AMD "Zen" Processor Integrated Chipset Has USB 3.1 Issues, Could Escalate Costs

[AsRock]

ASMedia has often been handicapped by their products being second class citizens on the platforms. This will be first time we see ASMedia IP as first class citizens, with full access to all the bandwidth it wants. Kind of hard to reliably push even 400MB/s+ over an interface which maxes out at 500MB/s (PCI-e 2.0 x1). In the very least, the new connections should have PCI-e 3.0 x1, with a peak of 985MB/s.

All my SATA 3 connected drives hit way over 400MB\s, tbh it's a none problem really ( for me fine for my needs ) but hopefully it will perform more like the Intel SATA3 at least this time.

 

[xorbe]

The asmedia usb 3.0 on my old system was undoubtedly the worst part. I couldn't even use it without risking a 1-in-30 chance of instant reboot. When it did work, it was sporadically flaky. I specifically selected a motherboard without asmedia this time, no problems so far.

 

[SaltyFish]

Doesn't affect the actual processor performance. The inevitable chipset refresh/stepping/whatever it's called now will correct it like that Cougar Point chipset's SATA port thing. Could've been something major like a borked instruction or something. That would've been a real problem.

Can't wait for @HumanSmoke to weigh in on this...

 

[cdawall]

Pardon my snarky remark, but:
In this thread, what I am mostly seeing is people who have no idea how chip design is done, bashing on a company for reasons they do not understand.

That said, this is a problem, but it isn't a horrible one.

This is a minor issue in comparison to things like the TLB bug of B2 Barcelona or Skylakes bug during complex work loads.

 

[AsRock]

This is a minor issue in comparison to things like the TLB bug of B2 Barcelona or Skylakes bug during complex work loads.

Yes at least they know about it now and not find out later when we own one lol.

 

[Liquid Cool]

I'm not really seeing an issue here..... Looking forward to putting together a Zen build upon release. Can't wait.... Although....still not hearing any release dates/timeframes, but I also haven't been looking.

Best,

Liquid Cool

 

[WaroDaBeast]

Not an issue to me. When was the last time a new standard (especially USB) wasn't buggy in the early years? Hell, I can't even plug one of my logitech gamepads on my front USB ports! While I don't know whether it's the chip itself or the case who's the culprit, I know that it's USB 3.0 related.

USB thumb drives mostly. People just want them cheap even if they are slow as a stabbing death with a tea spoon. And that means mass produced USB 2.0...

How very pertinent (as well as funny) your comparison is. xD

 

[TheGuruStud]

Not an issue to me. When was the last time a new standard (especially USB) wasn't buggy in the early years? Hell, I can't even plug one of my logitech gamepads on my front USB ports! While I don't know whether it's the chip itself or the case who's the culprit, I know that it's USB 3.0 related.



How very pertinent (as well as funny) your comparison is. xD

I STILL have no working USB 3.0. Intel + M$=failure. If you're running Z97 and win 8.1, I'd sure love to know how to get it working. I have ONE flash drive that it feels like working with. Pathetic.

 

[bawlzdeep]

This article is not accurate. The story last week was that motherboard manufacturers were having an issue with USB 3.1 (over distances). This is not an issue with the CPU. Using common sense (anything 'integrated' into a cpu has the distance of only nanometers- there is no 'distance' to cause the loss that this story claims) as well as understanding what you're actually reading when "researching", would have avoided this erroneous article. AMD does have an integrated southbridge, but there are no issues with it.

Cue the correction to the story.

 

[Toothless]

It's AMD so it doesn't matter what they do because in the end "its a feature."

 

[Aquinus]

SoC + High frequency buses = Hard.
Well, no s**t.

Edit: Let me elaborate. Thanks to how induction works, having more physical distance between the rest of the stuff in the core and IMC fruther away from high frequency I/O would probably solve the problem. The issue is probably cramming too much into a given area causing all kinds of lovely issues with things like cross-talk and the fact that distance always is the enemy of any high bandwidth bus.

 

[Lord Potato]

Noticed this article didn't mention what the impact is if this is true.

The original article I read on this said the rumour source estimated this to cost $2-$5 USD per board if the re-driver chips are indeed required.

Storm in a teacup.

Edit: corrected the price, it was less than i remembered.

 

[AsRock]

Noticed this article didn't mention what the impact is if this is true.

The original article I read on this said the rumour source estimated this to cost $2-$5 USD per board if the re-driver chips are indeed required.

Storm in a teacup.

Edit: corrected the price, it was less than i remembered.

