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This week, AMD released its quarterly earnings report, giving us a solid look at how Ryzen, Epyc and Vega have performed financially over the last few months. While in previous years AMD has suffered some losses, things seem to be turning around in 2017, with Q3 revenue up by 26 percent.
In total, AMD brought in $1.64 billion in revenue during the third quarter, compared to $1.31 billion this time last year. The company’s operating profits have also risen to $71 million, which is a much better result than 2016, when the company suffered a $406 million loss.
Speaking about AMD’s financial performance during Q3, AMD CEO, Lisa Su attributed it to strong customer adoption of new hardware: “strong customer adoption of our new high-performance products drove significant revenue growth and improved financial results from a year ago”.
AMD’s enterprise arm is performing well thanks to the introduction of EPYC processors, bringing in around $824 million in revenue for the quarter. The Computing and Graphics arm of AMD brought in $819 million in revenue, which is 74 percent up year-on-year.
There is a downside though, AMD is expecting revenue to slip in Q4, potentially by as much as 15 percent. This potential dip is attributed to cryptocurrency demand “levelling off”.
KitGuru Says: AMD has had an impressive year so far. Hopefully the company can keep the pressure on as we move into 2018, with new CPU and GPU launches on the horizon. Have any of you picked up some new AMD hardware this year? Have you been happy with it?
good let there be competition!
I’ve been reading user reviews at https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113286 of the 3.5ghz 6-core AMD FX-6300 processor (click the number in brackets). Most of them (1400) have been very positive. The few negative ones have been from people who don’t know how to build PCs properly, motherboard failures (which are blamed on the processor) or people who had no idea how to measure a processor’s performance (they think all their undemanding software will get a huge performance increase from their old PC). It’s possible that cores can be enabled/disabled in the BIOS and that not all of the cores had been enabled (on an Asus motherboard this is found in Advanced Clock Calibration).
Two reviews from Intel i7 users said it wasn’t far behind the i7’s performance. One wrote: “i use to have a i7 this blows that out of the water by running planetside 2 in all ultra with my r9 270x of course with a solid fps of 120 to 50 or 65”.
People have written that the 6-core fx processors have 3 cores with 6 threads. The threads are proper integer cores but have limitations in use so are not true 6-core processors.
One person who had the previous generation 6-core AMD Phenom II x6 1035T 2.7ghz said that they tried the fx-6300 using the Cinebench software and it scored the same. Maybe Cinebench can only use 3 of the 6 cores.
You might therefore think that it functions as a 3-core but reviews from many AMD users with processors faster than mine seem to indicate its performance is more like that of a 6-core, some from users of an AMD Phenom II x6 who found it an upgrade.
For non-gamers a PC with an fx-6300 uses 145 watts at load, 73 when idle, on an average motherboard. So about 75 max. It’s at 44W idle on a low-energy motherboard & graphics card.
The Phenom and fx processors all have level 3 cache which helps in file compression (my processor doesn’t have any and has half the level 2 cache of the fx).
People with an am3 motherboard might be able to use the am3+ fx processors with a BIOS upgrade.
Most of the fx-6300 processors seem reliable but a higher proportion than expected are not. Intel users have written of their processors dying.
If you’re not happy with the fan try a Cooler Master 4-copper-heat-pipe cooler for £20/$27/22 euro, the masterair pro 3 or tx3. Much better than a normal fan & heatsink. See youtube for installation help.
DDR3-1866 for the fx-6300 is costly now. You can get £22/$28 8gb ddr3-1333 on ebay which you could overclock (see YouTube). Should take 2-3 weeks to arrive.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8GB-PC-Memory-Module-RAM-DDR3-PC3-10600-1333MHz-DIMM-Desktop-For-AMD-System-SE-/122299885982
The fx processors can’t use DDR3-1866 in dual channel so you might as well get ddr3-1333.
Ebay has bargain fx/Phenom processors. It’s where I get mine.
It’s possible that a processor comes with bent pins. These can be straightened.
