Is AMD's 16-core 'Zen' processor real? Leaked slide provides details on stout chip

[cliffordcooley]

the fact that this is obviously a server orientated part

My old AMD 415e triple core still handles anything I throw at it

You must have missed the part where this is probably a business class product. Just because you seem to be fine with only 3 cores, does not mean more can not be used. Business class means it may not be used outside of that class. It's being sold as business class because they do have use for all 16 cores. Ohh and giving your comment a bit of credibility, your standpoint is one reason why a higher core count will remain business class.

 

[Guest]

Actually i3 is a very poor game performer especially now with Mantle and DX12. AMD APU's will solidly crush all Intel graphics IGP with the new DirectX 12 API. They already do using Mantle. DX12 is a clone of Mantle.

Complete nonsense.
For starters, just a few days ago, in this very site, there was an article comparing Core i3, i5 and i7 CPUs. Core i3 processors performed exceptionally well, only trailing the Core i5 and Core i7 (both of which perform pretty much the same) by a very small margin, while being significantly cheaper. The Core i3 was easily the best value in there, while on the other end of the scale Core i7 CPUs provided practically no performance advantage (except in one game from the Metro series) and was easily the worst value.
Second, the point of the lower-level operation of DirectX 12 and Mantle it to REDUCE the load on the CPU (by reducing API overhead), not increase it. Those APIs will close the gap between Core i3 and Core i5 processors even more than today. AMD themselves have repeadly claimed that Mantles provides the most advantage in CPU-constrained scenarios, and little to no benefit when there's ample CPU power available.

 

[Guest]

UMMM, I think you missed the point that it was a response to the other gaming comments ... One of which you replied to earlier ... Remember the DX12 comment?? Stay cool Clifford ;

 

[Guest]

"I think you missed the point that it was a response to the other gaming comments ... One of which you replied to earlier ... Remember the DX12 comment??"

Just to clarify ..That was directed at Clifford's comment about the 415e

 

[Guest]

True, mantle and dx12 can be used to reduce the cpu overhead.
But that's not all they do.
Some of the point of them is also that they spread out the work load of things like rendering to several threads.
Because while dx 11 did allow a tiny bit of the work load to be spread out the majority still ended up in a single thread meaning that a processors single threaded performance became a bottleneck in some situations.
By spreading the workload more leaving less on the main core there's less bottlenecking particularly on processors with several threads, something that's the case in multicore processors.
Leaving slow multithreaded processors like amds ones at less of an disadvantage compared to the intel ones.
Sure the cpu bottlenecking will be a smaller problem regardless of what cpu you'll use but in the games where it exists a multicore processor will have an advantage over another processor with the same single threaded performance.

 

[ypsylon]

If true - Yes please! Take two.

But frankly the only department in AMD that really work overtime is PR. They make these beautiful slides with fabulously (or funny) data sheet & stats and when it finally comes to real, hard facts it's like 25% of what they advertised. Sadly...

I sincerely hope they will come strong. If they hit the sweet spot of Intel Extreme platform at lower price-point with enough PCI-lanes to power fully 4 or 5 x8 slots (I don't care about quad-SLI/CF, because VGAs are nowhere when it comes to saturating x16 Gen.1, unlike RAID cards which need $***load of bandwidth) then like I've said in the beginning - will take 2.

 

[Johan Haglert]

This chip looks amazing, and is certainly enough for AMD to make a huge comeback. I really hope this is true.

I don't see how this comment make any sense whatsoever.

Twice as many cores? Anyone surprised it will go there eventually? No?

I don't see how that give them "a huge comeback."

It's bound to happen.

I don't even know whatever it's an x86 or ARM chip but if it's x86 the question is of course where Intel will be at the same time.

Also it may not be that positive to have to make at least 16 threads or even 32 to take full / as much advantage of it as possible. Today many games and programs may not take full advantage of that and AMD already have more cores but they just perform worse and are manufactured using an older technology and not as competitive when it comes to total performance.

I don't know what Intel Skylake will bring but maybe that give 6 core to the average consumers. Maybe when this is actually released Intel is at 8 core.

I assume AMD actually could make chips of about the same technology level as Intel by using someone else to manufacture them though. Such as TSMC or Samsung (which maybe they already do.)

But no. Just because AMD release something new doesn't make them equals or leaders.

Also AFAIK the next "new" from AMD is still quite far ahead from now.

 

[Johan Haglert]

Actually i3 is a very poor game performer especially now with Mantle and DX12. AMD APU's will solidly crush all Intel graphics IGP with the new DirectX 12 API. They already do using Mantle. DX12 is a clone of Mantle.

No.

And that they do with Mantle is because only the AMD chips are using it.

What will happen with DX12 is that everyone will be using it. That doesn't give an edge to AMD. That equals the playing-field robbing AMD from the lead they had (if one want to find something positive in it though it's that DX12 likely make better use of multi-core processors which is good for AMD due to their worse performance / core having forced them to go with more cores instead.)

 

[20 goto 10]

AMD make me sad.

So far behind on CPU, they'd need a miracle to leapfrog Intel at this point.

The graphics cards are good performers for the money, because they are heavily discounted products rapidly reaching their end of life. And that TDP, add up how much 60w extra costs you for five hours a day over a year. There's your saving gone - if you hadn't already spent it on a ridiculous PSU or case fans. Now it seems r3 series is based on the same tech? Not promising.

And it's pretty tempting put at least some of the blame on them for the disappointing performance of Xbone and PS4.

I'm not an Intel/Nvidia fanboy. I have had more AMD processors than Intel, am running one now, and a 7 series GPU. But in looking to replace them, i7 CPU is an absolute no-brainer, and I can't get exited about 10% extra performance and Mantle, when compared with MFAA, DX 12, and half the TDP. Maxwell cards seem to get better every month, be it driver optimisation or whatever, the 970 is a stunning card, and the 960 nowhere near as disappointing as first reports stated.

 

[Guest]

Ya this thing will also use 1000W of power and double as a cooktop to make breakfast as you get ready for work....LOL

 

[Guest]

And it has a TDP of 950W

 

[Guest]

Could this possibly be the
AMD Phenom IV X12 170
that was leaked a few years ago?