Wednesday, December 9th 2015
AMD Socket AM4 to Transition "Excavator" and "Zen" Architecture
A lot is riding on AMD's upcoming desktop CPU socket, codenamed AM4. Some of the first motherboards based on this socket are expected to launch in March 2016. What makes the socket particularly interesting (and important) is that it's a transition point for AMD's two major CPU architecture generations - "Excavator" and "Zen." Excavator is an incremental upgrade of AMD's less than successful "Bulldozer" architecture, while "Zen" is its next major one. AM4 is also going to be a common socket for AMD's desktop APU and many-core CPUs.
Some of the first socket AM4 APUs could be "Bristol Ridge." Succeeding the company's "Carrizo" APUs, it will be available in both socket AM4, supporting DDR4 memory, and FP4, supporting both DDR3 and DDR4. This chip will implement "Excavator" CPU cores. In its AM4 avatar, "Bristol Ridge" will offer up to four CPU cores, with TDP ranging between 45W-65W, and with support for DDR4-2400 memory. Later in 2016, AMD could debut its first "Zen" multi-core CPUs, which feature the company's next-gen, performance-focused CPU cores.
Sources:
Benchlife.info, Planet 3DNow
Some of the first socket AM4 APUs could be "Bristol Ridge." Succeeding the company's "Carrizo" APUs, it will be available in both socket AM4, supporting DDR4 memory, and FP4, supporting both DDR3 and DDR4. This chip will implement "Excavator" CPU cores. In its AM4 avatar, "Bristol Ridge" will offer up to four CPU cores, with TDP ranging between 45W-65W, and with support for DDR4-2400 memory. Later in 2016, AMD could debut its first "Zen" multi-core CPUs, which feature the company's next-gen, performance-focused CPU cores.
44 Comments on AMD Socket AM4 to Transition "Excavator" and "Zen" Architecture
Chop off production of the AM3 crap and make me a goddamn full excavator die.I'm sure it's way better now, but I used the first release x264 encoder supporting FMA and it chewed through some 1080P at the highest quality possible (40fps).
That might turn into not a bad base for the short term to play with, while later after Zen has been in the market and prices stabilize, drop in one of those.
Releasing an Unlocked and inexpensive Bristol Ridge would be a means of driving information out there on this new platform. Remember the all the buzz Intel got from the G358, it spurred a lot of mobo sales. While I don't see it stealing sells of Zen when it comes at first, and if you see good improvement and its been a year, most would see it no big deal in dropping $150 for a faster Zen CPU.
I never thought of getting into the FM2/FM2+ platform, there would be always the idea that at some point I'd want a upgrade to a discrete. Plus I always saw it wasn't looking to be a long term socket. That said, I might be looking to update the old HTPC, and could consider A8-7600 and say a AMD A68H (Bolton D2H) if they start clearing stuff. I might be in for like <$100 for both.
IMO, I think most of you are expecting too much or expecting something that was never going to happen in the first place.
Havent even used it for 6 months overall.
Anyway, did I read this as there will be a single socket for both Zen and whatever else is coming up, plus some filler before then? That would be quite ok to me.