AMD A6-3650 Llano APU Performance Review

Performance Summary and Conclusion

Performance Summary: Due to its lower operating frequencies, for both its CPU and GPU components, and its fewer number of active Radeon cores, the AMD A6-3650 performs a few notches below its A8-series counterpart across our entire battery of benchmarks. In comparison the Intel’s Sandy-Bridge based parts, the A6-3650 is typically outperformed by the dual-core Core i3-2120, let alone the quad-core i7, in terms of x86 performance, but the A6-3650’s graphics performance is far superior. In some graphics heavy workloads, like 3D gaming, the A6-3650’s integrated Radeon HD 6530 outpaced Intel’s integrated HD graphics by over 50%.

 


AMD Llano Die Shot...

 

The AMD A6-3650 APU is currently available for about $119 on-line. For what is a relatively small investment for a low-power quad-core processor, the A6-3650 offers decent x86 performance with a good performing DX-11 class graphic processor. Pair a chip like this with a low-priced A75 chipset-based motherboard and a nice 8GB memory kit and you’ve got yourself an inexpensive foundation for a casual gaming, home theater, or general purpose PC, for under $250. There’s a lot of value in a Llano-based system currently, but looking back at the numbers it’s clear there is significantly more performance to be had with a modest additional investment in something like a Core i3 with a discrete mid-range discrete GPU.

If you’re looking to build a full-featured, low-power, affordable rig with a DX11-compatible Radeon, though, building around AMD's Llano definitely has some merit. The platform’s low power consumption and graphics capabilities make it a good fit for quiet computing or HTPC applications and overall performance should be “good enough” for a large percentage of users.

  • Low Power
  • Affordable
  • Dual-Graphics Support
  • Integrated DX11 GPU Core

  • x86 Performance Well Below Intel
  • More Performance Available For Minimal Additional Investment

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