More AMD Ryzen 9000 "Zen 5" Desktop Processor Details Emerge

[btarunr]

AMD is looking to debut its Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" desktop processors based on the "Zen 5" microarchitecture some time around May-June 2024, according to High Yield YT, a reliable source with AMD leaks. These processors will be built in the existing Socket AM5 package, and be compatible with all existing AMD 600 series chipset motherboards. It remains to be seen if AMD debuts a new line of motherboard chipsets. Almost all Socket AM5 motherboards come with the USB BIOS flashback feature, which means motherboards from even the earliest production batches that are in the retail channel, should be able to easily support the new processors.

AMD is giving its next-gen desktop processors the Ryzen 9000 series processor model numbering, as it used the Ryzen 8000 series for its recently announced Socket AM5 desktop APUs based on the "Hawk Point" monolithic silicon. "Granite Ridge" will be a chiplet-based processor, much like the Ryzen 7000 series "Raphael." In fact, it will even retain the same 6 nm client I/O die (cIOD) as "Raphael," with some possible revisions made to increase its native DDR5 memory frequency (up from the current DDR5-5200), and improve its memory overclocking capabilities. It's being reported that DDR5-6400 could be the new "sweetspot" memory speed for these processors, up from the current DDR5-6000.



The "Granite Ridge" processor will feature one or two "Eldora" CPU complex dies (CCDs). Each CCD contains eight "Zen 5" CPU cores (aka "Nirvana" cores), each with 1 MB of L2 cache, and a yet undisclosed amount of on-die L3 cache. The "Zen 5" CCD will be built on the TSMC N4 (4 nm EUV) foundry node, the same node on which the company builds its "Hawk Point" monolithic silicon.

The "Zen 5" CPU core is expected by AMD to achieve a 10-15 percent IPC uplift over "Zen 4," which should put its gaming performance roughly comparable to those of Ryzen 7000X3D series processors, but without the 3D Vertical Cache, yielding higher headroom for clock speeds and overclocking. High Yield YT believes that a May-June launch of Ryzen 9000 "Granite Ridge" could give AMD free reign over the DIY gaming desktop market until Intel comes around to launch its next-generation Core "Arrow Lake-S" desktop processor in the Socket LGA1851 package, some time in September-October 2024, setting the stage for Ryzen 9000X3D processors by CES (January 2025).

It was recently reported that "Zen 5" processors are already in mass production, although this could refer to the "Eldora" CCD that makes its way not just to the "Granite Ridge" desktop processors, but also EPYC "Turin" server processors.

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[ratirt]

Not bad. Maybe I will change my rig to one of those or just wait for the x3d 9000 series.

 

[Zunexxx]

Might be the generation I switch from intel to AMD if arrowlake flops. 9950x3d it is! (If that is the actual name)

 

[Kaleid]

Maybe best wait for 3d version again or without the X for better efficiency

 

[Chaitanya]

Hopefully this time around we will get JEDEC DDR5-6400 support along with proper USB 4 integration unlike the current mess.

 

[stimpy88]

DDR 6400? Is this a joke? The design is already cache-starved, and it's well on its way to be memory bandwidth starved too. Dual channel is becoming a joke on AMD. I guess this is AMD dropping their pants thinking they will be superior to Intel, I'm not so confident.

 

[TumbleGeorge]

xdna2 in all series include 10000 mobile and 10000G desktop APUs?

 

[TheLostSwede]

Hopefully this time around we will JEDEC DDR5-6400 support along with proper USB 4 integration unlike the current mess.

What is proper integration to you?

 

[jesdals]

Looking forward to these and hope for a more stable DDR5 integration. It still feels like both Intel and AMD hasnt managed to fix it yet. Cant help thinking that the x3d cycle is going to dampens the excitement / demand for these 9000 series CPUs. Personally I would rather wait and perhaps even go for the 1 CCD x3d model rather for the more complex 9950x model.

 

[Dimitriman]

Weren't these chips supposed to be produced on enhanced 3nm TSMC node? What the hell happened? Nvidia bought up the whole production? Probably.

PS: Seems like AMD was reporting 4nm on this first batch for a while. I wonder when they will use 3nm...

 

[beedoo]

Ready for an upgrade!

 

[Daven]

Instead of two 8 core Zen 5 CCDs, it would be cool if there was one 8 core Zen 5 CCD clocked over 6 GHz and one 16 core Zen 5c CCD for a total of 48 threads. Given the clock speed limitations of the more dense CCD, that might be the best chiplet to pair with the clock speed limited 3D cache.

 

[theouto]

Looks good looks good, hoping something can be done to remedy the current boot times too (MCR did not help).

 

[R0H1T]

Weren't these chips supposed to be produced on enhanced 3nm TSMC node?

No, where did you hear that? AMD's not going 3nm before zen6 based on all the leaks/alleged info we have so far.

 

[ncrs]

Instead of two 8 core Zen 5 CCDs, it would be cool if there was one 8 core Zen 5 CCD clocked over 6 GHz and one 16 core Zen 5c CCD for a total of 48 threads. Given the clock speed limitations of the more dense CCD, that might be the best chiplet to pair with the clock speed limited 3D cache.

