[Techpowerup] AMD "Zen" CPU Prototypes Tested, "Meet all Expectations"

Where do you think this will land performance wise

  • Intel i7 Haswell-E 8 CORE

  • Intel i7 Skylake

  • Intel i5 Skylake

  • Just another Bulldozer attempt


Results are only viewable after voting.

Gikaseixas

Platinum Member
Jul 1, 2004
2,836
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AMD reportedly finished testing some of its first "Zen" micro-architecture CPU prototypes, and concluded that they "meet all expectations," with "no significant bottlenecks found" in its design. This should mean that AMD's "Zen" chips should be as competitive with Intel chips as it set them out to be. The company is planning to launch its first client CPUs based on the "Zen" micro-architecture in 2016, based on its swanky new AM4 socket, with DDR4 memory and integrated PCIe (a la APUs). Zen sees AMD revert to the large, monolithic core design, from its "Bulldozer" multi-core module design with a near doubling of number-crunching machinery per-core, compared to its preceding architecture.

http://www.techpowerup.com/217251/amd-zen-cpu-prototypes-tested-meet-all-expectations.html
 

Tuna-Fish

Golden Member
Mar 4, 2011
1,514
2,102
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I find it very interesting how little is necessary to create a rumor that circulates all over the web.

This one started with: http://www.realworldtech.com/forum/?threadid=154302&curpostid=154823

lurker said:
Regarding Zen performance, a guy who worked for AMD (at least his linkedin profile says that) and who, as he claims, worked on designing L2 cache for Zen and K12 said that their focus was to be competitive against Intel. He no longer works there but apparently his old colleague who still works there said Zen chips have already been tested and so far "it has met all expectation" and they "haven't found any significant bottlenecks". Apparently they haven't finalized the specifications for the clocks and TDP, but their partners in server market are "very excited".
It's not much detail, but I think if there was a problem from having only 2 AGUs, it would count as a significant bottleneck.
Also this is my first post ever, I just usually lurk here and this is the first time I have something useful to add to the discussion. Please no bully.

RWT doesn't require registration, so no-one knows anything at all about the guy who posted this. You or I could have posted something we totally made up, and if it sounds even remotely technically competent, we could read it from the various tech sites within a week. Just a thought.
 
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Burpo

Diamond Member
Sep 10, 2013
4,223
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Based on information from a linkedin profile..

No specs on speed or TDP.. What their expectations were is unknown..
 

NTMBK

Lifer
Nov 14, 2011
10,340
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You're missing a poll option for "I can't possibly have any idea".

Seriously, do we need to start hyping this chip already? It's not out for another year. Just wait for the benchmarks and calm the F down.
 
Aug 11, 2008
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You're missing a poll option for "I can't possibly have any idea".

Seriously, do we need to start hyping this chip already? It's not out for another year. Just wait for the benchmarks and calm the F down.

Too late, it has already been hyped for months.

I refused the poll, because first we have no idea of the performance, and secondly there is no choice for X99 hex core, which at best is what I think Zen may have a shot to reach. But I am expecting it to be very workload dependent as well. Zen being competitive in highly threaded workloads, but less so in single thread performance (IPC x clockspeed). Much like Bulldozer, but more competitive in lightly threaded workloads.
 
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Gikaseixas

Platinum Member
Jul 1, 2004
2,836
218
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Seriously, do we need to start hyping this chip already? It's not out for another year. Just wait for the benchmarks and calm the F down.

Whos hyping here?
Im calm bro, its just for fun.
 

dark zero

Platinum Member
Jun 2, 2015
2,655
140
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Well... A prediction...

Best Case
- ST on Broadwell level
- MT on Skylake level

Worst case
- ST on Ivy Bridge level
- MT on Broadwell level

Realistic case
- ST on Haswell level
- MT only 5% than Skylake level.
 

ShintaiDK

Lifer
Apr 22, 2012
20,378
145
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No surprise really since this screams of clickbait and nothing else. We all remember engineers dancing in the aisles as well.

And remember LinkedIn info can be faked easily. And some random forum posts only. Oh lord. We all remember the last AMD Zen slides that was leaked. All fake.

the RWT convo with lurker also shows he is pretty much just spree out random caca.

Seriously, do we need to start hyping this chip already? It's not out for another year. Just wait for the benchmarks and calm the F down.

Desperation and impatience is the fuel.
 
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eternalone

Golden Member
Sep 10, 2008
1,500
2
81
If they try to sell these at Intel prices they better perform like intel chips, other that that sub $150 for a Octocore would be nice. Im happy with my 8320E overclocked. But if they overprice these like they did in the beginning with Bulldozer well I will personally wait to see what Intel does with their prices, hopefully this is what we need to see some price wars, and faster tech.
 

waffleironhead

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
6,975
465
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No surprise really since this screams of clickbait and nothing else. We all remember engineers dancing in the aisles as well.

