# AMD A-Series A10 or Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge?



## Ryou-kun

Which CPU is good for multitasking and gaming?
I mean on a laptop CPU.

I'll be using Autodesk softwares like MAYA, 3Ds Max, Motion Builder and MudBox.

All I know is that A10 is cheaper, has integrated GPU combine with APU to make it a crossfire or something like that while i7 have Intel HD 4000, but it'll be used on the GPU.

Just not sure which is better.


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## Atomfix

The AMD A10 is perfect in every way, it uses less power, it's cooler and powerful with it's built in GPU.

Go AMD


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## Blindsay

they are not really comparable imo. the a10 is more of a budget cpu(apu) where that i7 is a high end chip. if the i7 is a quad it will eat the a10 alive. the A10's gpu is a bit better though. Id get the i7 and a dedicated card


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## MoGTy

There's really no comparing between them.

i7 is brute CPU - multi threaded - power house. You'll want to use this one to do photoshop, encoding,...

A10 is a budget CPU-GPU solution, perfect for laptops, light gaming, webbrowsing, 1080p movies etc.

They're aimed at completely different market segments.


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## jassilamba

Since AMD has already been mentioned, I will vote for the i7 not the ivy bridge, but either 2600 or 2700 sandy bridge. Or if you can wait intel Haswell is around the corner so you might have more choice when it comes to CPUs.

I own the AMD 1100T, and 2 i7 pcs, I personally prefer the i7, and I will say the i7 pcs feel faster in terms of response time and everything else. Very comparable hardware and same GPUs, and RAM.

I have heard great things about the A10 and for the price point its a great CPU.

Here is a great link with comparing them both, with option to compare almost any CPU in the market today. LINK


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## salamachaa

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *jassilamba*
> 
> Since AMD has already been mentioned, I will vote for the i7 not the ivy bridge, but either 2600 or 2700 sandy bridge. Or if you can wait intel Haswell is around the corner so you might have more choice when it comes to CPUs.
> I own the AMD 1100T, and 2 i7 pcs, I personally prefer the i7, and I will say the i7 pcs feel faster in terms of response time and everything else. Very comparable hardware and same GPUs, and RAM.
> I have heard great things about the A10 and for the price point its a great CPU.
> Here is a great link with comparing them both, with option to compare almost any CPU in the market today. LINK


Laptop CPU *cough cough*


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## mikeo01

I would personally go for the A10.

Theres no real need for the i7 because thats aimed at pure quick processing. Seen as you'll be doing some graphical tasks, the A10s CPU is decent and the GPU is better than Intels onboard so it'll do the job nicely, especially at its amazingly low price


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## Ryou-kun

Hmm, so Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge has a powerful performance, but the price is really expensive including the GPU in it.
While AMD A10 is cheaper, but still manageable to do the work. It is cheaper, but the performance isn't that good compare to i7 with a GPU.

Hmm, it is a quite hard decision to choose. I am aware that GPU and RAM is important, but CPU is important to handle it








Which of them is good for a long period time of using and lasting it without upgrading in the next couple years?

If I say that I'll be using to play games which of them you would choose?
Like CoD, BF, Crysis, RTS, MMO and etc.


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## -SE7EN-

for current anything, Intel is faster than the equivalent AMD at everything but the 1 or 2 little programs that AMD use to do their benchmarks. except for budget concerns, there is no reason to pick an AMD.. and even then you could just get a cheaper Intel than the i7 and still outperform the AMD. if you're using it for higher-end gaming (like Crysis), you're going to need a dedicated gpu anyways, and now even less of a reason to go AMD.


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## mikeo01

A10 for gaming definitely. This is where AMD smokes Intel with onboard graphics.

A10 is a quad, basically an Athlon II and is very good, you have the benefit of graphics. So its kind of 50/50 performance. Intel CPUs are best for processing and a discrete graphics card is always recommended if you are going to be doing anything that involves graphics.

A10 is cheaper and an all-round chip







you'll find your I7-M to be speedy, but can't cope with anything flying across the screen









EDIT:
OP is going for a laptop, no discrete GPU which means playing games or doing anything graphical will be painful on an Intel based chip. AMD may be slower at opening things up and general tasking, but it has the advantage of actually running graphical tasks decently.


