AMD Dual Graphics Technology Review

Introduction

The AMD Dual Graphics technology (or Radeon Dual Graphics) can combine the processing power of the integrated video of an A-series processor (also called “APU” by the manufacturer) with a Radeon “real” video card, in order to increase performance on games and 3D applications. We tested a Dual Graphics array made with an A8-7670K processor and a Radeon R7 240 video card to verify if is there real performance improving with this configuration. Check it out!

The Dual Graphics technology is, actually, one of the implementations of the AMD CrossFire technology, but where you don’t use two video cards to work together, but one video card working together to the CPU integrated video. This technique was originally called “Hybrid CrossFire”, but the current implementation was named “Dual Graphics”. To know more about the subject, read our tutorial “SLI vs. CrossFire”.

However, it is not any video card that can be used on Dual Graphics. Each generation of A-series CPUs is compatible with certain models of Radeon video cards. The updated table can be found at AMD website.

We decided to test this technology combining the A8-7670K (which we tested recently) to the video card recommended by AMD to pair with this CPU, the Radeon R7 240 (which we also already tested).

We measured the performance with the integrated video alone, then with the Radeon R7 240 installed, but with the Dual Graphics technology disabled, and finally with the Dual Graphics enabled.

Figures 1 and 2 show the CPU and the video card we used in our tests.

Figure 1: A8-7670K processor

Figure 2: XFX Radeon R7 240 video card

In the next page, we will see how to configure Dual Graphics technology.