Ryzen 4000 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 30 Mar 2023 09:58:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Ryzen 4000 | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 AMD Announces New Zen 2 and Zen 3 CPUs, Launching April https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/luke-hill/amd-announces-new-zen-2-and-zen-3-cpus-launching-april/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/luke-hill/amd-announces-new-zen-2-and-zen-3-cpus-launching-april/#respond Tue, 15 Mar 2022 13:00:43 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=553749 AMD has announced that its 3D V-cache-equipped Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor will launch on April 20 at $449 USD. And in a bid to compete with Intel’s increasingly strong budget and mid-range CPU offerings, AMD has also announced the introduction of six new Zen 2 and Zen 3 Ryzen processors. These will be on shelves …

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AMD has announced that its 3D V-cache-equipped Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor will launch on April 20 at $449 USD. And in a bid to compete with Intel’s increasingly strong budget and mid-range CPU offerings, AMD has also announced the introduction of six new Zen 2 and Zen 3 Ryzen processors. These will be on shelves starting April 4 and will cost between $99 and $299 USD.

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D will be the first deployment of AMD’s 3D V-cache technology on the consumer market. According to AMD, the stacked cache approach will deliver 15% more gaming performance. And AMD is also suggesting that the Ryzen 7 5800X3D will be “the world’s most advanced desktop gaming processor”, though we will have to validate that claim with independent testing.

To recap the specifications, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is an eight core, sixteen thread processor built on the underlying Zen 3 CPU architecture. The usual 32MB of L3 cache from the Zen 3 CCX is bolstered by a 64MB slab of 3D V-cache using a manufacturing process designed in collaboration with TSMC.

Clock speeds, TDP ratings, and the manufacturing process are highlighted on AMD’s product page. But, as always, we will have to wait to see how the chip performs in real world testing, particularly with respect to how software and games interact with that vertically stacked slab of additional L3 cache.

The $449 USD SEP likely means £450 in the UK. That will put the Ryzen 7 5800X3D between Intel's Core i7-12700K and the fast Core i9-12900K in terms of pricing competition.

Additionally, AMD is introducing a trio of Zen 3 processors and another trio of Zen 2 processors – one of which is an APU – in early April.

Two six-core Ryzen 5 Zen 3 chips – the Ryzen 5 5500 and Ryzen 5 5600 – will launch for $159 USD and $199 USD, respectively. These two 65W TDP chips will be bundled with a Wraith Stealth cooler and will differ via their rated clock speeds and cache capacity.

Notably, though, the Ryzen 5 5500 is highlighted as supporting PCIe Gen 3, not Gen 4. Coupled with the reduced cache capacity of 19MB total, it is likely that this is adjusted APU silicon, rather than the cut-down Zen 3 desktop CCX silicon of the Ryzen 5 5600.

Sitting above the two Zen 3 Ryzen 5 parts is the $299 USD Ryzen 7 5700X. This looks to be a Ryzen 7 5800X with a lower TDP (65W for the Ryzen 7 5700X versus 105W for the Ryzen 7 5800X) and associated clock speeds.

The almost one-and-a-half year old Ryzen 7 5800X currently sells for around £320 in the UK. So, a probable £20-30 lower price tag for the new Ryzen 7 5700X – which can likely be overclocked to comparable 5800X performance even via PBO – looks to be fine, even if not particularly exciting.

The three Zen 2-based processors launching look to be built from the Zen 2-based desktop APUs.

Top of this trio is the six-core Ryzen 5 4600G which features integrated graphics. $154 USD for a six-core processor bundled with a CPU cooler and featuring integrated graphics; that could be quite appealing to some budget buyers, particularly in a world where dedicated graphics card prices are still elevated.

But if you’re not interested in an integrated GPU, AMD offers up the Ryzen 5 4500. This looks to be very similar to the APU version but for $25 USD lower MSRP. Assuming a price of around £125-or-so in the UK, this six-core, Zen 2 Ryzen 5 will be competing with Intel’s eight-thread Core i3 whilst massively undercutting the twelve-thread Core i5 chips. That’s an interesting proposition for mid-range buyers.

And bottom of the stack is the $99 USD Ryzen 3 4100 which is a four-core, eight-thread processor without integrated graphics. This part is clearly designed to tackle Intel’s highly competitive Core i3 options – most notably the eight-thread Core i3-12100F which sells around the £100 mark.