Yeah really, to me no south\north bridge = cheaper and they complaining they may have to put a 2-5$ chip on it. They have to do what they have too is all as long as it's fixable who cares as i am sure they going make a fat load of money on them anyways.

I would not be surprised if they are near as expensive anyways.

EDIT: Company's like ASRock with advertise a extra chip as USB booster to make it sound better than any one else.

 

[bug]

Noticed this article didn't mention what the impact is if this is true.

The original article I read on this said the rumour source estimated this to cost $2-$5 USD per board if the re-driver chips are indeed required.

Storm in a teacup.

Edit: corrected the price, it was less than i remembered.

As I have posted above, if this is true, the real impact isn't the added $2-5. It's the fact that the quality of the solution will determine how fast you USB ports will go. This is one extra aspect to keep in mind when shopping for a new motherboard.

Edit: It's not a big thing (especially since it was caught early enough), but not something that should be entirely ignored either.

 

[Lord Potato]

As I have posted above, if this is true, the real impact isn't the added $2-5. It's the fact that the quality of the solution will determine how fast you USB ports will go. This is one extra aspect to keep in mind when shopping for a new motherboard.

Edit: It's not a big thing (especially since it was caught early enough), but not something that should be entirely ignored either.

Not an angle I considered. I agree.

 

[WaroDaBeast]

I STILL have no working USB 3.0. Intel + M$=failure. If you're running Z97 and win 8.1, I'd sure love to know how to get it working. I have ONE flash drive that it feels like working with. Pathetic.

You could always fire up a Linux distro to see whether it's a hardware issue or not.

Wait... That makes me think I should test my gamepad on that front port on Linux. Can't remember having done it before. Thanks! xD

 

[Frick]

You could always fire up a Linux distro to see whether it's a hardware issue or not.

Wait... That makes me think I should test my gamepad on that front port on Linux. Can't remember having done it before. Thanks! xD

If your flavour has support for it. Linux is a bigger hit or miss than Windows, in my experience.

 

[WaroDaBeast]

If your flavour has support for it. Linux is a bigger hit or miss than Windows, in my experience.

I haven't had any USB peripheral that didn't work under Linux so far. I don't know about reaching USB 3.0 speed though, 'cause I still have Windows on my gaming machine (which is the only one with more than one USB 3.0 port) and I've never really bothered testing my two USB 3.0 devices so far.

My problem is mainly that gamepad though, so it doesn't even matter that USB 3.0 speed isn't reached. It's just that it's a pain to have to plug the gamepad at the back. xD

 

[yotano211]

At this moment there are several 11 inchers for sale without USB 3.0. Chromebooks and netbooks from 2015. Low specced laptops from 2014 still in stock. And what do people buy? Cheap computers, expensive phones and tablets.

I am the other way around, I buy used cheap phones still in good condition but expensive azz laptops.

 

[Ungari]

I read somewhere that the cost to the manufacturers will be about $3-$5 per unit.
Relax, when Zen launches Intel fans will turn Red with envy!

 

[Prima.Vera]

Relax, when Zen launches Intel fans will turn Red with envy!

)))))))))))))))))))))))))

 

[Melvis]

A year or two? You're very optimistic here. I mean, USB 3.0 has been around for ages and largest bulk of USB drives sold are USB 2.0. Very few people actually talk about and want USB 3.0 devices.

You need to get out more USB 3 has been main stream for yrs now, you be hard prest finding any devices that arnt USB 3 these days. But still took a good 2 yrs before most devices came out with USB 3 or could run at USB 3 speeds so yeah 3.1 will take a good two yrs if not longer to be honest as im very happy with USB 3 speeds now so.

 

[RejZoR]

I work in retail and only few get convinced to buy faster USB 3.0. The rest just wants cheapest USB drive. Of course it's a regional thing, purchase power here in Slovenia is not the same as the one in Germany and USA, so my observation probably only applies to my country or countries similar to mine.

 

[WaroDaBeast]

I work in retail and only few get convinced to buy faster USB 3.0. The rest just wants cheapest USB drive. Of course it's a regional thing, purchase power here in Slovenia is not the same as the one in Germany and USA, so my observation probably only applies to my country or countries similar to mine.

I find that people go for cheap USB drives, simply because they can't tell the difference between those and the more expensive models. Plus, local shops usually buy stuff that benefit them, and not the customer (try to imagine a store filled with basic, near useless crap on the one hand, and a few high end models on the other hand; all of them too expensive).

That's regardless of said people's budget.

 

[RejZoR]

We sell USB 3.0 drives and even when you explain to them that if you have a huge USB drive, speeds become very important, especially if you plan to copy large amounts of data at once. And response from people is mostly "just give me the cheapest one". Go figure.