Test System

AMD sent me the FX-8350 a few weeks ago, but there weren't many boards out there to support it properly right out of the box when I got it. I had no issues getting things going, but there were some minor problems as well. While dealing with these problems, I took the time to hand-pick the parts I used to show a very specific perspective. I used the same harddrives, PSU, VGAs, and cooling; that is, with the exception of my AMD FX watercooler, which I couldn't use with my Intel rigs. However, I did use the fans of that cooler to try to keep power consumption numbers as equal as possible. Many thanks to Patriot for providing the memory and Corsair for providing the coolers for the Intel rig.

Power Consumption

I measure CPU power consumption since one of our first tasks is to truly verify system stability. I isolate the power coming through the 8-pin ATX connector with an in-line meter that provides voltage and current readings, and total wattage passed through it. While this may not prove to isolate the CPU power draw in all instances, it does serve as a good indicator of board efficiency and effective VRM design. I also measure total system power consumption, which allows you to get an idea of how much power the board and its installed devices draw.






Overall power draw has improved with the FX-8350; that is, versus the FX-8150. At least with the samples that I have. However, AMD still consumes considerably more power than Intel, although I do have to say that Intel uses 22nm right now, while AMD only uses a 32nm process.