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AMD Unveils 2nd Gen Ryzen and Threadripper CPUs, 7nm Vega Mobile GPUs At CES (hothardware.com)

Posted by msmash on from the next-up dept.

MojoKid writes: AMD is unveiled a number of upcoming chip products for the new year at CES 2018, including updated next-generation Ryzen and Threadripper desktop processors covering every market segment from mobile to HEDT, and an array of Vega-based graphics products. AMD will be releasing a pair of Ryzen 3-branded mobile APUs for mainstream notebooks. The quad-core / quad-thread Ryzen 3 2300U has base and boost clocks of 2.0GHz and 3.4GHz, respectively, while the dual-core / quad-thread Ryzen 3 2200U clocks-in at 2.5GHz and 3.4GHz, base and boost. Desktop Ryzen APUs, codenamed Raven Ridge, are inbound for the AM4 platform as well. Launching on February 12 are the upcoming Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G. The Ryzen 5 chip is a quad-core / eight-thread machine with an on-die, 11 CU Vega graphics core, priced at $169. The Ryzen 3 2200G is a quad-core / quad-thread chip with and 8 CU Vega-based graphics engine for only $99. CPU core frequencies on the Ryzen 5 2400G range from 3.6GHz -- 3.9GHz (base / boost) and the Ryzen 3 2400G clocks-in at 3.5GHz -- 3.7GHz. 2nd-generation Ryzen desktop processors are on the way as well and will be manufactured using an advanced 12nm+ lithography process, leveraging the Zen+ architecture, which is fundamentally unchanged from current Zen-based processors, save for a few tweaks and fixes that improve cache and memory speeds and latency. 2nd-Generation Ryzen processors are NOT based on the Zen 2 architecture. AMD also mentioned that these new processors will be used in a new line-up of 2nd-Generation Threadripper processors. Finally, the company disclosed two new Vega-based GPUs, a Vega Mobile part with a svelte 1.7mm Z-height and second Vega-based chip, which will be manufactured at 7nm that specifically targets machine learning applications. The low-profile Vega Mobile GPU will find its ways into ultra-thin notebooks and mobile workstations, but speeds and feeds weren't disclosed. AMD also announced that it will be supporting variable refresh rate over HDMI 2.1 in the future as well.

9 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. I hope AMD keep making desktop/server chips by Hal_Porter · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Admittedly I haven't bought any of them since the Athlon XP but it's clear that when AMD is competitive Intel produces better chips.

    And hopefully the current Intel problems with Meltdown will give them a shot in the arm.

    The only problem AMD currently have is that they are not really competitive with Intel for low power mobile chips.

    The worst case is that AMD announce they're concentrating on the embedded market like MIPS.

    Also it would be good to see Via do some chips which are aimed at the mainstream laptop market.

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    1. Re:I hope AMD keep making desktop/server chips by alvinrod · · Score: 2

      The only problem AMD currently have is that they are not really competitive with Intel for low power mobile chips.

      I suppose it depends on what you mean by low power. AMD doesn't have anything that competes against Atom in the ~5W range, but at that power threshold it seems like most people just go with an ARM SoC anyways.

      However, AMD did just release their mobile Zen-based APUs a few months back and they've been trickling out into the market. These are all 4-core/8-thread chips with onboard graphics in a ~15W TDP envelope. That's the same as Intel's U series processors. I think that they're reasonably close in terms of CPU performance but I haven't seen a lot of benchmarks yet, but AMD wins hands down on the GPU side.

    2. Re:I hope AMD keep making desktop/server chips by Kjella · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Well AMD already did their whole diversification strategy to "Enterprise, embedded and semi-custom" which I thought would be their final "if you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen" move, it created other revenue but it also diverted more resources away from competing with Intel. Back in Q2 2016 their "traditional" CPU/GPU unit was down to $435M in revenue and hemorrhaging money (-$85M) and I thought it was only a matter of time before they threw in the towel at least in the CPU market. Sure they hyped Zen but AMD had a long history of promising the world and not delivering.

      Fortunately for all of us, probably most of all AMD they actually had a winner. Last quarter (Q3, Q4 is not out yet) they had $70M in profit on $819M in sales in the same unit, that turnaround is pretty much all Zen in different variations. It was like seeing a boxer battling on the ropes being battered, bruised and dazzled making one last Hail Mary knockout attempt and hitting hard. Now if only they could do the same in the GPU market, after the GTX 9xx series totally crushed them they never quite recovered. More important than low power mobile anyway.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    3. Re:I hope AMD keep making desktop/server chips by Hal_Porter · · Score: 2

      Last time slashdot covered AMD's mobile offerings they didn't seem all that compelling. Basically if I was going to buy a Windows laptop I'd pretty much have to buy an Intel one.

      https://hardware.slashdot.org/...