In January 2012, Microsoft released two hotfixes (2646060 and 2645594) for Windows 7.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMD_FX_microprocessors
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMD_Phenom_microprocessors
(use an am3+ motherboard for fx and Phenom)
You can also use the 3.8ghz fx-4300 which can easily be overclocked to 4.6 ghz. If you don’t need to do any 1080p video encoding & gaming this should last a very long time. Uses 10W less than an fx-6300. Impressed users, one of whom said it can be used for 4k video encoding:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113287
This video shows that the fx6300 can play Assassins Creed Syndicate at 1080p very well and no core gets near 100% which is often the case when gaming unlike an Intel i3/i5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfr0ktiGTAI
(Also no problems playing BF1 & 4 multiplayer, Rust, CSGO, Arma3. Quote: “In Planetside 2, it mostly stays over 25 in really crowded areas.” People are suggesting the optimum cards for it are the gtx 1050ti/1060/amd rx 470/480. I’d also recommend the fx-8300, 8320 or 8350 for gamers as this helps deal with operating system size increases over many years. Pay attention to energy use with a killowatt meter so you don’t overheat. Also use the best thermal paste, the Arctic mx4.)
(DirectX 11 is derived from DX9 of 2004 & uses only 1 or 2 cores. Future games will use DirectX 12 or Vulkan which spreads the load over all the cores. This technology was based on the Mantle API created by AMD after their FX processors were made. With the correct API games would have made full use of 6- & 8-core processors & run faster. Intel showed no performance increase in DirectX 12 and Microsoft had no multi-core API developed at the time of DX11.
As the new Xbox uses AMD processors games will be optimized better for AMD in future.)
Modern Intel and AMD processors (including Ryzen) should not be used as they have spyware in the form of Management Engine (ME) in Intel CPUs and Platform Security Processor (PSP) in AMD CPUs which have complete control of your PC regardless of the OS. They have full network access, ability to remotely power your system on and off, access to the contents of your RAM, tracking of keystrokes and mouse movements, seeing the image on your screen and more.
The firmware will have been put there by the authorities to spy on and track everyone. Intel and AMD despite numerous requests from users, developers and companies have refused to release their source code.
Thus modern Intel and AMD processors should be avoided. [Intel CPUs from 2006~2009 and] AMD family 10h or 15h CPUs before 2013 can be used instead.
https://libreboot.org/faq.html
The WannaCry ransomware used an exploit created by the authorities, through their NSA.
AMD processors made before 2013 are the fx8300, fx8320, fx8350 (all 8 core), fx6300 (6 core), fx4300 (4 core) & the bulldozer FX range.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMD_FX_microprocessors
http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/CPUs/AMD/FX-Series/index.html
(If using an fx8000 series be careful when gaming and overclocking as it can use much energy. Check temperatures and use a killowatt meter to check energy use.)
DirectX 11 is derived from DX9 of 2004 & uses only 1 or 2 cores. Future games will use DirectX 12 or Vulkan which spreads the load over all the cores. This technology was based on the Mantle API created by AMD after their FX processors were made. With the correct API games would have made full use of 6- & 8-core processors & run faster. Intel showed no performance increase in DirectX 12 and Microsoft had no multi-core API developed at the time of DX11.
(As the new Xbox uses AMD processors games will be optimized better for AMD in future.)
Pre-2103 there is the Phenom II X2, X3, X4, X6 (6 core) and the Athlon II X2, X3, X4.
http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/CPUs/AMD/Phenom_II_X6/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMD_Phenom_microprocessors
The fx, Phenom II & Athlon II use an AM3+ motherboard.
For a pre-2013 CPU with built-in graphics there is the 3.4ghz a10-5700, the a10-5800k & the a10-5800b both with a TDP of 100W (all 3 with 384 shader units), the a8-5500 & a8-5500b with 256 units. There is the Firepro a300 (and the a320 that has TDP 100W), 384 units. All of these are 4-core & use DDR3-1866 and all can use fm2 and fm2+ motherboards.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socket_FM2%2B
http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/CPUs/AMD/A10-Series/index.html
http://www.cpu-upgrade.com/CPUs/AMD/A8-Series/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_AMD_accelerated_processing_unit_microprocessors#fn_2
Ebay is a good place to find processors.