The third point that AMD announced is that they have been working hard to enable Ryzen 5000 support to 300 series chipsets. Users with older B350, X370, or A320 motherboards will rejoice to hear that this support is finally being offered via the latest AGESA updates sent out to board vendors.

I would personally argue that an upgrade to B550 is perhaps a smart option if you’re also upgrading to Ryzen 5000 at the mid-range or higher-end. But for some of the budget chips announced today to be a drop-in upgrade to users on a 2017 motherboard – that’s impressive platform longevity from AMD!

KitGuru says: Ryzen 7 5800X3D will be exciting to examine later next month. And in the meantime, it is good to see AMD finally aiming to compete with Intel in the budget and mid-range market segments. That’s particularly valid with the impressive introduction of Ryzen 5000 processor support for 300 series chipset motherboards.

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Asus launch the new Mini PC PN50 https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/james-dawson/asus-launch-a-new-mini-pc-pn50/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/james-dawson/asus-launch-a-new-mini-pc-pn50/#respond Sun, 19 Jul 2020 08:03:00 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=477712 Asus has introduced a new ultra-compact computer to its mini-PC range this week. The all-new Mini PC PN50 claims to be a powerful device suitable for a range of application in the home or at the office. The Asus PN50 Mini PC is equipped with the latest AMD Ryzen 4000 series mobile processors featuring built-in …

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Asus has introduced a new ultra-compact computer to its mini-PC range this week. The all-new Mini PC PN50 claims to be a powerful device suitable for a range of application in the home or at the office.

The Asus PN50 Mini PC is equipped with the latest AMD Ryzen 4000 series mobile processors featuring built-in Radeon Vega 7 graphics. It supports high speed DDR4 3200MHz memory with a compact form factor that takes up minimal space on a desk, making it suitable for all types of scenarios ranging from digital signage to home theatre setups.

Asus PN50 can support up to 8K video resolution at 60Hz using DisplayPort Dual-Mode or can be connected to four displays simultaneously with a resolution of 4K 60Hz. It also features configurable connectivity options, WiFi 6 (802.11ax) networking for reliable and high-speed transfer of data as well as dual USB Type-C ports supporting data transfer and DisplayPort functions over a single cable.

Dual array front-facing microphones offer voice control via Microsoft Cortana, while an integrated IR sensor allows for remote control of applications via a remote handset. The PN50's configurable port options include COM, VGA, LAN and DisplayPort 1.4 which allows users to choose their own connectivity combinations to suit their needs.

Asus Mini PC PN50 has a modern sleek appearance with a lightweight, compact chassis measuring just 115 mm x 115 mm x 49 mm and an internal volume of 0.62-litres, meaning it can be positioned almost anywhere. A VESA mount allows the unit to be attached to the back of a display to create an all-in-one solution while a convenient sliding chassis design allows for easy upgrades of M.2 SSDs, 2.5-inch HDDs or memory in just two quick steps.

The Asus Mini PC PN50 is available to pre-order now from Amazon UK, starting off at £274.99 for a barebones system including an AMD Ryzen 3 4300U CPU.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: The new Asus Mini PC PN50 looks like it could be a real powerhouse packed into a tiny chassis. Any of you guys pre-ordering one of these? If so, what will you be using it for?

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AMD Ryzen 5000 & 6000 APU details leaked https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/joao-silva/amd-ryzen-5000-6000-apu-details-leaked/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/joao-silva/amd-ryzen-5000-6000-apu-details-leaked/#respond Thu, 28 May 2020 07:44:53 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=469340 Details about the next-gen Ryzen 5000 "Cezanne" and Ryzen 6000 "Rembrandt" APUs have leaked. These APUs will utilise Zen CPU cores alongside Vega/RDNA graphics, and will be used in both desktops and laptops...

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While we're hearing a lot about AMD's Renoir APUs at the moment, some details about the next-gen Ryzen 5000 “Cezanne” and Ryzen 6000 “Rembrandt” APUs have leaked. These APUs will utilise Zen CPU cores alongside Vega/RDNA graphics, and will be used in both desktops and laptops.

According to Expreview (via DSOG), the Ryzen 5000 “Cezanne” series, which will succeed Renoir APUs, will be using Zen 3 cores and Vega 7 graphics, instead of the upcoming RDNA 2 design. The “Cezanne FP6” might be aimed towards high-end notebooks, while the “Cezanne AM4” chips should be for mid-end desktops. Both will be based on the BGA platform.