      The CPU performance of a Ryzen 5 2500U is better than a i7-7600U but worse than a i7-8550U or an i5-8250U

      The GPU performance of an Ryzen 5 2500U/Vega 8 is worse than a i5-8250U/Geforce MX150 but it's faster than integrated Intel HD620 in an i7-8550U

      The power consumption is clearly worse than a either an Intel IGP or even the GeForce MX150. E.g.

      We noted that the Acer Swift 3 with a Core i7-8250U 8th Gen CPU and GeForce MX150 pulled about 9 Watts at idle and 13 - 16 Watts under the light duty load of our HD video loop test. The HP Envy x360 15z with Ryzen 5 Mobile pulled about the same 9 Watts at idle and with similar panel brightness, but under the load of video playback with VLC, pulled 20 Watts with peaks to 30 Watts in spots. We also quickly tested CPU utilization whether running VLC or the Windows 10 video player, and saw Ryzen 5 2500U CPU utilization oscillated at a low 4 - 12 percent. So, it appears at least with respect to VLC and video playback, that Ryzen Mobile with Vega 8 graphics is more power-hungry or perhaps has a bit more driver maturity to undergo to be fully optimized.

      Generally PC laptops have two major customer groups

      1) People who don't care about GPU performance but do care about battery life, price, power consumption etc

      2) People who do care about GPU performance.

      People from group 1) are going to get a machine with an Intel CPU and use the integrated GPU.

      People from group 2) are going to get a machine with an Intel CPU and a discrete GPU. And not a GeForce MX150 either - more like a Geforce 1050 Ti.

      In which case where does the Ryzen 2500U/Vega 8 combo fit in? It doesn't have enough GPU performance for groups 2). It's not low power enough for group 1).

      If they'd managed to build something which had more performance than a MX150 they'd be fine. If they could beat Intel IGPs for power they'd be fine. But something with less performance than a MX150 and more power usage too isn't going to do well.

      Now maybe some of this could be fixed with a driver update. Still based on current performance we're going to see these machines being sold a deep discount. And if they're not commercially successful, why would AMD spend time optimising drivers?

      It's a shame really. AMD Ryzen CPUs on the desktop are actually pretty competitive with Intel. It's a shame the mobile stuff has failed to find the right market niche.

      It's a shame really - when AMD bought ATI I thought it would give them more options than Intel have given that Intel and NVidia are separate companies that get on like cats in a sack.

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    4. Re:I hope AMD keep making desktop/server chips by Hal_Porter · · Score: 2

      True. But that means people will buy type 1) machines with a Thunderbolt port (and possibly a non U CPU). I.e. they'll still want something with low power consumption when it's not linked to an external GPU. Which means AMD will still get hit by the "It's not low power enough for group 1)" issue with their solution.

      In fact Type 1 machines with a Thunderbolt port are going to be really, really common. And eGPU prices will continue to drop.

      I reckon Apple might push eGPUs. They're apparently supported well by High Sierra and Apple don't have any affordable Macbooks with a discrete GPU. Even the high end 15 inch model is very underpowered in GPU terms compared to Windows machines.

      https://www.apple.com/shop/buy...

      $2,799.00 and you only get a Radeon 560.

      That's not a very high end GPU

      https://www.videocardbenchmark...

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  2. Buy now or wait? by admin7087 · · Score: 2

    *sigh* Always the same. I was about to buy a 1600X or 1800X based Ryzen System today, and now I'm unsure again. Should I buy or not? Will the motherboard change with Zen 2?

    1. Re:Buy now or wait? by mandark1967 · · Score: 2

      AMD has stated on multiple occasions that AM4 is going to be supported until at least 2020.

      Buy now.

      I'm dropping $1600+ on a new Ryzen 5 1600x based system this week as well (Technically, it's $1100 for the system and $549 for the case)

      --
      Sig Follows: "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." -- Mark Twain
    2. Re: Buy now or wait? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      AMD isn't vulnerable to Meltdown and Spectre isn't a real threat is you on single user machines.
      Get a 1700. 8 cores, 16 threads, 65watts. $300+$100mobo.
      ITX options are around too.

  3. need ryzen-pro with IPMI like intel xeon-e3 by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    need ryzen-pro boards with IPMI like intel xeon-e3