AMD Fusion A8-3850 Platform Review

Here we are on the eve of Black Friday for the US Thanksgiving holiday season. A month ago the WSGF put forth its review of the AMD Fusion E-350 APU platform. The AMD Fusion E-350 APU platform was targeted at a specific segment of the gaming population (the ultraportable and netbook segment).

With the A8-3850, we want to expand our viewpoint so that a broader aspect of our audeince can make an informed buying decision. The A8 series from AMD is targeted at the Intel i5 platform (with integrated graphics).

With the release of the A8 series, AMD continues to make a strategic play for the "integrated graphics" segment of the "mainstream" user segment. The AMD A8 line is not positioned as a competitor to the raw CPU power of the Intel i7 line. It is positioned as a competitor to the integrated CPU/GPU ecosystem of the mainstream i5 Intel Sandy Bridge line.

With the A8 series, AMD is firmly positioning itself againt Intel in the Mainstream segment, and looks to compete in both the CPU and integrated graphics fronts. The A8 isn't positioned in a segment where the CPU alone costs $400-$500. The A8 is positioned in a segment where the entire PC costs $500.

A comparison of the specs between two key APUs in the AMD product stack. We reviewed the E-350 a month prior to this article.