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

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

So you can disable XFR if you don't want it doing that then?

I assume so as it looks an optional thing for overclocking.

Edit!!

But I am interested in how it can work in theory.

If it is load dependent,ie,takes into account how many cores are being used,that could potentially help in running a few cores at much higher clockspeed than normal whilst keeping the unused cores at much lower speed.

 

[SiDeards73]

One thing i think this aggressive launch of CPU's will do, alongside AMD being in consoles, is potentially push devs into coding for more cores in future stuff, obviously its not going to happen overnight, some games are already taking advantage of this.

But i think this may be the push thats required, if AMD are bringing more cores to a much cheaper price point, and with it good performance across all the cores, devs will probably be more inclined to code for those cores, how long before 4/8 becomes the norm even in real low end rigs?

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I think this is what we are missing on and I kind of hinted at it before - if 4C CPUs with reasonably fast cores are under £150 and 4C/8T CPUs are under £200,it means more and more normal gaming PCs,will have a better CPU.

A lot of games are going to be coded with either consoles in mind or the specs of more mass market PCs in mind,so if any improvements in the specs will help push PC gaming forward as a whole.

£175 Core i3 K series CPUs don't really do that. Its only an excuse to find away to charge more for a lower end SKU.

 

[ubersonic]

£175 Core i3 K series CPUs don't really do that. Its only an excuse to find away to charge more for a lower end SKU.

Hopefully that will be the last stand of Intel's price gouging era and Ryzen will help return prices to normality

 

[Panos]

Hmm if is working like the Boost 3.0 on NVidia cards, i wonder if 2 480mm (thick EK ones) will be better than 1 480mm, and all around 16mm tubing to push as hard as possible the 1800X

 

[StarShock]

interesting hypothesis on reddit :

https://www.reddit.com/r/Amd/comments/5t71y3/i_found_out_the_meaning_of_the_x_in_ryzen_7_1800x/

X CPUs have XFR non X don't. Could be a good shout.

 

[mmj_uk]

So the non-X models are basically locked then? they won't boost beyond the base clock speed? or can you still overclock them manually without XFR?

 

[humbug]

Ryzen 7 1700 (YD1700BBAEBOX) with SpecSheet Appeared at HardwareSchotte.de

Translates to..

• Energy-efficient AMD Ryzen 8-core processor with ZEN architecture with quiet Wraith cooler
• This CPU has no fixed multiplier , similar to the AMD Black Edition.
• 8 cores with 16 threads at up to 3.7 GHz clock
&#8226; AMD Ryzen processors has no fixed turbo clock - the maximum Turbo clock is dependent on the cooling. < This I find interesting!

Stolen from reddit again

Same as Nvidia's pascal GPU's, up to 3.7Ghz seems somewhat contradictory to a limitless turbo but its not really, IMO that is not what it says, that is the highest base clock of the range, so the 1700 might be 3.2Ghz base, the 1700X 3.4Ghz base and the 1800X 3.7Ghz base.

 

[Silent_Scone]

I can't see how overclock and turbo become the same thing on the X platform. Almost anything automatic like this has to work within a TDP or you can't really sell it with a TDP.

What's to say it isn't controlled via firmware.

 

[SiDeards73]

So the non-X models are basically locked then? they won't boost beyond the base clock speed? or can you still overclock them manually without XFR?

No, all RyZen CPU's are unlocked, i guess it means the autoboost feature is not available on those models without the X if that rumor is true, does not mean you can not manually OC it.

 

[humbug]

No, all RyZen CPU's are unlocked, i guess it means the autoboost feature is not available on those models without the X if that rumor is true, does not mean you can not manually OC it.

Speculation:

1700 = Boost limited to #Ghz
1700X = Limitless boost
1800X = Limitless boost and binned for cool running higher boosts. Maybe even an AIO cooler.

 

[SiDeards73]

Speculation:

1700 = Boost limited to #Ghz
1700X = Limitless boost
1800X = Limitless boost and binned for cool running higher boosts. Maybe even an AIO cooler.

Possibly yeah, i imagine that 1800X is going to be very limited supply at first as well, infact i would imagine all of the 4/8, 6/12 and 8/16 chips top binned chip are going to sell like hot cakes, as they will be potentially the best of each tier.

 

[StarShock]

This could be very interesting, if the X SKUs are all related to the XFR, and the head to head they showed against the 6900k was without XFR, then it was effectively a 1700 that beat out the 6900k.

Come on real benchmarks, the suspense is killing me

 

[SiDeards73]

This could be very interesting, if the X SKUs are all related to the XFR, and the head to head they showed against the 6900k was without XFR, then it was effectively a 1700 that beat out the 6900k.

Come on real benchmarks, the suspense is killing me

Coupled with that tweet about the voltage... wow

I wonder if AMD intentionally sent out chips that were really unfinished just to get them out and a feel for them, knowing full well there would be leaks into the media,its almost impossible now to stop that type of thing in this day and age, especially on something like their brand new chip thats been in development for so long.

All the while holding back the real polished samples for internal testings etc and also to keep people guessing. Then come release they send out the finished chips for reviews, blow everyone away with how great they are and smash the market wide open.

 

[Emlyn_Dewar]

Stop! The hype is snowballing out of control here!
We're set for pages and pages of disappointment and angry faces come release.

 

[Sargatanas2511]

At this rate I will be disappointed when it doesn't have dinner cooked for me when I get home!

 

[jigger]

Stop! The hype is snowballing out of control here!
We're set for pages and pages of disappointment and angry faces come release.

The disappointment will fade when Intel release another £360+ quad core that requires a new chipset and offers the exact same performance as before.

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Stop! The hype is snowballing out of control here!
We're set for pages and pages of disappointment and angry faces come release.

Well if I can get even a Haswell/Broadwell level IPC 4C/8T or 6C/12T CPU with a reasonable clockspeed range out of the box,that will do me if after looking at the leaked pricing for the 8C models.

Plus,if AMD are releasing the APUs towards the end of the year,it would not surprise me if they are Zen+ either,and hopefully with Coffee Lake being 6C/12T,we will also see Intel 4C/8T offerings drop in price too.

 

[DragonQ]

Pretty sure Raven Ridge won't be Zen+. In fact it looks like AMD is doing the opposite to Intel by using new architectures on higher-end products first, then APUs later on. By comparison, Intel are always 1-2 generations behind on their enthusiast platform.

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Pretty sure Raven Ridge won't be Zen+. In fact it looks like AMD is doing the opposite to Intel by using new architectures on higher-end products first, then APUs later on. By comparison, Intel are always 1-2 generations behind on their enthusiast platform.

In the past they are debuted a improved uarchs on the APUs. FM1 had the final iteration of K10. FM2 had the first iteration of Piledriver,and the APUs had the newest iterations of the AMD BD derivatives.

Considering AMD is hinting at yearly updates for Zen,and the fact Ryzen should have been out late last year,it kind of fits the APUs having Zen+ first at the end of the year,especially since greater IPC will no doubt help more in mobile CPUs,as it relieves the need to clock the CPUs higher to target a certain level of performance.

Anyway,we will need to wait and see!!