Intel are not who they claim to be. Can Intel use illegal tricks to be the only seller allowed to make & sell processors? And Intel pays Dell, HP, Sony, Acer, Samsung & all the others to not buy AMD’s processors? And keep all their practices secret? Then AMD spends ALL of its money trying to sue Intel since 1987?
Tablets? Makers paid to not use competitors’ CPUs. Bribes were paid to Europe’s biggest computer seller.
Game-console makers were given free Intel CPUs so AMD could not compete. Later AMD broke through.
Intel’s compiler software? Written to perform fast ONLY on Intel CPUs.
Intel’s compiler is the most used one. My guess: Intel bribed the major gaming-software makers to use its compiler, who all kept quiet about the bribes.
This let Intel suppress the speed of its own processors & inflate their prices, which they then use for more bribes.
Someone on a youtube comment: “For anyone needing proof Intel cheats in benchmarks. Look up “SPEC2006 results”. For some reason the supposedly non-profit SPEC organization that puts out benchmarking tools requires these tools to be benched with the Intel compiler (and not, say, GCC). There’s a hard-coded test for one of these benchmarks-libquantum (a quantum computer simulator)- in the Intel compiler code and if it finds it it rewrites it to run about 15 times faster… but only on Intel CPUs. This test is used when benchmarking all server CPUs and leads to a major boost on the average Intel server CPU results.”
Intel dominate server processors. They paid SPEC. They know who writes benchmarking software. Intel are not stupid.
It prices its CPUS not to benefit the public but to knock out its competition.
Intel’s processors are now in the Asus Zenfone 2. How?
Amazingly HP, Dell and Lenovo are now offering laptops with AMD’s Ryzen processors.
35-minute talk made after decades of research on the evil, global, faceless, corporate Intel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osSMJRyxG0k
I’m willing to guess that Intel doesn’t pay taxes or have to obey any laws. It’s part of the global corporate empire with Monsanto, Amazon, Google, Starbucks, Facebook, McDonalds etc. Yes, Amazon. They’re in on it too.
Intel make SSDs too. Someone mentioned “the upgrade key scheme that Intel wants to implement, forcing users to pay hundreds of dollars to unlock RAID 1, 10, and 5 on M.2 drives. They will be softlocked to RAID 0 only without this key, and they will also be restricted to only using Intel SSDs.” In other words Intel will be the only maker of SSDs in future if there’s no processor competitor. So even if you have an Intel SSD it won’t work any longer as you will need a new one that will work with Intel’s latest chipset.
Intel’s new Coffee Lake CPUs won’t use the Intel-made z270 chipset so won’t work with the Sky/Kaby Lake 1151 boards. Angry Intel users, who sensed they’ve been scammed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt-oA4x776A
(My old AM2 motherboard used AMD’s AM2 processors and with BIOS upgrades could also use AM2+ & AM3 processors. AM3+ motherboards can also use AM3 processors.)
Had Intel destroyed AMD they would have taken out Nvidia and been left as the only manufacturer of graphics units. I read Intel grossed $52 billion last year.
Who makes the chipset in the motherboards for Intel processors? Intel. If Intel knock out AMD then they can charge whatever they like for them. I read that the AMD chipsets are made by someone else, not AMD.
Intel gave AMD a tiny $1.4 billion as a settlement. They now want that huge sum back.
One youtube comment said: “One major thing people forget to take into account is that Intel has a hold on it’s instruction sets. So AMD cpu’s have to convert and decipher those instruction sets on the fly. That’s why you see the performance difference you do in certain games.”
I’m now sensing that when Intel release a new processor they pay famous YouTube tech channels (like Tech of Tomorrow & Linus) to run fake comparisons with AMD processors running more slowly than they should. At https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJOnwF8mgXc people with a Ryzen 1700x are saying the one in the video is scoring lower that it should.
Notice how reviewers test new Coffee Lake CPUs with old DirectX11 games and not new DirectX12 games.
Intel: fake Coffee Lake launch to STOP folks buying Ryzen.
Still I guess peanuts compared to Intel. A growth of even 26% is not all that impressive if you come from far behind. And with expectations low, the profits aren’t that great either. AMD still has a long way to go to be actually competitive with Intel unfortunately.
What stop taking the magic mushrooms
brah you ok?