*** AMD "Zen" thread (inc AM4/APU discussion) ***

[humbug]

I still cant quite believe that these things are going to have pins on them...
.

Cheaper for vendors to manufacture the boards = cheaper boards.

I like the pins being on the CPU, with the pins on the board they can stick to the CPU so when it comes to changing it or removal for cleaning, when they do stick it often results in a dead board.

 

[Doogles]

I still cant quite believe that these things are going to have pins on them...
.

I'm glad they do, harder do bend.

 

[Yutang13]

http://www.zolkorn.com/news/biostar-second-gen-racing-motherboards-launch-event/#example4_27778/0

Have the rest of the AM4 Lineup towards the bottom along with closeups of the GT7. Only the GT7 has 2933MHz support, everything else is 2667.
The last two are B350 and X370 itx boards. Not X300 as expected.

 

[PapaLazaru]

I've got a grand to drop on my ageing 8320e setup.

They need to hurry up.

 

[silversurfer]

CPU pins is more durable I think, depends how thin I guess.

Theres no price ranges known yet ?

 

[DragonQ]

1331 is a lot of pins but honestly whether it's PGA or LGA affects almost no-one. A lot of fuss about nothing.

 

[Silent_Scone]

No, that was just a single motherboard's spec that people extrapolated to mean "AMD's IMC can't handle over 2667 MHz DDR4".

It's because they've locked the sub timings (they're loose as a goose) and updated the microcode. Helps to understand that these are intrinsically related to know what's going on...

Legitreviews source from CES:

http://www.legitreviews.com/amd-ryzen-learned-ces-2017_190305

Multiple sources wishing to remain anonymous spoke with us at CES 2017 and said that DDR4 support on Ryzen boards is no where near as good and that now and that DDR4-2400 is a good all around kit for these processors. Overclockers might be able to squeeze out DDR4 3000 MHz on these boards, but that has been tricky on the early pre-production processors.

I think ASUS are way ahead of these guys in terms of overclocking support from what I've seen so far, that's why they've not played their hand yet. ASrock tend to put * disclaimers next to their spec sheets, that might even be with one module lol.

 

[KentMan]

It's because they've locked the sub timings (they're loose as a goose) and updated the microcode. Helps to understand that these are intrinsically related to know what's going on...

Legitreviews source from CES:

http://www.legitreviews.com/amd-ryzen-learned-ces-2017_190305



I think ASUS are way ahead of these guys in terms of overclocking support from what I've seen so far, that's why they've not played their hand yet. ASrock tend to put * disclaimers next to their spec sheets, that might even be with one module lol.

Biostar just announced AM4 board with 2933mhz support

 

[Silent_Scone]

Biostar just announced AM4 board with 2933mhz support

Former part of my post wasn't vendor specific, but 2933 is slower than what I've seen more recently believe it or not. Hopefully those kits will dial in no problems come March

 

[Apache14]

Having motherboard vendors start listing 2933mhz as "supported overclock" frequencies is very promising, now all of these OC memory speeds are all depending on the motherboard itself and the paird memory modules so it's still not set in stone what will commonly work here.

But this does at least indicate that the zen memory controller will support "faster than standard" ddr memory frequencies when used with the correct motherboard and memory modules.

Tho what we will probably not know until release day is what timings these OC modules will need to be using, if they are really lax then there will be a performance hit rather than a gain for using the OC modules.

 

[Apache14]

1331 is a lot of pins but honestly whether it's PGA or LGA affects almost no-one. A lot of fuss about nothing.

Overall I agree with you it really matters very little, but I personally feel like Intel LGA setup with the CPU IHS clamp to feel a little heavy (always feel like I could do damage if something wasn't lined up perfectly)

However on the flip side iv had PGA chips that have gotten stuck and the pin clamp release arm just wouldn't ever totally open up.... That CPU is still in that motherboard to this day

 

[Silent_Scone]

Having motherboard vendors start listing 2933mhz as "supported overclock" frequencies is very promising, now all of these OC memory speeds are all depending on the motherboard itself and the paird memory modules so it's still not set in stone what will commonly work here.

But this does at least indicate that the zen memory controller will support "faster than standard" ddr memory frequencies when used with the correct motherboard and memory modules.

Tho what we will probably not know until release day is what timings these OC modules will need to be using, if they are really lax then there will be a performance hit rather than a gain for using the OC modules.

It's the subtimings that will make or break that. Currently these aren't programmable by anything other than the chipset on Zen (not sure if this will change prior to launch). With BWE, this is very much the opposite. In fact BWE is capable of running high speeds with most of the sub timings at or near the minimum spacing required by the chipset.

 

[humbug]

Overall I agree with you it really matters very little, but I personally feel like Intel LGA setup with the CPU IHS clamp to feel a little heavy (always feel like I could do damage if something wasn't lined up perfectly)

However on the flip side iv had PGA chips that have gotten stuck and the pin clamp release arm just wouldn't ever totally open up.... That CPU is still in that motherboard to this day

It sounds rather like you just don't know how to install CPU's properly.

 

[Apache14]

It sounds rather like you just don't know how to install CPU's properly.

Probably more me worrying too much with installing the LGA intel chips.

Iv seen multiple accounts of PGA CPUs getting stuck for some reason or another sometimes the release guide / arm can get stuck or breaks

 

[Silent_Scone]

Probably more me worrying too much with installing the LGA intel chips.

Iv seen multiple accounts of PGA CPUs getting stuck for some reason or another sometimes the release guide / arm can get stuck or breaks

Let him have that one.

 

[ubersonic]

I still cant quite believe that these things are going to have pins on them...
.

Why? Anyone stupid enough to break pins off a CPU is also stupid enough to break them off a motherboard. Personally I prefer PGA to LGA (though my fav is still cartridge CPUs).

 

[Hagar]

Why? Anyone stupid enough to break pins off a CPU is also stupid enough to break them off a motherboard. Personally I prefer PGA to LGA (though my fav is still cartridge CPUs).

I agree, PGA is my preference, nothing like just dropping it into the socket. Coming from the original non ZIF (zero insertion force) sockets, nowadays it is a breeze.

 

[StarShock]

...though my fav is still cartridge CPUs.

Hear Hear! bring back cartridge CPUs if nothing else it would make for some interesting new coolers. I wonder how an MSI twin frozr would do with a CPU

 

[Apache14]

Let him have that one.

Its fine I know that I'm perfectly capable when dealing with PC building... Thrown together more than I can remember at uni for friends

 

[Harlequin]

edit: seems I am a little slow