AMD has introduced the latest Ryzen 9000 ‘Zen 5’ Desktop Processors along with the X870 Chipset.
The Ryzen 9000 series utilizes a new microarchitecture and is supported by recently developed chipsets. Additionally, the AM4 socket has been dubbed ‘The Socket That Would Not Die,’ with the imminent release of two new XT-class chips designed for it.
At Computex 2024, AMD unveiled the roadmap for its upcoming Ryzen 9000-series processors, utilizing the new Zen 5 microarchitecture, which are on the verge of being compatible with desktop systems. The release of these new CPUs is scheduled for this July and will be accompanied by an enhanced AM5 platform. (Additionally, two new CPUs for the older AM4 platform will be released at the same time.) These new elements boast remarkable performance enhancements and upgraded features, although their ability to compete with Intel’s forthcoming “Arrow Lake” desktop chips remains to be determined.
Granite Ridge’ Unveils: AMD Ryzen 9000 Series.
AMD has named their latest processors in the Ryzen 9000-series as “Granite Ridge,” featuring significant design enhancements. These improvements include a doubling of the instruction bandwidth for front-end instructions. Additionally, the data bandwidth between the L2 and L1 caches has also doubled compared to Zen 4, while the bandwidth between the L1 cache and floating point unit has seen a similar increase. Users can also expect a 2x boost in AI performance and AVX-512 vector extension throughput.
The modifications have contributed to enhancing the overall performance output in various benchmarks. AMD asserts a mean overall 16% improvement in overall instructions per clock cycle (IPC) compared to the Zen 4 architecture, providing these CPUs with a fairly substantial enhancement. The specific performance improvement varies depending on the specific application, with AMD indicating a potential increase of up to 35% in Geekbench, but as low as a 10% increase in Far Cry 6 or an 11% increase in HandBrake.
These adjustments have led to an improvement in the overall performance results across multiple benchmarks. AMD states an average overall 16% increase in overall instructions per clock cycle (IPC) compared to the Zen 4 architecture, resulting in a significant boost for these CPUs. The actual performance boost varies depending on the specific application, with AMD suggesting a potential increase of up to 35% in Geekbench, but as little as a 10% increase in Far Cry 6 or an 11% increase in HandBrake.
AMD is set to release four new chips in July: the Ryzen 9 9950X, the Ryzen 9 9900X, the Ryzen 7 9700X, and the Ryzen 5 9600X. The Ryzen 9 9950X is similar to the previous-generation AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, as both chips feature 16 CPU cores, 32 threads, 16MB of L2 cache, and 64MB of L3 cache. Both chips also have a maximum boost clock of 5.7GHz and share a 170-watt (W) thermal design power (TDP).
According to the data provided, the Ryzen 9 9950X is expected to deliver approximately 16% better performance compared to the Ryzen 9 7950X. Since both processors have the same clock speed, the variance in IPC is likely the primary determinant of performance. It is possible to predict its performance in various benchmarks based on this information.
Based on the given details, the Ryzen 9 9950X is projected to outperform the Ryzen 9 7950X by around 16%. With identical clock speeds for both chips, the difference in IPC is anticipated to be the key factor influencing performance. It is feasible to estimate its performance across several benchmarks using this data.
Based on the performance numbers of the Ryzen 9 7950X, the estimated performance of the Ryzen 9 9950X has been calculated by incorporating AMD’s claimed IPC gains for the specific applications. Specifically, there is a projected 17% increase in performance for Cinebench R23. While we have not conducted tests on the Ryzen 9 9950X yet, this estimation should provide a general indication of the potential performance improvements if AMD’s claims hold true.
Nevertheless, the portrayal of the Ryzen 9 9950X in these assertions is not entirely favorable. Its performance surpasses that of the Intel Core i9-14900K by an estimated 9% in multithreaded tests, while demonstrating nearly identical performance in single-threaded tests. While it remains competitive, Intel’s upcoming Arrow Lake processors are anticipated to launch later this year, potentially closing the performance gap. The introduction of Arrow Lake may give Intel the upper hand, especially if AMD were to implement a true big.LITTLE design with more specialized cores.
The lower chips in the stack show some improvement and could potentially be more favorable. For example, the Ryzen 9 9950X is comparable to its immediate predecessor, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X. Both chips have similar clock speeds, cache, and core count, but the Ryzen 9 9900X has a lower 120W TDP, while the Ryzen 9 7900X has a 170W TDP.
The Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X boast a 0.1GHz increase in speed compared to their predecessors, along with a notable decrease in TDP. The TDP of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is 105W, while the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X have a reduced TDP of 65W.
It is challenging to assess the actual impact of these modifications without conducting hands-on testing of the chips. Under certain conditions, a decrease in TDP may have a detrimental effect on performance, leading to less frequent Turbo Boosting and shorter periods of maintaining maximum clock speeds for the chips. However, the notable benefit of the lower TDP is the likelihood of the chips consuming less power and producing less heat.