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## Blindsay

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mikeo01*
> 
> A10 for gaming definitely. This is where AMD smokes Intel with onboard graphics.
> A10 is a quad, basically an Athlon II and is very good, you have the benefit of graphics. So its kind of 50/50 performance. Intel CPUs are best for processing and a discrete graphics card is always recommended if you are going to be doing anything that involves graphics.
> A10 is cheaper and an all-round chip
> 
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> you'll find your I7-M to be speedy, but can't cope with anything flying across the screen
> 
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> EDIT:
> OP is going for a laptop, no discrete GPU which means playing games or doing anything graphical will be painful on an Intel based chip. AMD may be slower at opening things up and general tasking, but it has the advantage of actually running graphical tasks decently.


While the GPU in the A10 is better I think you are exaggerating the difference a bit, the HD4000 was a substantial upgrade over the HD3000.

If OP doesn't want a dedicated gpu (not sure why) then the A10 would be a well rounded chip, but the i7 + dedicated gpu would walk all over it


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## dizzy4

well I read the thread and saw laptop mentioned so I will recommend the a10. The gpu is a lot better than intel's. If you get an intel laptop with a gpu and the igpu it would be better. That means more expensive, bulkier and probably less battery life. If you want good graphics and small size get the A10. If you don't need as good graphics get an ultrabook. I can play a good amount of games on my ativ pro tablet. It has an i5-3317U with hd 4000 graphics and I can max bioshock 1 at 1080p and play skyrim at 720p on low with ultra textures. The A10 would let me play skyrim at medium or high at 720p.


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## -SE7EN-

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mikeo01*
> 
> A10 for gaming definitely. This is where AMD smokes Intel with onboard graphics.
> A10 is a quad, basically an Athlon II and is very good, you have the benefit of graphics. So its kind of 50/50 performance. Intel CPUs are best for processing and a discrete graphics card is always recommended if you are going to be doing anything that involves graphics.
> A10 is cheaper and an all-round chip
> 
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> you'll find your I7-M to be speedy, but can't cope with anything flying across the screen
> 
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> 
> EDIT:
> OP is going for a laptop, no discrete GPU which means playing games or doing anything graphical will be painful on an Intel based chip. AMD may be slower at opening things up and general tasking, but it has the advantage of actually running graphical tasks decently.


yes, but he's wanting to play games, he mentioned Crysis as one. Gonna need a dedicated card, unless iGPUs got really powerful and he'd still have to turn all the settings to extreme minimum to do it. If he is trying for a budget gaming build, laptop is definitely not going to cut it. Integrated could get him some WoW games in, but if he's trying a modern-ish shooter, I don't see it happening onboard.


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## mikeo01

No laptops definitely wouldn't cut it. But the A10 is best bang for buck all rounder chip.

Yeah I was being over the top a bit







but I would purely recommend the A10 based on chip performance. A dedicated graphics card + i7 is a great match. Chip only, A10.

The i7 does smoke the A10 in terms of processing power, but then the graphics is what gives the A10 the upper hand. Sure you won't be able to run games on the max, but you'll sure get decent rates over the i7.

So yes, if the laptop has a dedicated graphics card in it (depends what one) the i7 would be the way to go







but then gaming on a laptop isn't the best idea in general


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## jassilamba

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mikeo01*
> 
> No laptops definitely wouldn't cut it. But the A10 is best bang for buck all rounder chip.
> Yeah I was being over the top a bit
> 
> 
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> but I would purely recommend the A10 based on chip performance. A dedicated graphics card + i7 is a great match. Chip only, A10.
> The i7 does smoke the A10 in terms of processing power, but then the graphics is what gives the A10 the upper hand. Sure you won't be able to run games on the max, but you'll sure get decent rates over the i7.
> So yes, if the laptop has a dedicated graphics card in it (depends what one) the i7 would be the way to go
> 
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> but then *gaming on a laptop isn't the best idea in general*


Totally agree


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## sugarhell

Lol the price range is too huge to compare it.


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## Ryou-kun

Hhaha, I was kind of kidding about those games even though I do have it, lol.
I already have a gaming desktop, so I just need a laptop to work on Autodesk.
Yes, I still need it to play some games mostly Planetside 2, but I think that's pretty much it.


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## Artikbot

Man you just compared a $300 CPU to a $120 one.

But if you requiere extensive use of a graphics card, and the i7 you'd pick would come with Intel HD, go with the A10.

And by the way, SE7EN. An A10 plays Crysis just fine. Unlike an Intel HD


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## mikeo01

You have a desktop?

