AMD Unveils First Zen Desktop Processor Details, Picks 'Ryzen' To Brand Zen CPU (hothardware.com)

MojoKid writes from a report via HotHardware: AMD has just officially unveiled that desktop variants of its Zen processor family will now be branded RYZEN. Zen-based processors will eventually target desktops, servers, and mobiles device, but the first wave of products will be targeted at the performance desktop market, where gamers and VR continue to spur growth. AMD is positioning RYZEN as a high-performance option and though there will be other core configurations as well, AMD has disclosed that one of the high-end options in the initial RYZEN line-up will feature 8 cores (16 threads with SMT) and at minimum a 3.4 GHz base clock, with higher turbo frequencies. That processor will also be outfitted with 20MB of cache -- 4MB of L2 and 16MB of L3 -- and it will be infused with what AMD is calling SenseMI technology. SenseMI is essentially fancy branding for the updated branch predictor, prefetcher, and power and control logic in Zen. AMD's upcoming AM4 platform for RYZEN will be outfitted with all of the features expected of a modern PC enthusiast platform. AM4 motherboards will use DDR4 memory and feature PCIe Gen 3 connectivity, and support for USB 3.1 Gen 2, NVMe, and SATA Express. Performance demos of RYZEN shown to members of the press pit a stock Intel Core i7-6900K (3.2GHz base, 3.7GHz turbo) with Turbo Boost that was enabled on the 6900K, versus RYZEN with boost disabled running at 3.4GHz flat. In the demo, the RYZEN system outpaced the Core i7-6900K by a few seconds.

Comments

Pretty much

[ArchieBunker]

Back around 2006 or 2007 AMD made a huge announcement that they bought ATI graphics. Around the same time Intel released the Core series of CPUs and blew AMD out of the water. Instead of investing in r&d they spent all their capital on a graphics card company. AMD has been playing catch up ever since.

Re:Pretty much

[Kjella]

They saw that the future was laptops and more powerful CPU+IGP solutions than Intel could offer. But I don't think they truly understood how much marrying themselves to ATI would allow Intel to make a move on nVidia and the graphics market. Intel took the opportunity to kill off third party chipsets giving them in practice full control over the motherboard and integrate their IGP into the CPU so every sale was a bundle. By having AMD open the door Intel could do it without any real anti-trust issues, I think they had to pay off nVidia a little but they got what they wanted.

If they'd not bought ATI then Intel could have had both ATI and nVidia turn against them as Intel tried to move in, with AMD having the pick of the crop. Or even if Intel had bought ATI as there was rumors then nVidia would become their natural ally for free. Look for example at the gaming market, we're buying quad-core chips with huge IGPs we don't need because we'll be using dGPU(s) anyway, but Intel has still made it better value than hex-cores with X99 motherboards. They can do that because there's no choice, Zen is targeting the gamer simply by using all the die space for the CPU. AMD has to start thinking about how the competition will act in response.

Re: I'll be building a new computer early next yea

[Anonymous Coward]

Indeed. It's good to have them around for competition, at least. And AMD systems are usually upgradeable for years to come.