I am biased when it comes to computer processors (CPU). During my college days, when most of my classmates and friends would spend fortunes on acquiring Intel-based processors for their PC setups, I went to the “dark side” and chose the ones from Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD).
AMD processors during the late 1990s gave me what I needed for my school projects — at a fraction of the price that Intel's. It may not be a popular decision among my class then, but heck, those are the only chips that my parents could afford at that time. From that point on, AMD chips are always on top of my mind when building or buying PC systems.
Fast forward two (02) decades after, in May 2016, AMD made the very first public demonstration of their processor powered by the “Zen” core architecture. From being the underdog in the PC chip race, AMD Ryzen has become a byword among PC builders, enthusiasts, and gamers on all corners of the globe.
This year, AMD looks back five (05) years after the launch of the AMD Ryzen family of processors.
“The core building blocks are the fundamentals that enthusiasts always care about: core architecture, process technology, frequency, and the platform. These are the fundamentals that we gotta get right to win, to be successful,” said Robert Hallock, Director of Technical Marketing at AMD as he reflects on how AMD Ryzen processors have repeatedly shocked the industry with their power and performance in an online conversation with John Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer at AMD.
The chip manufacturer plans on going back to its roots — the Zen philosophy: building a core that is much smaller compared to what other companies are building, then packing it together process leadership, packaging leadership, and new firmware to drive the company to much lower power profiles. AMD is regarded as the power efficiency leader when it comes to processor chips today.
3D V-Cache Coming to Ryzen
At the same online conversation in celebration of Ryzen’s 5th anniversary, Hallock has confirmed a refresh to AM4-compatible Zen 3 processors by 2022. Capitalizing on the new 3D chiplet technology to increase the amount of V-Cache on the chip, the upcoming processors promise to deliver a performance uplift of 15% compared to the existing generation of AMD Ryzen products. A chiplet is one part of a processing module that makes up a larger integrated circuit (computer processor).
In addition, Hallock also said that the new platform will have support for PCIe 5.0, DDR5 memory, as well as compatibility with currently available AM4 CPU coolers.