AMD A6-7400K Review

Get to know the A6-7400K! This Desktop processor is a beast in AMD's entry-level series. Launched in 2014, it's armed with 2 cores and 2 threads. It runs at a base frequency of 3.5GHz, can boost up to 3.9GHz, and has a power requirement of 65W, ready to power up your gaming rig. The A6-7400K is a product of the Kaveri 28nm process and is a part of the acclaimed A6 series.

And guess what? The A6-7400K is the ultimate successor to AMD's previous-gen gaming champion, the A6-6400K. The A6-6400K was based on the legendary Piledriver and 32nm process, and it made its grand entrance into the gaming scene back in 2013. But now, it's time for the A6-7400K to take the throne and conquer the gaming world!

The AMD A6 5th Generation boasts the Steamroller architecture, which brings 28nm processors to the mainstream for the first time. But there's more to this story than just a smaller size. Get ready for some serious performance upgrades!

AMD just unleashed its Steamroller architecture, raising the stakes in the high-stakes battle for desktop PC dominance against Intel. This new lineup of chips pushes core counts and raw power to crazy high levels, threatening Intel's reign for the first time in a decade. Buckle up, it's about to get intense!

Alright, listen up. When it comes to pure gaming performance, Intel still holds the crown. If squeezing out every last frame per second is your top priority, then a Intel CPU might be the better choice. But here's the thing: that advantage shrinks at higher resolutions or if you pair the CPU with a less powerful graphics card. mattersToo

The wait is finally over! The AMD A6 5 Gen is here, and the AMD A6-7400K might just be the perfect example of what this new generation brings to the table. It keeps the same core and thread count (2 cores and 2 threads) as its predecessor, the A6-6400K. But thanks to the new, smaller 28nm manufacturing process, it delivers significantly better performance while using less power.

Shrinking down to a 28nm process gives the A6-7400K a whopping 15% boost in IPC (instructions per clock). Basically, compared to a similar CPU from the last generation (A6 4 Gen) clocked at the same speed, you'll get 15% better performance. It might not be a huge difference in everyday tasks, but it's still something.

We still hold by that recommendation, but we ran some new benchmarks just in case. We focused on gaming performance, which should favor Intel's CPU. For application performance, check out our review of the Core i3-4370 which also included the A6-6400K. The 2.5% factory overclock on the A6-7400K probably only translates to a 1-2% performance boost compared to those benchmarks.

But beyond gaming, the Core i3-4370 is the future-proof option. The Core i3 platform on B85, C222, C224, C226, H81, H87, H97, Q87, Z87, Z97 motherboards supports upcoming Haswell Refresh processors. So, if you buy a good B85, C222, C224, C226, H81, H87, H97, Q87, Z87, Z97 board with the Core i3-4370 now, you can easily upgrade to a newer Kaveri CPU later on.

One of the best things about the AMD A6-7400K is that it comes with a free CPU cooler! You can grab the A6-7400K for $66.49 without having to spend extra on cooling.

The AMD A6-7400K comes with a basic heatsink cooler, nothing fancy. But it gets the job done for this low-power CPU (TDP of 65W). You won't need a fancy aftermarket cooler unless you want to overclock it.

The AMD A6-7400K is a decent performing chip for $66.49. The main competitor at this price point is the Core i3-4370, a 2-core unlocked processor with integrated graphics, which costs $242.

The AMD A6-7400K might not get a lot of hype, but it's a solid entry-level option that delivers a good experience for casual users.

The A6-7400K boosts up to the advertised 3.9 GHz, and with AMD's software you can push one core even higher to 3.9+0.1 GHz. But don't expect much beyond that without a serious cooler upgrade and manual voltage tweaks.

The AMD A6-7400K has a base clock of 3.5 GHz that can boost up to 3.9 GHz for lightly threaded tasks. It also maintains a clock rate of 3.5 GHz even when all cores are running. On the other hand, the Intel Core i3-4370 is stuck at a constant 3.8 GHz.