Overview of the six-core AMD FX-6100 processor. Specifications, tests and reviews

After the line of processors from the company AMD was replenished with FX models with a large number of cores, all users started talking about them, even fans of Intel products. As so - the price for the processor is two times cheaper than the competitor, and the performance "comes on the heels"! In this article we will talk about a rather interesting modification of AMD - FX-6100. The fact is that this processor has 6 cores - such a medium-sized between the budgetary employee and the top 8-core crystal, as the buyer will think. But he will be wrong. More precisely, the processor will be called the most powerful device in an inexpensive budget class.

The reader will get acquainted with the technical characteristics of the processor, see the tests of the novelty and, thanks to the feedback of the owners, will get a full picture of this wonderful AMD product.

The main competitor

Perhaps the world would not have seen a AMD processor with six cores on the shelves, but it was inevitable for the manufacturer, when its main competitor, Intel, introduced the novelty Core i3-2125 to the market in the middle sector of the budget class. The power of the budget-class processors (there was only one crystal with the old technology "Fenom" on the Russian market, which all customers avoided) was not enough for AMD to compete with the competitor at that time, and modifications with eight cores fought for the championship with Core i5. It was necessary urgently to occupy an open price niche.

The manufacturer introduced several products to the world community for a budgetary price niche. All of them differed insignificantly from each other in value and productivity. Such a decision should have knocked out a competitor from the market. The new processor AMD FX-6100, its characteristics and price immediately attracted the attention of the buyer. Uniquely, the novelty was interesting in that there were six cores on board the crystal, which worked independently of each other. It was from this moment on and the battle of the Titans began: Intel vs. AMD.

Specifications

The consumer clearly liked the approach of the manufacturer to the creation of the processor, because for its creation, the company's technologists developed a completely new Zambezi core, refusing to use the old technologies. As a result, the AMD FX-6100 BOX novelty received the following technical characteristics:

1. Interaction with motherboards on Socket AM3 / AM3 +.
2. The production uses a new process technology of 32 nanometers, which allowed placing 1.2 billion transistors on a single crystal.
3. The number of computing processes corresponds to the number of cores - 6 pieces.
4. The nominal core frequency is 3300 MHz (3900 in Max Turbo mode).
5. Full cache volumes of all three levels are used.
6. The processor supports working with two channels of DDR3 memory operating at frequencies of 1333/1600/1866 MHz.
7. Supports all instruction sets for 32-bit and 64-bit applications, including MMX.
8. Heat dissipation in peak loads does not exceed 95 watts. It's about the base frequency of 3300 MHz. With increased performance, heat generation can reach 150 watts.

Appearance and packaging

Let AMD FX-6100 processor be the smallest device in the system, but it's already so, that the packaging for the "heart" of the computer will always be beautiful and huge. It is worth noting that the manufacturer completely changed the appearance of the box for all processors of the Black Edition series. Instead of utopian black, it is made in red and white style, to match all AMD products. The main attribute - a box with a window for contemplating the processor - has not changed. The contents of the box for all brands are identical and have long been considered the norm:

• The processor itself is in miniature plastic packaging, which is able to protect the device from physical impacts during transportation;
• Branded AMD sticker on the owner's system unit;
• Cooling system in assembly (fan and radiator);
• A colorful instruction with pictures for installing the processor and mounting the cooler;
• A lot of "waste paper" (leaflets, certificates, warranty and recommendations).

Fans of overclocking are advised to read the manufacturer's warranty, because it says that the three-year warranty period is interrupted in case of violation of the basic operating conditions, which also includes the frequency of the device's cores.

Questions to the cooling system

Coolers, which were shipped in the same package with devices, always received a low rating from fans to experience the processor power by overclocking. Therefore, the AMD FX-6100 Six-Core Processor product was no exception. Aluminum radiator with a copper core at the base and 70-millimeter cooler looks somehow weak. However, according to the manufacturer, this system is able to cope with cooling the processor at peak loads up to 100 W.