These Cezanne APUs will be split into two groups: the high-power Cezanne-H and the low-power Cezanne-U. Both will be using TSMC's 7nm process node and should be available by 2021.

The Ryzen 6000 “Rembrandt” APU should come with Zen3+ (Zen3 refresh) CPU cores and RDNA2 graphics architecture, offering a better performance/watt ratio than Vega. Additionally, the Rembrandt APUs should be AMD's first APUS supporting DDR5 and LPDDR5 memory, USB 4.0, and PCIe Gen4.

Rembrandt APUs are expected to use TSMC's 6nm process node, and should support the “AM5 socket platform”. Ryzen 4000, AKA Vermeer's successor “Raphael” is likely to also use the same platform as Rembrandt APUs. Both the Rembrandt and Raphael chips are slated for 2022.

Lastly, we have “Vang Gogh”, a custom SoC with a 9W TDP design for low-power systems. It should be the equivalent of a “simplified version of the PS5 and Xbox Series X custom processors”. Rumours suggest that it will use Zen2 and RDNA2 architectures.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: All things considered, AMD seems to have a good APU roadmap for the next 2 years. Are you waiting for a new APU for your system? Would you go for the upcoming Ryzen 4000 APUs or wait for the Ryzen 5000 or 6000 APUs?

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Engineering samples of Ryzen 4000 “Vermeer” processors clocked up to 4.6GHz https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/joao-silva/engineering-samples-of-amd-ryzen-4000-vermeer-processors-clocked-up-to-4-6ghz/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/joao-silva/engineering-samples-of-amd-ryzen-4000-vermeer-processors-clocked-up-to-4-6ghz/#respond Thu, 21 May 2020 08:20:03 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=468136 New listings of the AMD “Vermeer” processors, also known as Ryzen 4000, have given us a glimpse of the speeds that these upcoming chips may be able to run at. These two listings show a 8C/16T processor and a 16C/32T processor, both clocked up to 4.6GHz. According to Igor's Lab, the engineering samples (A0) of …

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New listings of the AMD “Vermeer” processors, also known as Ryzen 4000, have given us a glimpse of the speeds that these upcoming chips may be able to run at. These two listings show a 8C/16T processor and a 16C/32T processor, both clocked up to 4.6GHz.

According to Igor's Lab, the engineering samples (A0) of the upcoming AMD Vermeer CPUs are currently being tested. The listings don't give us any information about the existence of integrated graphics, but describes the base and boost clocks of five samples from two different processor models.

Based on Zen 3 architecture, the three samples of the 8C/16T processor can be divided in two: two of them have a base clock of 4.0GHz and a boost clock of 4.6GHz, while the other one has a 3.8GHz base clock and a 4.4GHz boost clock. The higher clocked sample might be the replacement for the 3800X, while the other should replace the 3700X.

The remaining two samples of the 16C/32T processor have a base clock of 3.7GHz and a boost clock of 4.6GHz. By the looks of it, this is the replacement chip for the 3950X. It's still early doors, but compared to the 3950X, the new part's base clock has been increased by 200MHz, but rated boost clock is actually 100MHz slower. That does raise a question mark around the upcoming processors, but we will have to wait and see if any IPC gain will help matters, too.

Ryzen 4000 series desktop processors are expected to be released in September.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you waiting for Ryzen 4000 series desktop processors to upgrade your system?

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Luke and Leo Get Technical (Ep6) – New AMD EPYC & Ryzen 3 Rumours https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/luke-hill/luke-and-leo-get-technical-ep6-new-amd-epyc-ryzen-3-rumours/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/luke-hill/luke-and-leo-get-technical-ep6-new-amd-epyc-ryzen-3-rumours/#respond Tue, 21 Apr 2020 14:00:03 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=462918 Things are looking busy for AMD. Last week saw new set of EPYC processor SKUs released, and we've also seen leaks and rumours pointing to an impending release of Zen 2-based Ryzen 3 3000 processors. And Luke and Leo talk about the prospect of a Zen 2-based desktop APU akin to what we see from the new Ryzen 4000 Mobile APUs...

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Things are looking busy, once again, for AMD. Last week, we saw a new set of EPYC processor SKUs released – the 7Fx2 series of high-frequency server/datacentre chips. We have seen leaks and rumours pointing to an impending release of Zen 2-based Ryzen 3 3000 processors. And Luke and Leo talk about the prospect of a Zen 2-based desktop APU akin to what we see from the new Ryzen 4000 Mobile APUs.

