For fans of AMD, 2017 was a real gift. The company introduced a new generation of processors that have become the most dangerous and worthy competitors of Intel. At the end of 2016, a preliminary presentation of new products took place. From this it became clear that the Ryzen processors implemented the Zen microarchitecture over which the developers had been working for so long.
Additional information appeared in January this year. Some details were revealed at CES 2017. Since then, more than six months have passed, and much has become known about the new chips.
Microarchitecture
In 2011, the public got acquainted with the Bulldozer microarchitecture. More than 6 years have passed from this moment, and only now the company has shown its main development of recent times.
Zen instantly put Intel developers into a stupor and made them frantically work on their projects. Its feature is the 14 nm manufacturing process. The kernel works with two computing threads. Level 3 cache gained 8 MB. And instruction blocks have become self-learning.
After the release, it was announced that the release of new AMD Ryzen processors would begin in just a month. The novelty will be delivered to stores under the name Ryzen and will be paired with an AM4 socket.
It was immediately announced that the most productive model received a speed of 3400 MHz, as well as 16 threads. Power consumption did not rise above 96 watts. Over time, the situation has changed.
general information
Before you make a brief overview of the Reisen processors, you need to make a general impression of them. So did the company representatives. During the first presentation, back in December last year, they decided to compare the most powerful version of the new products with the already famous representative of the Intel Core i7-6900K.
The analysis was carried out using the Battlefield 1 game, with the maximum graphics settings, 4K resolution and using the same video card from Nvidia. As a result, the developers were able to show that the new product emits a little heat and is not inferior in speed.
It was said that the new Reisen processor will cost less than its direct competitor. At the same time, price campaigns were announced. It was announced that an eight-core chip will appear at a price of $ 500, a version with 6 cores - $ 250, models with 4 cores - $ 150.
Announcement
The first thing that the company did during the announcement of new products, it immediately presented 15 "motherboards" of different manufacturers. All of them had a new socket, in order to meet the chips with open arms. The presentation showed about 20 desktop computers, which were based on the new Ryzen.
Representatives of the company assured their fans that they were going to support the new AM4 socket until 2020. Do not forget to mention plans to improve Zen, possibly releasing new, even more powerful chips. Accordingly, all subsequent models will be able to work on 2017 motherboards.
Audiences presented only one version of the processor, the one mentioned earlier. The eight-core chip was compared with a competitor from Intel. They reported that within three months not only this model, but others will enter the market. Then it became clear when Reisen would get cheap processors with two cores and a 1 MB cache.
The audience had a lot of questions. Rumor has it that the new product will require replacement of the cooling system. We decided this because the connector received 100 contacts more. But this did not affect the connection of the cooler. All cooling models that hold on to the clip can still serve the user. You will need to replace screw coolers.
Classification
A month later, even more information became known. It was announced that all the new products will go on sale from March 2. It was immediately discussed 17 models with different speed, number of cores and threads.
AMD decided, following Intel's example, to release its products in three lines: R3, R5 and R7 (similar to i3, i5 and i7). The most productive models were included in SR7, the middle ones were in SR5, and the affordable ones in SR3.
They decided not to invent a naming system, they left the one that Radeon had. Initially, it was planned to call the main model of the R7 1800X chip, and its modification - R7 PRO 1800. It turned out a little differently. R7 1800X and R7 1800 are known on the market.
Replenishment
Less than six months later, as in August, the company introduced the new AMD Ryzen Threadripper. The new family of HEDT processors made Intel representatives nervous. They quickly rushed to cook Core i9. It is not known exactly yet, but the supposedly new Skylake-X is still stronger than the Threadripper 1950X.
But the price to such success is great. Manufacturers of motherboards only sigh at what conveyor the LGA2066 socket has turned into. In addition, the novelty from AMD is already in retail.
The appearance of this family was a real surprise. As is clear from the announcement, on which only 3 lines were presented, the fourth was not discussed. Moreover, even the representatives of the company themselves claim that they did not plan to release this chip.
It turned out that enthusiastic engineers worked on it after hours. It took them a year to convince the main ones at AMD. When the management believed, some more time passed for the implementation of the project. So, a few years later a new family was born, which fell under the Ryzen brand.
Threadripper are high-speed processors that surpass server analogs. They were equipped with their own ecosystem, which received the form of a board. The device can be purchased for 35 thousand rubles.
Opportunities
Continuing the theme of the Reisen processor, it is worth mentioning the fact that the Threadripper family is deprived of the ability to unlock additional cores.
When the audience saw new chips with four eight-core crystals under the lid, one could hear jubilant screams. Fans of "free kernels" and, of course, the main experimenters rejoiced. As a result, a rumor appeared that “inactive" nuclei could be activated.
