The 8320e CPU is a lower-power (95-watts) version of the AMD
8320 (125-watts) CPU. I purchased it to replace an old AMD Phenom II on my old
"Asus M5A99X EVO" motherboard, both were replaced by this CPU and by the "Asus
Sabertooth 990FX R2.0" motherboard.
The purchase price was 138 euros, but the prices on market continue to fall,
also due to the fact that this CPU can easily be overclocked, so not only is
comparable, in terms of performance, to the brother 8320, but even to both AMD
8350 and 8370, that cost more.
This CPU was indeed overclocked by me at 4.2 ghz and works without many
problems. Unfortunately, this CPU warms up a lot already if overclocked to 4.2
ghz, from me it has been tested up to 4.5 ghz, but in this case the heat is
really impressive, and brings the fan of my CPU heatsink (a CoolerMaster Hyper
212 Evo) quickly at top speed even without sustained work peaks. The frequency
of 4.2 ghz I consider it to be a good compromise between heat and performance,
beyond that frequency you need to have a good heat dissipation system, and be
ready for a consumption that, without exaggerating, can also reach the 150 watts
(consumption referred to the CPU only).
I used some benchmark programs, including Geekbench3, Passmark CPU and AIDA64,
just to get an idea of ??the general performance, especially with overclocking.
I must say the truth, this CPU has come to compete with AMD 8350 and 8370, and
with some Intel i7 core processors (obviously the most advanced and most
expensive of the i7 series of Intel are of a different level and of another
price).
It all depends on how you configure the CPU overclocking, the quality of the
motherboard, the speed of RAM and the operating system used.
I am limited by an air sink (a CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Evo). Although quite
competitive, this heatsink already starts to yield in efficiency if the
processor is brought to 4.5 ghz. Beyond this frequency, the water dissipation
becomes the only reliable way, in order to reach the 5 ghz, frequency certified
by AMD itself as overclocking for this processor (frequency even highlighted on
the processor box itself).
In short, with 138 euros for this CPU, plus other 177 euros for the motherboard,
I upgraded the computer, and now I find myself with an octa-core, with more than
decent performance, without having to spend so much money.
In 2017 AMD has foreseen the entry of a new platform, called "Zen" with higher
speeds, such as to be able to compete with Intel's i7 processors. For those
users in no hurry, and for those who still want to take advantage of the
relatively low AMD AM3 socket prices, then this CPU is a great choice, perhaps
among the least expensive for AMD's AM3-FX platform.
I definitely recommend it. With just 130 euros, you get to a level of an AMD
8370, and at a level of an Intel i7 (but always remember the basic Intel i7),
with the possibility of overclocking up to 5 ghz, the processor is unlocked.