AMD Zen: A serious challenge to Intel?

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We share what we know about the 7th generation AMD processor, and explore some key features

 

AMD to ship Zen-based CPU in October 2016

AMD is set to launch its first Zen-based CPU in October this year.

 

Codenamed Summit Ridge, the chips will sport an octo-core FX CPU and will be targeted towards gaming and high-end desktops. They will also used the new AM4 socket.

 

The chips will be made using the 14nm FinFET fabrication process, which is said to offer improved performance and power efficiency of the 32nm Piledriver processors.

 

AMD preisdent & CEO Lisa Su said in an earnings call that Zen-based CPUs will bring greater than 40 percent improvement in instructions per clock (IPC) over their current lineup.

 

It will also support multi-threading with a total of 16 threads and provide a much needed fillip for AMD’s current line up of chips, which commentators have described as “stagnant”.

AMD Zen: what we know

AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) processors have long lived in the shadow of rival Intel processors, especially when it comes to performance.

Since the release of Intel’s Core architecture, AMD has been playing a long game of catch-up. So far, all attempts have fallen short, something we alluded to in last week’s AMD Carrizo feature.

However, this all might be about to change. As features and functions continue to emerge about the upcoming next generation AMD processor microarchitecture, codenamed Zen, there is a mounting buzz among the community that something big is about happen. We might finally see an AMD processor which can not only compete with rival high-end Intel processors, it could outperform them.

 

A brief history of AMD Zen

Almost five years in the making, AMD commenced planning of the new Zen microarchitecture in early 2012, shortly after re-hiring legendary microprocessor engineer Jim Keller.

 

Keller led a team of engineers for three years before parting ways with AMD in September 2015. The processor is expected to be notably different from predecessors following a from-scratch design that will see

changes and feature enhancements across the board – all this with hopes of making Zen a true rival for Intel’s Skylake and upcoming Kaby Lake processors.

 

Suzanne Plummer, Zen team leader went on record to say this in September 2015: “This is the first time in a very long time that we engineers have been given the total freedom to build a processor from scratch and do the best we can do. It is a multi-year project with a really large team. It’s like a marathon effort with some sprints in the middle. The team is working very hard, but they can see the finish line. I guarantee that it will deliver a huge improvement in performance and (low) power consumption over the previous generation.”

 

Zen will succeed AMD’s previous 28nm Excavator processor architecture. Originally planned for launch in 2017, delays to the ARM64-based K12 sister core saw the Zen design take precedence. Moving up the development ladder, it’s rumoured we can now expect the first APU and high-end CPUs incorporating the Zen microarchitecture to appear as early as October 2016.

 

While Zen is expected to be utilised in future FX CPUs, future Opteron CPUs, future APUs and Opteron server processors, as of February 2016, we’ve yet to hear official names for products utilising the Zen architecture.

 

AMD Zen build features

As mentioned earlier, buzz surrounding the launch of Zen continues to grow as more and more features about the processor build begin to emerge. It’s easy to understand why, here’s what we know so far…

 

Power Consumption and Heat Output

The new processor is confirmed to be built using low-power 14nm FinFET silicon, an advancement on 32nm and 28nm non-FinFET processor builds of previous AMD FX CPUs and APUs. Incorporating this tech is expected bring about greater energy efficiency leading to a significant reduction of power consumption and heat output. The knock-on effect should create battery life improvements for mobile devices incorporating the 7th gen processor. More importantly, this brings AMD in line with Intel. Although Intel is already working on releasing a processor utilising a 10nm process build expected in 2017.

 

Performance and Core Count

One of the major build goals for Zen was a focus on improving performance per core. A goal AMD claims it has delivered on, promising consumers an astonishing 40 percent increase on instructions per clock (IPC) over its predecessors. The next gen processor will also support simultaneous multi-threading. This will improve the overall efficiency of each core, allowing for multiple threads, but also multiple tasks, to be executed simultaneously on a single core.

 

While these features hold real promise, it’s the latest reveal from AMD which brings the most promise, specifically in the datacentre. At a recent CERN IT technical forum discussion, a CERN engineer unveiled a range of AMD Zen processors expected to feature up to 32 physical cores which support Symmetrical Multi-Threading. This build is said to be achieved combining two 16-core CPUs on a single die with using what was described as “a next-generation interconnect”.

 

That’s almost twice the cores currently on Intel’s most powerful Xeon processor which currently tops out at an 18-core chip. Now, higher core count and clock speed don’t always translate to higher performance. But, combined with the rumoured 40 percent IPC on each core we could see a processor offering a powerful a compelling solution for the data centre sector and associated enterprise class applications.

AMD is also rumoured to be developing high-end desktop chips incorporating 16-cores with a powerful GPU integrated.

 

Memory and Socket Compatibility

As it stands, the Zen architecture is expected to support DDR4 (8 channels) and utilise High Bandwidth Memory offering higher bandwidth with lower power usage. This is a first for AMD with past CPUs and APUs only offering support up to DDR3.

 

The new processor is set to be compatible with the upcoming AM4 socket. Unlike past processor product lines, scattered across AM3+, FM2+, and AM1 sockets, this allows Zen to be more SoC-like in nature. This makes it possible to integrate a wide array of components and controllers, removing the need for different types of motherboards and sockets to support them on future variants.

 

In Summary

So there we have it, everything we know about AMD Zen. There are some hugely compelling features with improved performance and power consumption which offer huge promise for the upcoming processor. We may finally see a processor that can cut Intel’s advantage in the CPU performance space, finally offering consumers a headache in purchasing space.

 

Perhaps Zen will go as far as to step out of Intel’s shadow, offering a new leader in the high-end desktop and server processor space. That is until, Intel’s 10nm process build hits the shelves in 2017. Of course, the Zen is not yet here and I’m sure we’ll see plenty more features emerge over the coming months. So, check back regularly as we update this feature.

 

 

The Source