Testing Out The Configurable TDP On AMD's Kaveri

AMD Kaveri APUs offer a configurable TDP to target running the APU at lower power rating and this feature can be configured on supported motherboards. While the configurable TDP is targeted for the lower-end Kaveri APUs, I ran some tests from the A10-7850K when bumping its TDP from 95 Watts to 45 to 65 Watts to see how the performance is impacted.

According to AMD the A10-7850K isn't optimized for a configurable TDP but is billed as a feature for the lower-end A8-7600. However, the ASUS motherboard UEFI still allowed manipulating the TDP value for the A10-7850K and so I ran some tests. The ASUS A88X-PRO allowed setting a TDP value in the range of 45 to 65 Watts and I ended up running benchmarks on a five Watt stepping. Some AMD motherboards just offer a 45 Watt or 65 Watt option, but the ASUS A88X-PRO at least allows for greater control of the TDP.

So for those curious on the following pages are more AMD A10-7850K Linux benchmarks under Ubuntu when running at its auto TDP value (95 Watts) ands then 45, 50, 55, 60, and 65 Watts. All benchmarking was handled via the Phoronix Test Suite and you can compare your own system's performance to these results by running phoronix-test-suite benchmark 1401184-PL-AMDKAVERI24.