Zen 4c's design had to sacrifice the TSV interface used to connect 3D Cache, so I personally do not expect 5c to have it back. On the other hand the area improvements from 4nm might allow for its reintroduction.

 

[mama]

Will be interesting to see whether they stick with and refine the dual CCD 3D chips. Hope there isn't too much of a wait for these...

 

[Assimilator]

How does this timeline of Q2 2025 launch for Zen 5, fit in with the recent rumours about a new AM5 chipset in Q4 2024 for the launch of the Zen 4 APUs? I'm assuming AMD isn't going to launch two chipsets ~6 months apart, but it also doesn't make sense to me that they'd launch a chipset with the APUs when they could get a lot more hype by launching it at the same time as Zen 5. Honestly I'd be happiest if they had the new chipset ready for the APUs, but delayed it to iron out bugs (which we know it will have, this being AMD) and preferably add more functionality (*cough* PCIe lanes *cough*).

Instead of two 8 core Zen 5 CCDs, it would be cool if there was one 8 core Zen 5 CCD clocked over 6 GHz

Do you know what else would be cool? If I had a unicorn.

 

[usiname]

How does this timeline of Q2 2025 launch for Zen 5, fit in with the recent rumours about a new AM5 chipset in Q4 2024 for the launch of the Zen 4 APUs? I'm assuming AMD isn't going to launch two chipsets ~6 months apart, but it also doesn't make sense to me that they'd launch a chipset with the APUs when they could get a lot more hype by launching it at the same time as Zen 5. Honestly I'd be happiest if they had the new chipset ready for the APUs, but delayed it to iron out bugs (which we know it will have, this being AMD) and preferably add more functionality (*cough* PCIe lanes *cough*).


Do you know what else would be cool? If I had a unicorn.

The rumor point to 2024 - May/June release for Zen 5, which is Q2 2024, not Q2 2025. Most likely they will release new chipset alongside with the Zen 5 in Q2 2024, they never have release new chipset for the APUs, maybe this will be case for strix halo, which is supposed to be with 4 channel memory

 

[freeagent]

Second Gen AM5.. might have to make the move.. betcha it’s gonna be good

 

[tugrul_LordOfDrinks]

I will upgrade from 7900 (2 ccds) to 9800x3d (1 ccd) and overclock RAM from 6000 to whatever its limit, so multithreading performance will stay same but gaming will improve a lot.

 

[phanbuey]

Maybe best wait for 3d version again or without the X for better efficiency

QFT

AMD MO is to squeeze the early adopters and then drop prices. The X3D and non X products are so much better than the early releases.

 

[AnotherReader]

I will upgrade from 7900 (2 ccds) to 9800x3d (1 ccd) and overclock RAM from 6000 to whatever its limit, so multithreading performance will stay same but gaming will improve a lot.

Wouldn't that require an unprecedented 50% increase in performance per core?

 

[phubar]

DDR 6400? Is this a joke? The design is already cache-starved, and it's well on its way to be memory bandwidth starved too. Dual channel is becoming a joke on AMD. I guess this is AMD dropping their pants thinking they will be superior to Intel, I'm not so confident.

Huuuuh?

DDR5 is already quad channel (4x 32bit instead of 2x 64bit) and its already been shown multiple times by different people that going over 6000 gets you almost nothing for Zen4.

Zen4 is much more sensitive to latency than bandwidth. That is why once people get to 6000 they focus on getting the timings as tight as possible. Going any faster usually gets you almost nothing and getting tighter timings is incredibly difficult so its not worth it.

Going big on cache also usually doesn't get you huge gains across the board (as has been shown with 7800x3D) so I'm not sure where you're getting the idea its 'cache starved' from. Cache does help with some games a fair degree but even with gaming its not providing the gigantic 100%+ gains across the board to justify 'cache starved'.

I will upgrade from 7900 (2 ccds) to 9800x3d (1 ccd) and overclock RAM from 6000 to whatever its limit, so multithreading performance will stay same but gaming will improve a lot.

The x3D chips hardly get any benefit in most games from going over 6000.

Some people have gotten 7800x3D's to 7800 or 8000 DDR5 and benched it and gains are super minimal. The giant cache makes memory overclocking mostly moot.

This is a good thing!

You can buy the cheap RAM, or use what you already got, instead. OC'ing RAM is pretty pricey and even on Intel getting things stable at high clocks with low timings is still incredibly difficult. Many people have had to lower their standards for what they consider 'stable' to get DDR5 8000 working on either vendor.

 

[unwind-protect]

Hopefully ECC unbuffered DDR5 will drop in price by then.

 

[phubar]

QFT

AMD MO is to squeeze the early adopters and then drop prices. The X3D and non X products are so much better than the early releases.

If there is good competition from Intel they'll drop their prices. If there isn't they'll hold them up as long as possible.

But yeah generally holding out for a few months after launch is a good idea IMO.

Hopefully ECC unbuffered DDR5 will drop in price by then.

Depends on the speed you want.

If its the slow speed stuff then its already dropped a fair amount in price. If its faster DDR5 6000 speeds you want then you're going to be waiting at least another year for it to drop to something more reasonable. ECC server RAM prices tend to be rather sticky since all the DRAM OEM's want to squeeze every penny they can out of buyers.