Specific Improvements
AMD has improved IPC by tweaking the “front-end.” There are L2 cache size increases, and also AMD worked very hard on its branch prediction and execution engine in order to improve IPC. AMD is also introducing support for AVX-512, in a unique way, by implementing a dual 256-bit data path implementation to reduce bottlenecks.
5nm
5nm is a huge part of AMD’s innovation and method of reducing power, though there are many others such as a more “laptop approach” to power management in the I/O die. AMD says that at the same performance Zen 4 is 62% less power or at the same power it’s 49% more performance. Zen 4 is 50% less area compared to the competition, and that is by design AMD states.
AM5
With the new Socket AM5 platform, AMD is introducing the 1718-pin LGA socket. Since this new socket requires a new ILM, we will definitely be pressing them on the matter of heatsink contact pressure and CPU “bending” with their new ILM versus the competition. With the new platform comes PCIe 5.0 and DDR5-only support. There will be several new chipsets, starting at the high-end X670E, then X670 (which are the same chipset), and then a B650E and B650. The only difference in the “Extreme” is how the division between PCIe 5.0 lanes is handled, the Extreme versions will have Storage and Graphics PCIe 5.0 support while the non-Extreme is Storage only. All SKUs support overclocking. These motherboards will be available in October starting at $125.
AMD EXPO Technology
One very cool, and helpful, new feature that AMD is introducing with support from memory makers is AMD EXPO Technology. This is AMD’s answer to XMP profiles in memory, which technically is an Intel spec. With AMD EXPO there will be “EXPO” memory kits from memory manufacturers with built-in AMD-specific memory timing profiles, similar to XMP. However, instead of how DOCP works, by just copying the XMP profile and translating the same timings to the motherboard, EXPO uses specifically tuned timings for the AM5 platform. These timings can go down to the sub-timings, vastly improving DDR5 performance on AMD AM5 platforms. This means much better-suited memory timings to AMD CPUs, and thus, better performance.
Ambitious goals delivered, and more ambitious goals to come.
Discussion (4 replies)
Join Discussion →Thanks, @Brent_Justice for this intro. I'm really looking forward to this gen and I'm keeping an eye out for the 7900/7950 processors for my next upgrade. I'll still be curious to see what 3D items might be in the pipeline too. Cool stuff indeed.
I am utterly shocked that the top end price actually dropped. Competition is a great thing when it actually exists.
Not a whole lot of detail available but from what is there, it looks good.
Now let's see what Raptor Lake will bring with its performance, and I'll be able to make my next upgrade decision. Very nice first steps from AMD for sure!
Zen 4 is here, but still no f*cking Zen 3 for Threadripper non-Pro on Socket sTRX4 / TRX40 chipset.