AMD FX-8150 Bulldozer Processor Review

Value
The AMD FX-8150 processor is without a doubt the latest and greatest product coming out of AMD's processor division. At the price of $245 it is clear that AMD recognizes that their performance is not on par with a $300+ chip and to be frank, at $245 it does deliver quite a bit of value especially in terms of overclocking.



The FX-8150 will likely be a very good companion for anyone considering building a powerful gaming machine that is capable of running all the latest games without a hitch. There is the concern of using too much power, but it isn't off the scales to the point where one must worry about the PSU choice. Also, another thing to consider is that not only do you save money on the price of the processor by $50 to $80 but you also save about the same if not more on the motherboard as most AMD 990FX motherboards are much less expensive than their P67 and Z68 counterparts.

For example, building a system based on AMD FX-8150 result in $245.99 charge for the processor and $224.99 for the Crosshair V Formula motherboard. The Core i7 2600K goes for $314.99, but the biggest difference is the motherboard. The comparable Maximus IV Extreme motherboard goes for $349.99. The price difference is $190, which is the difference between buying a high-end Radeon HD 6970 2GB or mainstream HD 6870.

Conclusion
AMD's new FX-8150 processor is not entirely the game changer that many people were expecting, but it does put AMD back into the game in a way that they really weren't in it before. With their heavy focus on gaming performance and added value there is no doubt that AMD will be working harder and harder with every single revision to improve performance in ways that consumers ultimately benefit from. With the planned release of Piledriver-core based A-Series and FX-Series processors in 2012 consumers can expect to see a minimum 10% to 15% improvement over Bulldozer's performance today.

AMD's new Bulldozer architecture is a sea change in thinking for the company and a drastic change in the way the company thinks about processors. We hope that this brings more innovation and better products and we're glad to see that they're back to providing a quality product for a reasonable price.