Overall and Final Verdicts
The recent updates to the FM2+ lineup including the three processors I tested today were much needed. All three were just refreshed APUs/CPUs with increased clock speeds so if you are already running an A10-7870 I wouldn’t be running out to get a new APU. That said they do help keep the lineup at least somewhat fresh, especially with the A10-7890K getting a bump in onboard clock speed as well. The Athlon X4 880K was the first Athlon CPU that we have tested and it did peak my interest with its sub $100 price point. In a lot of the benchmarks it was performing close to what the A10-7890K would do making it a good value if you already have a dedicated GPU to use. The AM3+ line is still a much better option if you are hoping to stick with AMD and want the best in performance. Because of that I can really only recommend the X4 880K if you have a dedicated GPU and are looking to save a little money while getting similar performance to the A10-7890K.
The 7890K and the 7860K are both good options for HTPCs and basic PCs where you don’t need cutting edge speed. The 7890K also adds a little value by coming with the Wraith cooler. That said its power usage was worse than I would like. I’m also not a big fan of it being the top of the line AM2+ APU and still being so far behind Intel, especially with old Intel CPUs like the 2600K out performing in some cases. The A10-7860K didn’t have the same power issues, with the lower TDP it pulled a lot less power and ran much cooler as well. The 95 Watt cooler than comes with it stock is extremely weak though. All three processors have the K designation at the end meaning they are unlocked as well so with the 125 watt cooler and the wraith cooler you should have a lot of room to edge out a little more performance, even with stock cooling.
Live Pricing: HERE
Live Pricing: HERE
Live Pricing: HERE
