Thursday, July 19th 2018
MSI Drops First Hint of AMD Increasing AM4 CPU Core Counts
With Intel frantically working on an 8-core socket LGA1151 processor to convincingly beat the 8-core AMD Ryzen 2000 series processor, AMD could be working on the next cycle of core-count increases for the mainstream-desktop platform. Motherboard maker MSI may have dropped the first hint that AMD is bringing >8 cores to the socket AM4 mainstream-desktop platform by mentioning that its upcoming motherboards based on the AMD B450 chipset support 8-core "and up" CPU in a marketing video.
AMD will get its next opportunity to tinker with key aspects of its CPU micro-architecture with "Zen 2," being built on the 7 nm silicon fabrication process. If it decides to stick with the CCX approach to multi-core processors, the company could increase per-CCX core counts. A 50 percent core-count increase enables 12-core processors, while a 100 percent increase brings 16-cores to the AM4 platform. MSI video confirms that these >8-core processors will have backwards-compatibility with existing 400-series chipsets, even if they launch alongside newer 500-series chipset.The video follows.
AMD will get its next opportunity to tinker with key aspects of its CPU micro-architecture with "Zen 2," being built on the 7 nm silicon fabrication process. If it decides to stick with the CCX approach to multi-core processors, the company could increase per-CCX core counts. A 50 percent core-count increase enables 12-core processors, while a 100 percent increase brings 16-cores to the AM4 platform. MSI video confirms that these >8-core processors will have backwards-compatibility with existing 400-series chipsets, even if they launch alongside newer 500-series chipset.The video follows.
88 Comments on MSI Drops First Hint of AMD Increasing AM4 CPU Core Counts
:twitch:
Hopefully, techpowerup will make a review using all Core generations at the same frequency, to have a good test on the IPC of intel generations
We gonna go again into a loop of motherboard minefields with some presumably OK boards being discovered as very inadequate for proper cooling and power supply
If you are going to overclock, get an expensive, RGB infested board, that's the only way to be sure.
Finally AMD is in play again so Intel can't be lazy anymore. Looking foward to Zen 2 vs "whatever the blue one shows at that time".
Current IPC deficit is about 6-7% from 2700X to 8700K. Assuming AMD improves by 10% and Intel improves by 3% with i9-9900K they will be at parity next year. Depending how Spectre patches affect Intel they be even lose by 1-2% next year compared to 3xxx tho so that's something to watch.
Also this will mean cheaper 4,6 and 8 core parts unless AMD introduces a new price tier above 400€ for 12c/24 parts. So if you don't need 12 cores then you should hopefully get a 6 or 8 core cheaper than today except it will be faster. That is what peope forget when they complain about increasing core counts. I mean look at what happened to quadcores with HT. They used to be the top dogs in mainstream platforms. But thanks to increasing core counts at the mainstream top you can now get a cheaper quad core with HT/SMT. So increasing core count benefits both those who can utilize all those cores and those who want lower number of cores for cheaper than what's available today.
Anyway,this is very good news since 6/8 cores would now move down the price ladder, maybe they'd sell as Ryzen 3's and 5's.
I bet if people could get i5 8600k performance in gaming and 7900x performance in productivity tasks at $400-$420 then most of them would not choose the 9th gen i7. Hell, I might even be tempted. Me, a known Intel shill :laugh: Let's just take it easy for now cause the bubble might burst.