Well if you're on a budget the A10 will do, why would you need an i7 in a laptop when you have a desktop to do it all for you? You may as well get the A10 because its an all rounder, then if you need more of a umph to get more work done you can just switch to your desktop??


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## -SE7EN-

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Artikbot*
> 
> Man you just compared a $300 CPU to a $120 one.
> But if you requiere extensive use of a graphics card, and the i7 you'd pick would come with Intel HD, go with the A10.
> And by the way, SE7EN. An A10 plays Crysis just fine. Unlike an Intel HD


isn't Crysis more demanding than Crysis 2? Anyways, @1024x600 and 35fps... it is barely on the borderline of really being playable. That is average, with dips into sub-30 frames. For a bare minimum, lowest price laptop, I guess AMD, but gaming on an integrated chip is just going to leave most with heartache and disappointment. This isn't going to be a clear cut, easy decision, as if he picks 'barely good enough for some games', then everything else in general will be slower.. but if he wants an overall faster system, he is going to cut gaming out.
Take off the i7, get a 15 or so, and put the rest towards putting an actual card in there if you want gaming.


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## Ryou-kun

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *mikeo01*
> 
> You have a desktop?
> Well if you're on a budget the A10 will do, why would you need an i7 in a laptop when you have a desktop to do it all for you? You may as well get the A10 because its an all rounder, then if you need more of a umph to get more work done you can just switch to your desktop??


The reason is why I want a "laptop" is because I have a move around while working. Not to mention, I'll be in college, so I need a laptop to work in college and at the sametime at home. If I try to work the animation, and etc, at home then I'll probably forget before I even get to my home which I don't want.

Now, I am going to drop the discussion about "laptop" because I think I am making this question about laptop rather the "laptop CPU" itself.

For the people who use A10, how well does it perform in Autodesk softwares? I know Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge Laptop's CPU with a dedicated video card can obviously beat the AMD in term of performance but not the price. Same goes with the A10 APU?

Do you guys have a benchmark to compare to other laptop's CPU if I decide to get maybe i5?


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## Artikbot

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *-SE7EN-*
> 
> isn't Crysis more demanding than Crysis 2? Anyways, @1024x600 and 35fps... it is barely on the borderline of really being playable.


Wat?



Tune that to Medium and you've got playable framerates.

Besides, I played through Crysis and Warhead at steady 30 FPS on a 8800GT and never felt it sloppy.


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## MoGTy

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ryou-kun*
> 
> The reason is why I want a "laptop" is because I have a move around while working. Not to mention, I'll be in college, so I need a laptop to work in college and at the sametime at home. If I try to work the animation, and etc, at home then I'll probably forget before I even get to my home which I don't want.
> Now, I am going to drop the discussion about "laptop" because I think I am making this question about laptop rather the "laptop CPU" itself.
> For the people who use A10, how well does it perform in Autodesk softwares? I know Intel Core i7 Ivy Bridge Laptop's CPU with a dedicated video card can obviously beat the AMD in term of performance but not the price. Same goes with the A10 APU?
> Do you guys have a benchmark to compare to other laptop's CPU if I decide to get maybe i5?


The A10 is the way to go then









It performs decently in Autodesk. Have a look http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/a10-4600m-trinity-piledriver,3202-14.html


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## Ryou-kun

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MoGTy*
> 
> The A10 is the way to go then
> 
> 
> 
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> It performs decently in Autodesk. Have a look http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/a10-4600m-trinity-piledriver,3202-14.html


Do you have the benchmark link for AMD A10 crossfire APU compare to other laptop video cards? I know it is an off topic.


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## MoGTy

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ryou-kun*
> 
> Do you have the benchmark link for AMD A10 crossfire APU compare to other laptop video cards? I know it is an off topic.


There's a giant list and I don't know which combination that would be, I could look it up. But in any case, here's an example. http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-7660G-HD-7670M-Dual-Graphics.81173.0.html

However. Some bad news is included : The performance of the Dual Graphics solution depends greatly on the driver support for the used games. In some games the performance may even degrade by 10-15% compared to using only the APU graphics card. Only in best case scenarios the performance of a GT 640M is possible. Therefore, due to the micro stuttering and performance problems, Dual Graphics may impose more problems than bring performance gains.


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## ADHDadditiv

The AMD, mainly because after you upgrade the RAM, you can overclock the processor where as the intel cannot be overclocked. I have one of the top-of-the-line Intel i7 processors in my laptop, its hot, slow and cannot go any faster.
If this was a desktop, no question the i7, but since its a laptop, amd is great for laptops.