As users note in their reviews, for the nominal frequencies (3300-3900 MHz) this cooling system is enough, but fans of overclocking should think about more advanced coolers from well-known global brands. Accordingly, the processor in such cases is recommended to purchase not in the BOX-version, but give preference to the OEM-supply.

Sports interest

Naturally, all potential buyers are interested in comparing two processors in one niche from different manufacturers. For the purity of the experiment AMD FX (TM) 6100 Six-Core should be compared in tests with Intel Core i3-2125. In fact, these are two identical processors, judging by their technical characteristics and price, although the latter has only two cores.

As the test results show, in the resource-intensive applications, where the processor power is required (archivers, passwords, video and audio encoders, mathematical calculations), the novelty from AMD is leading. Undoubtedly, 6 cores are more productive than the two. However, the situation changes dramatically in benchmarks, when only one core participates in the test - Intel Core i3-2125 wins with a huge gap in the competitor (Cinebench R11.529, 3DMark).

But with games, the question is controversial. Applications that are "sharpened" for the work of one or two cores, no doubt, show the best results with the Intel processor. And all the others, for which the overall system performance is needed, show decent results with the AMD FX-6100 chip. It is worth noting that many game manufacturers have recently written codes without reference to processor threads, and accordingly, AMD has more chances to win a performance victory over a competitor.

Higher, faster, stronger

In the media, you can find many arguments from the "experts" who assure the others that the AMD FX-6100 Six processor is a light version of its older brother FX-6300. Logically, these two processors have a lot of identical parameters: the number of cores, the cache, the memory bus, instructions, heat dissipation and the technical process. Here only chipsets for their production are used different, and technologies have small differences. Testing will put everything in its place.

1. The benchmark of the GeekBench processors shows that the performance of the 6300 processor is 7677 units (in 6100 this parameter is equal to 6945).
2. The AMD FX-6100 processor does not support the FMA3 function, which is used to speed up tasks.
3. Crystal 6300 works faster by 10% with all applications with the updated version of the instructions Turbo Core AMD (video editors and 3D-modeling).

The right approach

Many potential buyers who want to overclock the AMD FX-6100 processor, the owners feedback leads to the idea that it's worth to buy a decent cooling system to protect the crystal from overheating. The choice falls on expensive devices from the High-End class, the cost of which is not comparable with the price of the processor itself. Naturally, the buyer immediately abandons his desires. It is not necessary to hurry up here, the main thing is to know one thing: any cooler on the market, positioned for a certain heat release, is definitely more efficient than the BOX version.

Choosing a decent cooling system within 3000 rubles is quite large, and for most buyers it is not performed at the level of characteristics, and the binding goes to the brand. Zalman, Scythe, Deepcool, Cooler Master are well proven. Any cooler you like from the offered options is guaranteed to cope with the task. For the AMD FX-6100 processor with a heat output of 95 watts, it is worth choosing a cooling system with a one and a half factor. That is, the cooler should cope with the dissipated power of the processor at 142.5 watts.

Overclocking potential

Many newcomers, after installing the proprietary AMD Catalyst software, find that one of the application tabs contains information on the processor, which indicates the nominal processor frequency and the potential for overclocking. Very often the user contemplates a figure of 4.3 GHz, naturally, it accelerates the crystal to the maximum.

Do it at the initial stages is not worth it, IT experts recommend to overclock the AMD FX-6100 3.3 GHz processor to the maximum permissible level specified in the device specification - 3.9 GHz in Max Turbo mode. It is necessary to work in this mode, to observe the temperature characteristics of the cooling system, including programmatically, using special utilities. If there are problems, reduce the frequency by 100 units. If the heating is under control and the processor is stable, you can start the frequency in steps of 100 MHz.

Overclocking instructions

And how to disperse the AMD FX-6100? Judging by the reviews in the media, many users are interested in a full turn-by-turn instruction with recommendations for overclocking the processor. No problem:

1. Log into the computer's BIOS.
2. Go to the "Advanced" tab.
3. Select the "JumperFree Configuration" item.
4. Find the "CPU Ratio" menu.
5. To the right of the found menu is the parameter "Auto". It is necessary to click on it and select the correct multiplier in the appeared list (19.5x corresponds to the frequency of 3900 MHz).
6. Save and restart the computer.

