AMD Starts Software Enablement of Zen 5 Processors

[AleksandarK]

According to the Linux Kernel Mailing List, AMD started to enable next-generation processors by submitting patches to the Linux kernel. Codenamed Family 1Ah or Family 26 in decimal notation, the set of patches corresponds to the upcoming AMD Zen 5 core, which is the backbone of the upcoming Ryzen 8000 series processors. The patches have a few interesting notes, namely few of them being: added support for the amd64_edac (Error Detection and Correction) module and temperature monitoring; added PCI IDs for these models covering 00h-1Fh and 20h; added required support in k10temp driver.

The AMD EDAC driver also points out that the Zen 5 server CPUs will max out with 12-channel memory. Codenames 0-31 correspond to next-generation EPYC, while 40 to 79 are desktop and laptop SKUS. Interestingly, these patches are just the start, as adding PCI IDs and temperature drivers are basic enablement. With the 2024 launch date nearing, we expect to see more Linux kernel enablement efforts, especially with more complicated parts of the kernel.



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[Kohl Baas]

12 channels you say? Is it possible te get at least 3 of them on AM5? Like in the old LGA1366 days... Perhaps with a 150W 3D-cached APU?

 

[prtskg]

12 channels you say? Is it possible te get at least 3 of them on AM5? Like in the old LGA1366 days... Perhaps with a 150W 3D-cached APU?

12 channel will be for epyp's, just like this generation, I assume.

 

[csendesmark]

Max 12 channel?
Hope the top "regular Ryzens" will have a 4 channel solution and some +8 or +16 PCIe lanes

 

[gffermari]

What's the Zen 4c?
Laptop dies?

 

[wNotyarD]

What's the Zen 4c?
Laptop dies?

Dies for huge core count server SKUs.

 

[SL2]

Max 12 channel?
Hope the top "regular Ryzens" will have a 4 channel solution and some +8 or +16 PCIe lanes

Not very likely, they have Threadripper for that.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

What's the Zen 4c?
Laptop dies?

Zen cores with less cache, meant for cloud computing, where it's all about completing instructions. That way they can get more on a die for more total processors.

 

[csendesmark]

Not very likely, they have Threadripper for that.

Yes, but no. That would be a massive back step from AMD.
The last Threadripper with "only" 4 channel memory controller was released 5 years ago...
The last two generation has 8 channels, and now I just red this article which says the next might have 12, so yes
I would not be surprised if AMD go ahead and put a 4 channel MC into the top mainstream (Ryzen R9 8##0) CPUs.

 

[R0H1T]

They would probably have to, I think they'll eventually run into Mxx Ultra Max or something & to compete with it they will need quad channel mem although yields would also play a huge role at the time.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

More memory channels on desktop platforms is just going to continue to drive motherboard prices up. People already have a hard time with AM5 motherboard prices. Seems like more 3DV lines of CPUs in the consumer space would better meet the cost/benefit curve in consumer boards. If they did more channels, it would need to be in an HEDT product line. This might all be moot, as I’m not sure if socket AM5 is capable of more memory channels than what it has now.

 

[windwhirl]

More memory channels on desktop platforms is just going to continue to drive motherboard prices up. People already have a hard time with AM5 motherboard prices. Seems like more 3DV lines of CPUs in the consumer space would better meet the cost/benefit curve in consumer boards. If they did more channels, it would need to be in an HEDT product line. This might all be moot, as I’m note sure if socket AM5 is capable of more memory channels than what it has now.

Additionally, most people on mainstream desktop platforms (AM4/AM5/whatever you have on Intel's side) don't use more than two sticks of RAM. No point in going quad-channel for a very small percentage of people.

 

[TechLurker]

Rather than more channels, I want more PCIe lanes. I want to be able to fully populate all the slots and m2 bays if so desired.

 

[Xajel]

12 channels you say? Is it possible te get at least 3 of them on AM5? Like in the old LGA1366 days... Perhaps with a 150W 3D-cached APU?

It's possible but it's not feasible unless they intentionally made the 3 channels only on high-end motherboards (like the new B650E and X670E, they can have more PCIe lanes and an extra channel). And not in AM5 also, the main reason is the extra channel requiring extra pins, and require extra routings in the motherboard which requires more engineering and complexity & might even require extra PCB layers, at the end that's an extra cost for a mainstream platform which scales from lowest end to enthusiast and must scale on cost as well.

In that case, I would say its plausible and could be a big saver as well as the current HEDT platforms (ie, Threadripper) became so expensive to start with in the first place which places a big gap between mainstream and HEDT. Such a new 3 channels DDR6 + extra PCIe lanes might be the perfect fit to fill this gap.

Though, things will probably change, I personally think that CXL will find its way to the consumer world, one way or the other. In fact, CXL might be a more flexible solution than the third memory channel, it could be the solution to the current dilemma of soldered RAM and expandability, soldered RAM is becoming more common and common now to cut costs and have thinner, smaller & more energy-efficient systems, this will be more common in the future that we might see soldered RAM everywhere with CXL option to upgrade the RAM. The RAM will be staged of course (soldered having faster latency compared to CXL, and the system & OS must be aware of this), but the CXL could in theory scale faster than the soldered RAM (bandwidth-wise, not latency) if they used more available PCIe lanes.

 

[AnotherReader]

It's possible but it's not feasible unless they intentionally made the 3 channels only on high-end motherboards (like the new B650E and X670E, they can have more PCIe lanes and an extra channel). And not in AM5 also, the main reason is the extra channel requiring extra pins, and require extra routings in the motherboard which requires more engineering and complexity & might even require extra PCB layers, at the end that's an extra cost for a mainstream platform which scales from lowest end to enthusiast and must scale on cost as well.

In that case, I would say its plausible and could be a big saver as well as the current HEDT platforms (ie, Threadripper) became so expensive to start with in the first place which places a big gap between mainstream and HEDT. Such a new 3 channels DDR6 + extra PCIe lanes might be the perfect fit to fill this gap.

Though, things will probably change, I personally think that CXL will find its way to the consumer world, one way or the other. In fact, CXL might be a more flexible solution than the third memory channel, it could be the solution to the current dilemma of soldered RAM and expandability, soldered RAM is becoming more common and common now to cut costs and have thinner, smaller & more energy-efficient systems, this will be more common in the future that we might see soldered RAM everywhere with CXL option to upgrade the RAM. The RAM will be staged of course (soldered having faster latency compared to CXL, and the system & OS must be aware of this), but the CXL could in theory scale faster than the soldered RAM (bandwidth-wise, not latency) if they used more available PCIe lanes.

CXL is terrible for latency.