case we are running with the memory in a overclocked state:
The Advanced section contains several sub-menus like CPU Configuration, NB, SB and so on:
CPU Configuration lets us disable or enable some of the processor features like C’n’Q, SVM, HPC:
The North Bridge Configuration sub-menu allows us to enable/disable the IOMMU feature, adjust additional options regarding memory or set the graphic adapter init priority:
South Bridge section only allows us to enable/disable HPET:
Inside the SATA Configuration sub-menu, we can adjust extra options regarding the SATA ports:
USB Configuration menu lets us enable/disable the Legacy USB support or set the emulation type for the connected Mass Storage devices:
CPU Core On/Off function will let us use the ASUS Core Unlocker Feature, or set how many cores we want to have active:
The Onboard Devices Configuration menu lets us enable/disable some of the board interfaces like audio, USB 3.0 controller, JMB storage controller, LAN or Firewire. Here we will be able to customize the Serial Port interface, along with the HD Azalia:
APM menu only has one option which can be customized named ErP (Energy related Products):
The Monitor tab shows us all detected live temperatures, voltages or fan speeds; in the same menu we’ll be able to set the fan profiles:
The Boot tab allows us to set the NumLock state on Boot-up, the Full Screen Logo, UEFI startup mode or boot device priorities:
Finally, we have the Tool menu, from where we can launch the EZ Flash 2 utility, access the memory SPD information or save different profiles in the available slots:
CPU: AMD FX-8120 Retail
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 (stock fans)
Motherboard: ASUS M5A99X EVO
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws F3-12800CL8D-4GBRM
Video: Sparkle X460 Calibre 1GB
Power Supply: Cooler Master 850W
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 320GB 7200.10
Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840
Our CPU retail sample seemed to overclock quite well and we could reach 4480Mhz at a voltage near to the stock one (with Turbo activated); 4.5GHz stable was not possible without raising the voltage to levels where load temps were no longer acceptable:
With the latest version of AIDA64 utility, we can reveal more information regarding the CPU, motherboard, NB, SB or CPU IMC:
Processor
Motherboard
AMD K15 IMC
AMD RD980 North Bridge
AMD SB950 South Bridge
AI Suite II is an all-in-one software solution from ASUS that allows us to launch separate applications from its console:
DIGI+VRM allows us to adjust VRM voltage and frequency modulation for enhancing reliability and system stability:
TurboV EVO allows us to manually adjust the CPU frequency and related voltages; we can also access the Auto Tuning function that offers automatic overclocking and system level up:
EPU is an energy-efficient tool which provides several modes that we can use to save system power; by selecting Auto, the system will shift through the different preset modes automatically, according to the system status:
Fan Xpert allows us to adjust both CPU and chassis fan speeds according to different ambient temperatures, caused by different climate conditions:
Probe II is a utility that monitors the computers’ vital components and detects and alerts us of any problem with these components:
Sensor Recorder allows us to monitor the changes in the system voltage, temperature and fan speed, as well as recording the changes:
Ai Charger+ is designed to make USB charging faster than the standard USB devices (devices must support the BC 1.1 function):
From the same launcher, we can access the USB 3.0 Boost function, which supports the UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol):
ASUS Update can search for the latest BIOS version or even previous ones, to be flashed on the board:
AIDA64 CPU Queen
AIDA64 PhotoWorxx
AIDA64 Zlib
AIDA64 AES
AIDA64 CPU Hash
AIDA64 FPU VP8
AIDA64 FPU Julia
AIDA64 FPU Mandel
AIDA64 FPU SinJulia
Cinebench R10
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Score
CrystalMark
PCMark05 System Suite
PCMark Vantage Suite
3DMark 2001 Default Run
3DMark 2003 CPU Score
3DMark 2005 CPU Score
3DMark 2006 CPU Score
3DMark Vantage CPU Score
3DMark11 Performance Score
PerformanceTest 7 CPU Mark
SuperPI 1.5 XS 2MB
wPrime 32M
Crysis Very High DX10 1920x1200
Street Fighter 4 1920x1200
Far Cry 2 Ultra DX10 1920x1200
The CPU presentation box is very special, much more interesting than the solution chosen by Intel; the included CPU cooler is pretty loud and we recommend acquiring a custom cooling solution right from the start.
By using a high-end air CPU cooler, we have succeeded to overclock up to 4480MHz, without exceeding the recommended temperatures from AMD, at about 1.4V. As other reviewers in the past, we seemed to hit a wall after this frequency, when a lot more voltage is needed to acquire very little extra MHz.
The motherboard offered in the combo, ASUS M5A99X EVO offers plenty of options inside the UEFI and also comes with tools meant to help people non-familiar with overclocking. Most of the settings can be also modified with the supplied AI Suite II software, which also comes with monitoring tools.
Now regarding the performance: we weren’t expecting a lot from the CPU considering the previous reviews and tests; the FX-8120 performances are under the stock clocked 2500K most of the times and seems to get nearer only when running heavily threaded applications; in games, the difference is not big because we ran our tests only with a VGA card installed, but when we are talking about a SLI/CrossfireX setup, 2500K may begin to declare its supremacy again.
We also had some interesting experiences during the test period: when we have tried to launch the Crysis benchmark, we were welcomed with a black screen and the machine was standing still; after pressing Alt+Ctrl+Del, we have observed that the application crashed in the background. After this incident, to make sure that there is not another process bothering the benchmark, we killed through Task Manager all other unnecessary running processes and tried again with the same result. Even after restarting the system and trying again the problem did not disappear so we hit the Web; we have seen a lot of other people using Bulldozer CPUs experiencing the exact same problem, even with Crysis Warhead; some workarounds exist for making the game work, but we think that problems like this shouldn’t appear in the first place. In some cases, the problems were solved by flashing a different, older motherboard UEFI so it may be fixed in the near future.
Also, we wanted to try out of curiosity higher frequency memory in the system, a GeIL 2400MHz kit; while with two modules out of four the system worked perfectly fine at the stock memory frequency, we had difficulties making it work with all four modules installed (the system did not freeze but Windows was restarting at the logo).
To make this CPU more attractive, AMD has lowered the FX-8120 price significantly to a point where we think that it can be considered a good mainstream variant, especially for people that want to have a completely unlocked CPU, without the need of paying extra. Also, there is a little promotion going on for a limited time (ends 31st of August), which gives users a partial refund on their purchase of qualifying products; in our case, the 8-core FX-8120 is in for the maximum discount available, 20 Euros.
The FX-8120 CPU can be found in stores for about 155 Euros, while the 2500K is available for about 205.9 Euros.
I would like to thank again to AMD for making this review possible!