Only on this epic with overclocking does not end, because many users give the cooling system a minimum of attention, so the entire responsibility was assumed by the manufacturer. The AMD FX-6100 Six processor is equipped with an overheating protection system (58 degrees Celsius). The protection works great - it just reduces the core frequency by half, prescribing the desired parameter in the BIOS. There are two ways to solve the problem: either put a powerful cooling system or deceive the lock.

Walking on the blade

For the full overclocking of the AMD FX (TM) 6100 processor, the user will have to understand the control of his voltage. The main thing here is not to hurry, to achieve the result you need to slowly, but confidently change the parameters and monitor the temperature of the crystal. In the BIOS menu, when setting the multiplier, you need to find another item - "CPU Over Voltage". In the field, instead of the "Auto" parameter, you need to specify the voltage. Professionals recommend starting with 1.21 volts. After saving and rebooting the system, you need to check the stability of the work. If the frequency of the cores is reset, decrease the frequency of the processor.

As a result, by trial and error, the user will come to the right result. It should be noted that for each computer these indicators are different (3600 MHz and 1.24 V, 3900 MHz and 1.36 V). After overclocking, many owners in their reviews recommend not to focus on the maximum, because in peak loads the processors do not have time to cool down in time, accordingly, the lock will work.

CPU stress test

Many users, judging by their feedback, do not particularly understand the issue of testing an overclocked processor, because there are so many similar software on the Internet that the eyes are scattered when they are selected. Testing the stability of the AMD FX-6100 processor, the characteristics of which have been changed by the user, professionals recommend to make using the OCCT program. The point is that only this application can test using the given parameters and gives a lot of useful information.

To set parameters in the OCCT program, the user must set the test time (10-20 minutes is considered the norm). Be sure to specify the version of the test (32 or 64 bits). Test mode to select the maximum - a large set, and the number of tests is better set to "Auto".

In addition to the test result, upon termination of the program, the user is given the opportunity to monitor the temperature and voltage of the processor in the process of loading the cores. The system will, of course, hang. This is normal, because all the resources are taken by OCCT.

Owner feedback

Many buyers, in which the AMD FX-6100 Six-Core processor came into contact, are interested in the owners' feedback in their unfolded form - advantages, disadvantages and what they are expressed in.

1. Positive feedback primarily relates to an affordable price, which for such a productive device is very low. This processor will cope with any game available on the market. Everything depends directly on the video card, and no one will say that the crystal is too weak or the cores are not enough.
2. There is a potential for dispersal for the future. It is provided with an unlocked multiplier, but has a strange protection against overheating.
3. The processor supports all known instructions, and accordingly, it will work even with applications written for Intel products (this applies to more software developers).

And if we talk about shortcomings, then first we should pay attention to the cost of the device and similar competitors in this price category. And only then you can learn other people's opinions.

1. Weak cooling system BOX version of the processor.
2. The crystal does not accelerate to 3900 MHz in Max Turbo mode.
3. The multiplier is locked, there is no possibility to change the processor frequency (this negative is no longer to the processor, but to the seller, who endowed the buyer with a cheap motherboard that does not support overclocking).

Finally

After a decent review and comparisons of the AMD FX-6100 processor with competitors, there is a feeling that this device is perfect. Low cost, high performance, overclocking potential is all that any computer owner needs. Yes, that's it, but only for a certain period of time, until a new technology appears and will not be introduced into a new software or game. Then the power of this processor will clearly not be enough. But if you think like that, then, in expectation of perfection, the potential buyer will never have his own computer.

The low cost of the processor in the budgetary price niche only provides an opportunity for the buyer to assemble a personal computer for his own finances. It is worth noting that budget computers are purchased for offices, enterprises or home use, where complex mathematical calculations and especially performance in games are not required. Therefore, comparing the processor in question with the High-End class is meaningless.