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## Ryou-kun

Ill just throw in a SSD where it might help the speed


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## Ryou-kun

Well, I believe AMD doesn't have GT 640m, but I think i5 or i7 does.
Is it worth getting i5 with a dedicated GPU even though i5 has dual core and A10 has quad core?


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## PR-Imagery

If the primary usage is gaming, go with the A10 being you seem to be budget limited, if not the i7 and dedicated gpu.



Thats the A10-4600m vs an i-5 2557M and i7-2670QM.

What's your laptop budget? Ultimately that'll allow for a better comparison.


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## Blindsay

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *MoGTy*
> 
> The A10 is the way to go then
> 
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> 
> It performs decently in Autodesk. Have a look http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/a10-4600m-trinity-piledriver,3202-14.html


eh, to each their own but i dont consider that decent. It loses to a dual core SB i5 by 33%, since the thread was vs an ivy i7, it would get murdered in that benchmark if it was against an ivy i7

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *ADHDadditiv*
> 
> The AMD, mainly because after you upgrade the RAM, you can overclock the processor where as the intel cannot be overclocked. I have one of the top-of-the-line Intel i7 processors in my laptop, its hot, slow and cannot go any faster.
> If this was a desktop, no question the i7, but since its a laptop, amd is great for laptops.


Slow, Intel? no dice. If you have an i7 and it's slow, something is wrong. Intel cant be overclocked? bit of a broad statement, there are mobile intel chips that can be overclocked. That aside though intel has a pretty substantial lead in most cases so you would have to overclock amd just to catch up.Not to mention you pretty much throw battery life and temps out the window once you start overclocking on (most) laptops.
Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Ryou-kun*
> 
> Well, I believe AMD doesn't have GT 640m, but I think i5 or i7 does.
> Is it worth getting i5 with a dedicated GPU even though i5 has dual core and A10 has quad core?


I think an i5 + a dedicated gpu would give you a very solid overall system.

I would suggest if you are not getting a dedicated graphics card, the A10 offers decent balance between cpu and gpu performance. If you get a dedicated graphics card, pair it up with an i5 or an i7


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## ADHDadditiv

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *PR-Imagery*
> 
> If the primary usage is gaming, go with the A10 being you seem to be budget limited, if not the i7 and dedicated gpu.
> 
> Thats the A10-4600m vs an i-5 2557M and i7-2670QM.
> What's your laptop budget? Ultimately that'll allow for a better comparison.


I own that pavilion, its is a PIECE!!!! The bloatware that they put on SEVERELY limits the speed and unless you do a completely fresh install of windows, which is extremely hard to do without knowing which mobo it has (which i dont).
I would much much rather get the A10 with something like a 7870m then that crappy hp.


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## PR-Imagery

I wasn't recommending the laptop... the comparison between the cpu performance was the point; and if that's with a bloated install I wonder how much faster it'd be with a fresh install


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## ADHDadditiv

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *PR-Imagery*
> 
> I wasn't recommending the laptop... the comparison between the cpu performance was the point; and if that's with a bloated install I wonder how much faster it'd be with a fresh install


Thats not with the bloatwear, thats not even without it. Thats the "projected" performance, my father has an A6 and 6670m (I think) and his laptop is actually faster then mine, I dont even want to know what it would be like with an A10


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## M3T4LM4N222

I would go w/ the A10 on a laptop. It will handle HD content better, play games and have more than enough power for web browsing. Sure it won't encode/decode/encrypt files as fast as the Core i7 but unless you're constantly editing videos and time is of the essence it won't matter. You're looking at a mere 20-30 second difference between the two on encoding/character creation on average. So it's not EXTREMELY significant like most would have you believe.

I just downgraded from a Core i7 3820 to a A10-5800K and I don't notice the difference in most situations. The A10 (Desktop) is about the equivalent w/ the Phenom II 965 on performance..slightly faster in some situations.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/675?vs=102


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## MoGTy

Quote:


> Originally Posted by *Blindsay*
> 
> eh, to each their own but i dont consider that decent. It loses to a dual core SB i5 by 33%, since the thread was vs an ivy i7, it would get murdered in that benchmark if it was against an ivy i7


I know, I pointed towards that fact in my very first post. But we were discussing the A10 within its own section of the market.


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## Indy1944

your a nasty person, maybe your ok in real life, but your repulsive online.


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