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AMD’s upcoming next-gen ZEN 3-based processors will have the 5000 series nomenclature

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During the latest earnings call for the second quarter of 2020, AMD reaffirmed its plans to introduce Zen 3-based client Desktop CPUs and RDNA 2-based Navi 2X GPUs in the second half of 2020. This means Zen 3 and Navi 2x product lineup from AMD is on track. The next-generation of desktop processors will be based on the new Zen 3 architecture, and these processors are codenamed as ‘Vermeer’.

Vermeer series of processors will feature a new Zen 3 CPU architecture, bringing big changes to AMD’s core designs as well. This may definitively help with higher single-threaded and multi-threaded IPC boosts. When combined this with higher clock speeds we can expect significant performance gains.

We now have some more info on this Zen 3 lineup.

According to a recent tweet posted by Patrick Shur, a software engineer who shares info on future AMD Ryzen processors has hinted that the upcoming Zen 3-based series of Vermeer processors will adopt the 5000 series naming scheme. This was rumored before as well.  AMD is also launching the ‘Cezanne’ lineup of Mobile processors with the same 5000 nomenclature. We expect the 4000 series to remain exclusive to Renoir FP6 (the mobile lineup), and the Renoir AM4 desktop series of processors.

Patrick has not mentioned any source, but he claims to have discovered two new SKUs, the Ryzen 9 5900X and Ryzen 7 5800X, having 12 and 8 CPU cores, respectively. This is the same core count as the current Ryzen 3000 series lineup. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is expected to feature 12 cores, and the Ryzen 7 5800X will get 8 cores in total. A 10 core SKU could also be a possibility in near future, though the chances are slim.

Last month, Igor’s Lab reported on some  Vermeer engineering samples boosting up to 4.9 GHz, and back then it was also rumored that the Zen 3 processors could have the 5000 series nomenclature, hence it was mentioned as Ryzen 9 4950X or 5950X in his article. Though, the Ryzen 5000 series may max out at 12 cores instead of 16, as previously reported by Igor.

The Zen 3 CPUs will be officially revealed on October 8, and some specs were also leaked before which hinted at the performance level expected from these Zen 3-based CPUs. Likely to be fabbed on the TSMC’s 7nm+ EUV process node, the Zen 3 architecture is said to deliver better performance per watt ratio and efficiency than the previous Zen 2 lineup, which was already a revolutionary architecture from AMD. According to some leaked official documents, Vermeer CPUs will be designed to be used in high-performance desktop platforms, and they are also going to feature up to two CCD’s (Core/Cache Complex Dies) and a single IOD (I/O Die).

We hope Zen 3 architecture to bring at least 15-17% IPC uplift compared to the previous gen Zen 2 CPU lineup. Zen 2 CPUs already featured double the L3 cache over the Zen/Zen+ series chips, and Zen 3 is going to take things to a whole new level. AMD’s next-generation Zen 3 architecture aims to alleviate some of the shortcomings of AMD’s existing architecture designs. So, expect some AMD CPUs going as high as 5 GHz, to give Intel a stiff competition on the single-core frequency, along with a 50% increase in Zen 3’s floating-point operations & a major cache redesign. The AMD Zen 3 Vermeer series of processors will retain the multi-chip module (MCM) approach, aka the chiplet design.

Last week, Yuri Bubliy (@1usmus), the creator of the DRAM calculator for Ryzen and ClockTuner for Ryzen (a semi-automatic tool to find the best CCX in Ryzen processors), shared some more info on this Zen 3 lineup. One of the key features of Zen 3 will be the support for a Curve Optimizer. This feature will allow you to configure the boost of the Ryzen CPU. In addition, you will also be able to customize the frequency for each core without any restrictions.

Zen 3 processors will also feature Infinity Fabric dividers. What this means is that you can get the memory controller frequency slightly higher in mixed mode, and thus should provide more flexibility to the memory controller frequency configurations, such as mixed mode. The microcode in the BIOS also features the Infinity Fabric dividers. There also appears to be mention of a uniform load on CCD’s with each CCD getting an equal proportion of cores.

The Zen 3 processors are also going to feature a combined and a unified L3 cache for each Zen 3 chiplet. This will make L3 cache access times more feasible across the entire Zen 3 chiplet. Larger cache sizes could actually mean longer cache latencies, and this is true for Zen 3 CPUs, but this will not affect the performance. The CPU cores can now share the information more easily. Larger cache sizes could help with boosting Zen 3’s multi-threaded, as well as Gaming performance.The previous gen Zen 2 CPUs already featured double the L3 cache over the Zen/Zen+ series chips, and Zen 3 is going to take things to a whole new level.

AMD’s next-generation Zen 3 architecture aims to alleviate some of the shortcomings of AMD’s existing architecture designs. When the Ryzen 3000 series were launched, AMD aggressively marketed Zen 2’s cache design changes, such as the gamecache feature, to highlight the performance jump in Gaming benchmarks. With Zen 3’s new cache changes each CPU core will have even faster access to a larger pool of the L3 cache.

On some other related news, AMD’s Senior Vice President, Forrest Norrod also revealed some more details on the Zen 3 CPU architecture, during the latest Deutsche Bank 2020 conference call. According to him, AMD’s Zen CPU roadmap is absolutely critical for the company, and it’s entirely based on architectural gains rather than the respective process node or products. To quote his statement:

“So you know that first Zen 1 Core was great and hugely cored, but Zen2 was as well. And Zen 3, that’s at the heart of our next-generation products is also a tremendously powerful architecture and you know right on the trajectory that we needed to be on”, coming via Seeking Alpha.

Forrest Norrod calls Zen 3 as a tremendously powerful architecture, which clearly shows AMD’s confidence with their upcoming core architecture which will power its next-generation Ryzen 5000 CPU lineup, codenamed as Vermeer. He also mentions that AMD is following a regular cadence of new CPU cores and building a next-gen CPU roadmap that’s both high-performance and highly competitive for the long run.

Forrest Norrod (AMD, SVP & GM) talks Zen - Zen 3, Semi-Custom, Supply, China, 7nm Ramp & much more

Stay tuned for more!