Review: AMD FX-7600P (28nm Kaveri)

Conclusion

Nearly six months after the introduction of the first Kaveri APUs on desktop, AMD has finally made its modernised Accelerated Processing Unit available to mobile PCs.

Brought to market as a range of quad-core processors headlined by the FX-7600P, mobile Kaveri retains everything that's good about its desktop counterpart by incorporating enhanced Steamroller CPU cores and cutting-edge graphics based on the current GCN architecture.

This is, without a doubt, AMD's best APU to date, but the overall proposition hasn't changed all that much. Intel still holds a distinct advantage in terms of CPU performance and, as has historically been the case, it is in the GPU department that AMD continues to show potential. At 35W and with four CPU cores allied to eight GPU Compute Units, the FX-7600P is well positioned to bring mainstream performance, general-purpose computing and gaming capabilities to affordable mid-range laptops.

The APU is better poised than it has ever been, yet AMD still has two familiar hurdles to overcome. It needs to convince developers to take fuller advantage of GPGPU processing and the Mantle API, but more importantly, it has to persuade laptop manufacturers to embrace the APU over rival Intel processors.

We've been told to expect Kaveri-based laptops from a wide range of manufacturers, with AMD specifically targeting the sub-£500 price bracket. Moving forward, we feel that what's inside the laptop is becoming increasingly irrelevant to consumers, and it is ultimately the experience that counts. Can AMD's partners now take the FX-7600P and produce thin, high-quality laptops with stunning displays, reasonable battery life and competitive price tags? Only time will tell.

The Good

Upgraded CPU cores
Best APU graphics to date
Supports high-speed DDR3 memory
Primed for GPGPU computing
Has Dual Graphics potential

The Bad

CPU core performance not a match for Intel
HSA-optimised programs thin on the ground

HEXUS.awards

AMD FX-7600P

HEXUS.where2buy*

The AMD FX-7600P APU is expected to become available in a range of laptops starting June 2014.

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