And remember LinkedIn info can be faked easily. And some random forum posts only. Oh lord. We all remember the last AMD Zen slides that was leaked. All fake.

the RWT convo with lurker also shows he is pretty much just spree out random caca.



Desperation and impatience is the fuel.

I've never heard of this "dancing in the aisles". Well except from every AMD related thread you post in.
 

sm625

Diamond Member
May 6, 2011
8,172
137
106
Worst case
- ST on Ivy Bridge level

lol you must not have been following AMD for the last decade or so. The Worst case can get much, much worse than Ivy Bridge level ST performance. There is every possibility that ST performance will only exceed excavator by 10% or less. Tasks like super pi calculations and other legacy x86 instruction heavy code could be a drag on overall ST scores.
 

AtenRa

Lifer
Feb 2, 2009
14,003
3,362
136
People dont believe AMD's 14nm FF ZEN could be competitive against Intel's 2014 14nm FF architecture in 2016 ??
 

dark zero

Platinum Member
Jun 2, 2015
2,655
140
106
lol you must not have been following AMD for the last decade or so. The Worst case can get much, much worse than Ivy Bridge level ST performance. There is every possibility that ST performance will only exceed excavator by 10% or less. Tasks like super pi calculations and other legacy x86 instruction heavy code could be a drag on overall ST scores.

Keller was there making Zen and he was there when they did K8. So it will be no surprise if they improve dramatically their ST. But as not all is perfect, they won't improve MT as dramatically
 

Raftina

Member
Jun 25, 2015
39
0
0
People dont believe AMD's 14nm FF ZEN could be competitive against Intel's 2014 14nm FF architecture in 2016 ??
AMD's 2011 32 nm Bulldozer architecture was competitive against Intel's 2008 45 nm Nehalem architecture. I would say the level of skepticism about the current, unsubstantiated, and LinkedIn profile extrapolated Zen claims is healthy.
 

AtenRa

Lifer
Feb 2, 2009
14,003
3,362
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lol you must not have been following AMD for the last decade or so. The Worst case can get much, much worse than Ivy Bridge level ST performance. There is every possibility that ST performance will only exceed excavator by 10% or less. Tasks like super pi calculations and other legacy x86 instruction heavy code could be a drag on overall ST scores.

Dont think so,

06145057358l.jpg
 
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Tuna-Fish

Golden Member
Mar 4, 2011
1,514
2,102
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Dont think so,

While I think that Zen will improve much more than 10% over excavator.

IPC IS NOT PERFORMANCE

Performance is IPC * clock speed. IPC is not independent of clock speed, and in design they can be traded off against each other. That is, there are easy ways to increase IPC by sacrificing clock speed, and to increase clock speed by sacrificing IPC. This graph only shows the IPC. This means that this graph tells you almost nothing useful about the performance of Zen. All it tells you that they aimed for a more brainy, higher-IPC core than BD, which makes sense, because in the age of power-limited computing, higher IPC seems to give better performance than higher clock speeds.
 

ShintaiDK

Lifer
Apr 22, 2012
20,378
145
106
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dark zero

Platinum Member
Jun 2, 2015
2,655
140
106
I'm sick of forum drama. I'd rather talk about the facts when we have them, not fight endlessly over nothing.
The fact then is that the whole tech industry is getting stuck to the point that they will be forced to evolve in order to advance
 

Headfoot

Diamond Member
Feb 28, 2008
4,444
641
126
you're missing a poll option for "i can't possibly have any idea".

Seriously, do we need to start hyping this chip already? It's not out for another year. Just wait for the benchmarks and calm the f down.

+100000000000000000
 

AtenRa

Lifer
Feb 2, 2009
14,003
3,362
136
While I think that Zen will improve much more than 10% over excavator.

IPC IS NOT PERFORMANCE

Performance is IPC * clock speed. IPC is not independent of clock speed, and in design they can be traded off against each other. That is, there are easy ways to increase IPC by sacrificing clock speed, and to increase clock speed by sacrificing IPC. This graph only shows the IPC. This means that this graph tells you almost nothing useful about the performance of Zen. All it tells you that they aimed for a more brainy, higher-IPC core than BD, which makes sense, because in the age of power-limited computing, higher IPC seems to give better performance than higher clock speeds.

I dont expect quad core 8 thread desktop ZEN to be less than 4GHz.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,352
5,913
126
Time will tell. Would be nice if it traded blows with Intel's best, but even if they got closeish it would dramatically help AMD's competitiveness.
 

moonbogg

Lifer
Jan 8, 2011
10,643
3,101
136
If Zen was only 10% slower than Intel's best but cost half as much, I'd buy Zen. Ok fine, no I wouldn't. I'm dying to see benchmarks. This is going to be one hell of a release day. I can't wait to read all about it over a massive cup of coffee and see the nukes start to drop in the forums.