All About AMD RRYZEN PROCESSORS
What is AMD Ryzen?
Ryzen is the brand name of AMD's latest -- and fastest -- family of
computer processors. First released in 2017, Ryzen CPUs and APUs are built on
AMD's highly-evolved "Zen" microarchitecture, the 8th generation of
AMD processor technology, and mark the company's first major processor
introduction since the FX/A6 series about five years earlier.
Ryzen processors won
fast acclaim from technology analysts and reviewers who said AMD could now
compete with Intel in terms of processor performance, not just price.
AMD's initial product launch included multiple different versions of the
Ryzen processor:
- Ryzen:
Multiple versions available for desktop and laptop PCs
- Ryzen
PRO: Feature additional security and enterprise-level management
capabilities (ideal for corporate and business use)
- Ryzen
Mobile: Combine the Ryzen CPU with AMD's Radeon Vega graphics
Are Ryzen processors better?
With Ryzen (pronounced RYE-zen), AMD stepped back into the
so-called "processor wars" in a big way. Long praised for their
integrated graphics capabilities and comparatively low cost, AMD processors had
recently suffered in benchmark performance tests against Intel's latest chips.
But with Ryzen, AMD added more cores (even base Ryzen chips are quad-core
equipped), expanded its mid-range offerings to up to six cores/12 threads
(high-performance models can have 8/16 or more), and introduced Simultaneous
Multi-Threading (SMT) technology to push more operations through each core.
[For the uninitiated, a processor "core" is,
essentially, a discrete CPU unto itself. So, a modern, quad-core or octo-core
processor actually has four or eight processor chips with which to do the
computational heavy lifting. Each core has one or two "threads" that
carry the distinct sets of commands and responses necessary to calculate,
render graphics, run software programs, and everything else. And AMD's new
Simultaneous Multi-Threading (similar to Intel's Hyper-Threading) enables each
thread to be used more efficiently, further multiplying processor
productivity.]
Is Ryzen good for gaming?
Computer game players were clearly among the target audience for
Ryzen, especially given AMD's long reputation for superior graphics. And for
game play, Ryzen -- with its improved per-core performance and new overclocking
features (see below) -- outperforms previous AMD processors by a substantial
margin. So, for most gamers, especially those who don't assemble their own
custom-configured, game-optimized systems, a Ryzen-powered PC is a logical choice
and could save you money.
Early benchmark tests found Ryzen chips performed less well for
some games than the best Intel Core i chips at the time. However, AMD
executives and many game manufacturers predicted that continued performance
tuning (by both AMD and game developers) would help Ryzen catch up quickly. In
addition, Ryzen comes in a hyper-powered Threadripper version with 16 cores and
32 threads that could be a good option for those assembling their own gaming
platforms.
What makes Ryzen different?
From a marketing perspective, AMD has for the first time adopted the
now-standard 3-5-7 processor nomenclature to differentiate base units (Ryzen 3)
from mid-range (Ryzen 5) and high-performance (Ryzen 7) offerings. Be careful,
however. There is some overlap between Ryzen categories, so depending on the
specifications, a high-end Ryzen 3 might be faster than a low-end Ryzen 5, in
some cases. For more specialized uses there is Ryzen Threadripper (see above)
and a potentially even more powerful server processor, Epyc, that's also built
upon AMD's new Zen architecture.
But beyond the marketing, what makes Ryzen different? Compared to
earlier AMD processors, Ryzen has several physical advantages:
- Smaller
14nm transistor structure that consumes less power and generates less heat
- Fewer
shared resources -- making each core more discrete and self-sufficient
- Improved
intra-processor links for on-the-fly adjustments to core/thread
utilization
- Overclocking
capabilities that can unleash additional processor cycles for specific
needs
Understanding Ryzen terminology
When considering a Ryzen processor or Ryzen-equipped PC, there are
several AMD feature names and marketing terms that you'll need to know:
- SenseMI
Technology: An
umbrella term to describe a series of so-called "learning and
adapting" features that help a Ryzen processor customize its
operation based on how you use it.
- Extended
Frequency Range (XFR): Provides the option -- with sufficient
cooling -- to "overclock" the processor to achieve higher cycle
speeds (boosting a top-rated Ryzen chip from, say, 3.6 GHz to 4.2 GHz).
Some Ryzen-powered systems come equipped with additional cooling to enable
XFR while on others such cooling is an add-on.
- Precision
Boost: Enables
Ryzen to make automatic, highly-granular frequency adjustments (25MHz at a
time) to increase performance without consuming more power. Kicks in when
Ryzen senses a workload need for faster processing while at the same time
sensing that it has the thermal headroom to allow it to run faster for a
time.
- Neural
Net Prediction: Allows
Ryzen to learn from how you use it and essentially "read ahead,"
anticipating the next steps in your workflow and making path adjustments
to ensure each task moves through the processor as efficiently as
possible.
- Smart
Prefetch: Learns
how your programs work and attempts to pro-actively load data to the
processor for faster application performance and workflow. Works in
conjunction with Neural Net Prediction.
Many of these
features rely on what AMD calls its Infinity Fabric, a new take on
the processor substrate material that connects all the cores, threads and other
components in a high-speed, low-latency "network on a chip." AMD says
the Infinity Fabric's sensors monitor cycle speed, temperature and voltage to
enable on-the-fly adjustments for maximum processor performance.
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