Thursday, April 30th 2015
AMD Zen-based 8-core Desktop CPU Arrives in 2016, on Socket FM3
In what is a confirmation that AMD has killed socket AM3+ and its 3-chip platform, a leaked slide that's part of a larger press-deck addressing investors, tells us that the company is planning to launch a high-performance desktop processor targeting enthusiasts, based on its next-generation "Zen" architecture, in 2016. Our older articles detail the Zen CPU core design, and the way in which AMD will build multi-core CPUs with it. This processor will be codenamed "Summit Ridge," and will be a CPU, and not an APU as previously reported. In AMD-speak, what sets a CPU apart from an APU is its lack of integrated graphics.
AMD "Summit Ridge" will be an 8-core CPU built on the 14 nanometer silicon fab process. It will feature eight "Zen" cores, with 512 KB of L2 cache per core, 16 MB of L3 cache, with 8 MB shared between two sets of four cores, each; a dual-channel integrated memory controller that likely supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory types; and an integrated PCI-Express gen 3.0 root complex, with a total of 22 lanes. We can deduce this from the fact that "Summit Ridge" will be built in the same upcoming socket FM3 package, which the company's "Bristol Ridge" Zen-based APU will be built on. "Summit Ridge" will hence be more competitive with Intel's 6th generation Core "Skylake" processors, such as the i7-6700K and i5-6600K, than the company's "Broadwell-E" HEDT platform.
The mainstream APU based on Zen, codenamed "Bristol Ridge," features four Zen cores, 512 KB of L2 cache, 8 MB of shared L3 cache, an integrated GPU based on AMD's "Greenland" class stream processors, and a similar uncore loadout as "Summit Ridge."
AMD "Summit Ridge" will be an 8-core CPU built on the 14 nanometer silicon fab process. It will feature eight "Zen" cores, with 512 KB of L2 cache per core, 16 MB of L3 cache, with 8 MB shared between two sets of four cores, each; a dual-channel integrated memory controller that likely supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory types; and an integrated PCI-Express gen 3.0 root complex, with a total of 22 lanes. We can deduce this from the fact that "Summit Ridge" will be built in the same upcoming socket FM3 package, which the company's "Bristol Ridge" Zen-based APU will be built on. "Summit Ridge" will hence be more competitive with Intel's 6th generation Core "Skylake" processors, such as the i7-6700K and i5-6600K, than the company's "Broadwell-E" HEDT platform.
73 Comments on AMD Zen-based 8-core Desktop CPU Arrives in 2016, on Socket FM3
So much from future upgradeability.
14nm could actually prove to be competitive with Intel. If they can pull it off, this might be the big break AMD desperately needs. I can't help but think maybe Sony, Microsoft, and now even Nintendo switching to AMD may have made this possible.
But even more, AMD's pushes towards multicore seem to be paying off. With DX12 and Windows 10 showing boosts. AMD was just years early. Intel had IPC till they were blue in the face but they did nothing but quad core outside of server/workstation CPUs. While AMD flopped about pushing higher. Course they kinda had to. They don't have the strength Intel has. All they could do was build the foundations and prep for a time when it would matter.
However, had they stayed the course with BD, I doubt they'd be looking very well for next year. No doubt Intel is going to have something to counter. I don't think they'd take 8 core/16 thread competition lying down. But damn if AMD is good on price...holy video encode Batman!
Looks like there will only be one APU for FM3.
Might not happen :)
32 core 64 thread monstaaaa :)