The situation became clear after the explanations of top manager James Pryor. He said that the fourth family is different from similar server counterparts. It works with other crystals and the substrate.
It turned out that these models have only two full crystals, and the rest can be considered “stones”. "Dummies" broke the dreams of enthusiasts, and the rest had to accept the fact that the number of working cores does not depend on silicon crystals. If they are idle, then unlocking them does not work.
Comparison
By the fall of 2017, the overall picture of the existing chips became clear. There was an opportunity to compare the Reisen processors. The table shows the main parameters by which models can be distinguished.
AMD processor name | Kernels / Threads | TDP | Frequency / Turbo | Cost ($) |
Ryzen 3 1200 | 4/4 | 65 watts | 3100 MHz / 3400 MHz | 109 |
Ryzen 3 1300X | 4/4 | 65 watts | 3500 MHz / 3700 MHz | 129 |
Ryzen 5 1400 | 4/8 | 65 watts | 3200 MHz / 3400 MHz | 169 |
Ryzen 5 1500X | 4/4 | 65 watts | 3500 MHz / 3700 MHz | 189 |
Ryzen 5 1600 | 6/12 | 65 watts | 3200 MHz / 3600 MHz | 219 |
Ryzen 5 1600X | 6/12 | 95 watts | 3600 MHz / 4000 MHz | 249 |
Ryzen 7 1700 | 8/16 | 65 watts | 3000 MHz / 3700 MHz | 329 |
Ryzen 7 1700X | 8/16 | 95 watts | 3400 MHz / 3800 MHz | 399 |
Ryzen 7 1800X | 8/16 | 95 watts | 3600 MHz / 4000 MHz | 499 |
Ryzen Threadripper 1900X | 8/16 | 180 watts | 3800 MHz / 4000 MHz | 549 |
Ryzen Threadripper 1920X | 12/24 | 180 watts | 3500 MHz / 4000 MHz | 799 |
Ryzen Threadripper 1950X | 16/32 | 180 watts | 3500 MHz / 4000 MHz | 999 |
Support
Well, before you take a closer look at a couple of new AMD Ryzen models, you need to talk about another piece of news. One of the company representatives admitted that the chips of the new series will not officially function with Windows 7.
An interesting fact is that the tests were carried out on this operating system. This was done in order to maximize the performance of new items. Of course, this approach of the company upset many fans. Indeed, despite the fact that the "Ten" has already been released, many still remain true to the classic Windows 7.
Nowhere cheaper
As you recall, the Reisen processors were divided into four groups. The first belongs to the third generation and is a direct competitor to Core i3. Is it so, we will find out further, but for now a little general information.
The manufacturer planned that Ryzen 3 would be an alternative to Intel's third generation. It was aimed at a cost of up to $ 130. Of course, such a price is the most favorable, since then it would be possible to sell chips in batches. But the manufacturer did not take into account one, or it was intended.
The fact is that Core i3 and, accordingly, Ryzen 3 are usually chosen not for a gaming system, but for an office desktop PC. The buyer does not need a powerful video card, because he can easily use the integrated one. But Ryzen 3 does not have a GPU. Therefore, this family is difficult to consider a full-fledged rival for the Intel product.
While the company has not corrected this gap, it suggests using 1300X and 1200 for budget gaming assemblies, which, by the way, are very good when paired with two chips.
As a result, it turned out that the third-generation chips from AMD have a large number of advantages. Firstly, they execute four streams, but in a slightly different way than Intel's models. A separate hardware core is prepared for each thread, while Intel has two threads per core.
Another advantage was the acceleration. Reisen processors do not require expensive motherboards for overclocking. The main thing is that she has a B350. And the presence of such a set of system logic is in many "motherboards" worth more than $ 100.
Representatives of Ryzen 3
Two models got here: 1300X and 1200. Since these are budget chips, they have taken away the SMT technology, which is available in the next generation. The 1200 model works with four cores on four threads. The frequency in the usual mode is 3100 MHz, when activated, “Turbo” rises to 3400 MHz.
Model 1300X is somewhat more powerful due to the increased frequencies. It works at a base speed of 3500 MHz, and in accelerated mode shows 3.7 GHz. Such an improvement forced the manufacturer to raise the cost relative to the first model by $ 20.
Acceleration for both models has become a standard indicator of products from AMD. We managed to raise the frequency to an average of 4 GHz.
"Golden mean"
The use of Reisen 5 processors is wider. This is due to their technical characteristics. This line received three models at once: 1400 and 1600 and 1600X.
