AMD Athlon II 620 X4
Further Gaming
Published: 3rd November 2009 | Source: AMD | Price: £77.12 |
Further Gaming
Ok. We've tried a few of the CPU based benchmarks. We've done some gentle gaming as befits this specification. Let's run some OC3D classics with all the eye candy on. We know you're all gagging to know how our three regulars do and OC3D always wants to keep its readers happy. All games are run at the 1680 x 1050 resolution, with maximum possible settings using in game menus. AA and AF levels are noted after each graph.
Crysis is a well-known system destroyer. 1680 resolution with everything set to very high, but AA and AF off, should really see how much juice the CPU has got, because we all know the 4850 definitely can't cope with this level of detail. Or at least that would be the belief before seeing the results. Yes the actual frame-rates aren't that impressive in terms of pure numbers, but make no mistake, this is buttery smooth. The particular test used here was a run into the first major fortified structure you come across in the game. Anyone who has wandered into the minefield knows where we are. Lots of bullets, lots of people, lots of water effects and dense forest. Crysis certainly isn't shy about making 25-odd FPS feel like 60. The 620 X4 remained cool even overclocked and following multiple test runs. Very impressive.
Call of Duty 4 : Modern Warfare is coming to the end of its life as a useful test of modern hardware, especially with the forthcoming release of MW2. Still, for the time being we all know it and love it. In this particular case apart from the obvious 1680, maxed settings we also added 8xAF and 4xAA. The tests were run through the Epilogue level as it's definitely a firefight with good smoke effects and some explosions. It's also easily repeatable, something that manual benchmarks delight in. As you can see from the above graph it posed absolutely no problem for either the processor or the graphics card. Both of them breezing through with amazing frame-rates.
Race Driver GRiD is, like COD4, about to be supplanted by a similar game. In this case Dirt 2. However it's still one of the more playable racing games around and works happily no matter what the hardware configuration. It's especially kind to ATI cards so the frame rates we're getting here are no shock at all. 1680, everything on High or Ultra, 4xMSAA around the very testing US circuits, and even at default clocks on a low-end graphics card the minimum FPS was 59, just one shy of the magic 60. It averaged into the 80s even from the back of the pack on the demolition derby track when all hell was being let loose. Along with Far Cry 2 a seriously impressive result.
Time for a summation of this.
Most Recent Comments
Welcome to the team VB! 
The X4 620 certainly is a stonking processor for the money, though my hunch is that the OC limitation lies with the motherboard. 250HTT can often be a real struggle for some boards. It may have been a CPU related limitation if the mobo didn't offer a decremental NB multiplier.
Good work!
The X4 620 certainly is a stonking processor for the money, though my hunch is that the OC limitation lies with the motherboard. 250HTT can often be a real struggle for some boards. It may have been a CPU related limitation if the mobo didn't offer a decremental NB multiplier.
Good work!
Thanks Mul.
It was the most frustrating OC I've ever attempted. Usually you get towards it and gradually strike the balance between stability and the CPUz screengrab of death. This was just all or nothing.
It's amazing value for money though.
It was the most frustrating OC I've ever attempted. Usually you get towards it and gradually strike the balance between stability and the CPUz screengrab of death. This was just all or nothing.
It's amazing value for money though.
Picked one of these up last week actually... Gotta say for the cash it is a complete bargain. I managed 3.4Ghz but unstable. Running at 3.2GHz very stable
At £70-80 for a 3.2GHz Quad CPU you can't complain at all
Nice review VB
At £70-80 for a 3.2GHz Quad CPU you can't complain at all
Nice review VB
Great review VB.
I think I'm alone in feeling uneasy about the pricing on this.
I do accept that, yes it's quad core, and yes it'll capably handle what's thrown at it - and I can see oc'ers liking this.
So why the uneasy feeling... perhaps if the £77 is mrrp and it onlines at £70 or a snatch under, I'd feel a little better.
But I think I latch onto the superpi score (which there is a multicore version available now I think I've seen), just under 25s for an oc. Then look over at Intel's camp, especially considering the £220 mobo/cpu idea. Intel are ofc making the adjustments too, and they're 'pentiumizing' previous c2d cpus, and yeah they're 2 cores (if u bank on 4 cores, or have a legit reason to think ur software will use it - ur not really on a budget imo) - but they are more attractively priced imo, and ofc they oc too.
Tough one.
I think I'm alone in feeling uneasy about the pricing on this.
I do accept that, yes it's quad core, and yes it'll capably handle what's thrown at it - and I can see oc'ers liking this.
So why the uneasy feeling... perhaps if the £77 is mrrp and it onlines at £70 or a snatch under, I'd feel a little better.
But I think I latch onto the superpi score (which there is a multicore version available now I think I've seen), just under 25s for an oc. Then look over at Intel's camp, especially considering the £220 mobo/cpu idea. Intel are ofc making the adjustments too, and they're 'pentiumizing' previous c2d cpus, and yeah they're 2 cores (if u bank on 4 cores, or have a legit reason to think ur software will use it - ur not really on a budget imo) - but they are more attractively priced imo, and ofc they oc too.
Tough one.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='VonBlade'
Thanks Mul.
It was the most frustrating OC I've ever attempted. Usually you get towards it and gradually strike the balance between stability and the CPUz screengrab of death. This was just all or nothing. It's amazing value for money though. |
Hi, new here.
1. Nice review, man. 'Cause that's real life, where the silicon you buy does only a part of what most reviews say.
2. It looks to me that the notorius and long praised 785G chipset is somewhat stucked in OC. I don't especially blame a certain producer, but the chipset/BIOS combination. AMD770 + SB710 appears more OC-friendly, since I personally jumped over the 250 mark, and I bet I'm not the only.
3. Picked one of these nano-beasts last month. I've come along with a CADAC. After getting around 3.7 GHz with decent voltage, finally managed the 3.9 GHz with 13 x 300 on air cooling, but at 1.6V (see validation below). By the way, was it possible to set the memory to "Ganged" in the BIOS? I've noticed that you may OC further in this way.
It is also a question of luck: during more than a 6-year period, this is only the third CPU I own in a long series which proved to be highly OC-able.
Sorry, I'm not allowed to post links.
1. Nice review, man. 'Cause that's real life, where the silicon you buy does only a part of what most reviews say.
2. It looks to me that the notorius and long praised 785G chipset is somewhat stucked in OC. I don't especially blame a certain producer, but the chipset/BIOS combination. AMD770 + SB710 appears more OC-friendly, since I personally jumped over the 250 mark, and I bet I'm not the only.
3. Picked one of these nano-beasts last month. I've come along with a CADAC. After getting around 3.7 GHz with decent voltage, finally managed the 3.9 GHz with 13 x 300 on air cooling, but at 1.6V (see validation below). By the way, was it possible to set the memory to "Ganged" in the BIOS? I've noticed that you may OC further in this way.
It is also a question of luck: during more than a 6-year period, this is only the third CPU I own in a long series which proved to be highly OC-able.
Sorry, I'm not allowed to post links.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='Judderman'
did you drop the multiplier down?, this may give an indicator if the 250fsb is the problem or the 3.2ghz clock is the limit
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Another test is in the pipeline.
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