In our testing, we found that several Ryzen 7000-series chips with the X-suffix experienced heat-related issues, unlike other 7000-series chips with lower TDP ratings. For instance, the Ryzen 7 7700X reached its thermal limit of 95 degrees C while running Cinebench R23. On the other hand, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 maintained a cooler temperature, peaking at 71 degrees C during the same test. Despite the Ryzen 7 7700X’s superior performance due to higher clocks, the elevated temperatures raise concerns, particularly for prolonged usage.
Opting for lower TDP ratings on the Ryzen 9 9900X, Ryzen 7 9700X, and Ryzen 5 9600X could potentially offer greater benefits, particularly considering that these lower TDP figures were attained without compromising the overall clock speed.
AMD has finally introduced the X870 and X870E chipsets, which come with USB4 support and expanded PCIe 5.0 capabilities.
AMD has unveiled two fresh chipsets to back the Ryzen 9000 processor range. Bypassing the hypothetical 700-series of chipsets, AMD has opted to launch the 800 series featuring the AMD X870 and the AMD X870E chipsets.
We currently lack extensive information regarding these chipsets; however, they seem to continue the progress made by the 600 series. Both chipsets feature USB4 support, a feature absent in the 600-series chipsets. Nevertheless, the capacity of these updated ports remains unknown.
The X870 and X870E will both support a minimum of one PCIe 5.0 x4 connection for high-speed SSDs and the graphics card. This is an improvement from the X670 and X670E, which only had PCIe 5.0 support for graphics cards, with the X670E being the only one capable of supporting a PCIe 5.0 x16 connection for a graphics card and a PCIe 5.0 x4 connection for an NVMe M.2 SSD.
The chipsets are also designed to be compatible with higher clocked AMD EXPO memory profiles, although there is no confirmation yet on whether the maximum supported memory speed has been raised for the Ryzen 9000-series processors.
AM4, Forever? Fresh XT Processors for an Aging Platform.
We have previously covered several instances of what we believed to be the final new AM4 processors. However, we will not be doing so this time, as AMD has demonstrated its ability and willingness to prolong the lifespan of the aging AM4 platform indefinitely. This year, the platform has seen the introduction of several new processors with integrated graphics, such as the latest Ryzen 5 5600GT. Furthermore, AMD has now unveiled the Ryzen 9 5900XT and the Ryzen 7 5800XT, further expanding the lineup.
We have discussed multiple cases in the past where we thought we had reached the end of the line for new AM4 processors. Nevertheless, we will not be repeating this today, as AMD has shown that it can and will extend the life of the aging AM4 platform indefinitely. Throughout this year, the platform has welcomed the arrival of various new processors featuring integrated graphics, including the recent Ryzen 5 5600GT. Additionally, AMD has recently introduced the Ryzen 9 5900XT and the Ryzen 7 5800XT, broadening the range even further.
The Ryzen 7 5800XT closely resembles the Ryzen 7 5800X, as both feature eight cores, but the Ryzen 7 5800XT boasts a 100MHz-higher boost clock of 4.8GHz. The pricing of these CPUs will play a crucial role in their success, as they do not offer any groundbreaking features compared to the current AM4 processor line. However, if the price is competitive enough, they could serve as attractive upgrade choices for individuals with a Ryzen 3 or Ryzen 5 CPU in their existing AM4 system.
Regardless of the price, it is challenging to suggest purchasing one of these for a completely new system, unless it is in the budget segment. While we do not have any objections to AM4 or these new chips (which seem like promising upgrades for the large existing base of legacy AM4 boards), opting for more contemporary choices such as those in the Ryzen 9000 series would be a more prudent long-term investment.
A Dual-Slot AMD Radeon Pro W7900 is now available for workstations.
During its Computex presentations, AMD unveiled a new upcoming product: an updated version of the Radeon Pro W7900 GPU designed for desktop workstations. While this may seem surprising, considering the original Radeon Pro W7900 was launched in 2023, the new card will only occupy three add-on card slots, with a cooler that slightly increases the card’s width to 2 to 2.5 card slots.
The new iteration of the Radeon Pro W7900 introduced this year showcases a reduced dual-slot cooler, allowing for a more compact design that can easily fit into smaller cases or accommodate multiple cards in larger cases within a GPU-compute array. Other than that, there are no distinctions between the updated Radeon Pro W7900 and its predecessor. Both versions boast feature parity, with matching core counts, clock speeds, and a price tag of.
The release of Ryzen 9000 is scheduled for July, however, pricing details have not been disclosed yet.
AMD has not disclosed pricing details for the newly announced parts at Computex, and there are still additional details to be shared. There was no mention of AI hardware on the Ryzen 9000-series chips or chipsets, indicating that AMD has currently decided not to include its XDNA AI technology on the 9000-series chips. Furthermore, no information was provided regarding the graphics aspect of these chips, although it is anticipated that they will continue to include integrated (and likely modest) RDNA graphics processors similar to the Ryzen 7000 series. The Ryzen 9000-series processors, the two new AM4 chips, and the new 800-series chipsets are all scheduled for release in July.