The oldest representative of the family was controversial. It is difficult to attribute it to competitors of the Core i5, but it does not reach the Core i7 either. This again is due to the difference in how these models are structured and which areas they are oriented to.
All three chips are very similar to each other. The only one that the cheapest of them, 1400, operates with 4 cores and 8 threads, while the other two are considered six-core with 12 threads. Versions of 1600 and 1600X differ in frequency. The first model works with a base 3200 MHz and a “turbo” 3600 MHz. A chip with an index of "X" copes with a base speed of 3600 MHz, and in the "pipe mode" shows all 4 GHz. Their TDP value also differs: 65 versus 95 W, respectively.
Of course, the Ryzen 5 1600X seems the most attractive of all. It does not conditionally fall into the competition of Core i5, therefore it is more often compared with the initial Core i7 models. The AMD novelty is also close to the seventh generation of Intel and that it has lost its proprietary cooling.
A number of chips of this family turned out to be a rejection of the production of older processors. Therefore, not all models easily accelerate and give good results.
As the next tests of Reisen processors have shown, their stable operation is limited to overclocking to the 4 GHz mark. During the test, the temperature rose to 70 degrees, which is generally normal for this model.
Summing up, we can confidently say that the oldest representative of this line is superior in performance to the Core i5-7600K chip.
"Happy Seven"
The Reisen 7 processors also got three models. They differ from each other in frequencies and TDP. We will consider the most productive version of AMD Ryzen 7 1800X.
It also comes without a cooling system. His appearance is ordinary, the only family name on the heat-distributing cover has become more noticeable at times. The number of contacts increased to 1331. Accordingly, a new socket appeared, which we mentioned earlier.
This AMD Ryzen works with eight physical cores that operate with SMT technology. The developers returned the previously applied scheme, when each core had its own FPU. The volume of the third level cache has become 16 MB.
In general, technology indicates that the chip operates at a frequency of 3600 MHz. In fact, the speed reaches 3.7 GHz. When activated, "Turbo" it rises to 4 GHz. You can try to activate XFR mode if you are the owner of an X370-based motherboard. Then the hardware frequency increases by 100 MHz.
As you know, the Zen architecture can only work with memory modules such as DDR4. Well, overclocking did not show anything unusual. In this case, the base frequency was raised to 4 GHz. This is the only overclocking achievement.
"Monsters"
In August 2017, the release of the Reisen Threadripper processors became known. The novelty has acquired three models: 1950X, 1920X and 1900X. Their cost ranges from 550 to 1000 dollars. A big run for the chips in the cores and in the threads. The youngest model operates according to the 8/16 scheme, for 1920X they use 12/24, and the top-end chip operates at 16/32.
Frequency, on the contrary, shows a decrease. The younger model is 3.8 GHz, the average - 3.5 GHz, the older - 3.4 GHz. But in accelerated mode, all three show 4 GHz.
Before us are the real monsters of the gaming industry and server systems. The older model coped with all the tests that were conducted in the laboratories. In general, this additional fourth Ryzen family showed how seriously the company takes its product.
It gave hope for future achievements and possible more successful projects. Of course, testing in games is a separate conversation that objectively does not show the true processor performance. In addition, everyone has long known that Intel chips do better with games. Apparently, this is due to the design of processors from AMD.
Threadripper has become really used in everyday work for complex tasks. For example, it will not be difficult to set the rendering to the background and continue to do their own business. For office work, it is easy to allocate several cores, the rest is left for complex tasks.
Reviews
Reisen processors collect mostly good reviews. Of course, a lot depends on specific models and assigned tasks. In the race for leadership, nothing new has happened between Intel and AMD. The only thing that the latter were able to triumphantly return after a long "hibernation" and present worthy competitors.
Some users managed to purchase new models. Of course, Threadripper owners are the least, since sales only began in late summer, and only three weeks have passed.
Most of all, the Reds fans were delighted. It's no secret that if you want to know on what basis to build the system, you will meet representatives of two camps: fans of AMD and fans of Intel. Each of them will tear his shirt to prove the advantage of his patron.
In fact, it’s important to understand for what tasks you are building a PC. If your goal is a gaming system, then, of course, the option with Intel and the seventh generation will be more successful. If you need a PC that can handle multitasking, then Reisen processors look good.
Previously, users could blame for strong heating and the fact that in the winter the AMD system is more useful, since the chip generates a lot of heat. Now this problem has disappeared, and coolers have become universal. Already, few people argue that the processor is very hot. We will hear this when there are a lot of owners of Threadripper chips.
The rest of the company managed to satisfy any user. Each family has several representatives that differ in the number of cores, threads, and frequency. Therefore, to find a favorite in this variety is simple. The main thing is to figure out what exactly is needed for your future PC.