AMD EPYC:

  • Why does Leo dislike the name ‘EPYC’?
  • Does Xeon mean anything, other than being Intel products?
  • The old AMD ‘Opteron’ name probably had to go for the new Zen architecture
  • What does ‘F’ stand for with EPYC?
  • Those new EPYC 7Fx2 series processors are high frequency
  • 8-core, 16-core, 24-core parts seems a bit odd on the face of it
  • 240W TDP ratings!
  • These are clearly very specific processors for very specific use cases and audiences
  • The pricing looks ridiculous compared to non-F series EPYC ‘Rome’ parts at similar core counts
  • But given per-core or core-limited licensing for some software packages, perhaps the cost of these faster processors is not so bad
  • We mention Oracle’s annoying per-core/per-socket pricing changes. We actually meant VMWare. Doh!
  • Maybe 3x the cost versus similar core count EPYC processors is reasonable for these 7Fx2 series chips as software can be so expensive when used for important business projects!
  • EPYC 7Fx2 series looks to be a reaction to Intel’s Xeon ‘High Performance’ chips released in Q1 2020
  • AMD seems to be happy to take Intel head on in terms of core counts and pricing
  • Is the EPYC platform now strong enough to justify price parity versus Intel competitors?

AMD Zen 2 Ryzen 3 3000 Rumours:

  • Rumours of two Ryzen 3 3000 – Zen 2 – processors coming very soon
  • Ryzen 3 3100 and Ryzen 3 3300X rumoured – 4C8T, 18MB Cache, 65W TDP
  • Clock speed differences between the two, according to rumours
  • If true, these will be important for AMD’s current-gen, lower-end product stack. Ryzen 3000 Zen 2 currently stops at around £150-160 with Ryzen 5 3600 and nothing cheaper
  • Intel is competitive sub-£150 and particularly sub-£100 – Core i3-9100F at £72, for example
  • Will Zen 2 chiplets need to be hamstrung down to the suggested Ryzen 3 specifications?
  • Will Ryzen 3 3000 be single-CCX Zen 2 desktop processors?
  • Potentially good parts for budget buyers and system builders
  • Rumoured Ryzen 3 3000 should be a straight head-to-head fight versus rumoured Core i3 Comet Lake chips

AMD Ryzen 4000 – Zen 2-based Desktop APUs:

  • Current Zen 2 APUs only exist in Mobile form – we want desktop versions!
  • Ryzen 3/5 3000 series APUs are previous-gen CPU architecture
  • What would a Zen 2-based desktop APU need to be priced at?
  • Zen 2 on the CPU side of things will definitely make a desktop APU exciting
  • 65W or lower TDP for APUs would be good for simple and small form factor (SFF) builds
  • Zen 2 CPU plus RDNA GPU in an APU would be exciting for the future
  • B450 AM4 motherboards still prove sensible for these lower-cost processors
  • Perfect choice for SFF ‘console-killer’ gaming PCs?

KitGuru says: The rumoured Ryzen 3 3000 Zen 2 processors would be good for budget-conscious buyers, but we also want to see a Zen 2-based desktop APU soon! AMD is clearly happy to fight Intel head-on in the server/datacentre market with the 7Fx2 series processors which highlights AMD’s confidence in the strength of its Zen 2-based EPYC ‘Rome’ offerings.

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AMD Ryzen 4000 for desktops expected to launch in September https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/christopher-nohall/amd-ryzen-4000-for-desktops-expected-to-launch-in-september/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/christopher-nohall/amd-ryzen-4000-for-desktops-expected-to-launch-in-september/#respond Fri, 10 Apr 2020 13:18:35 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=461543 AMD recently started rolling out its AMD Ryzen 4000 processors for laptops. Despite sharing the same name, AMD Ryzen 4000 for laptops is based on the ‘Zen 2‘  architecture and AMD Ryzen 4000 for desktops will be based on ‘Zen 3'. Now it's reported that AMD Ryzen 4000 for desktops will finally arrive in September. Since …

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AMD recently started rolling out its AMD Ryzen 4000 processors for laptops. Despite sharing the same name, AMD Ryzen 4000 for laptops is based on the ‘Zen 2‘  architecture and AMD Ryzen 4000 for desktops will be based on ‘Zen 3'. Now it's reported that AMD Ryzen 4000 for desktops will finally arrive in September.

Since AMD released its initial wave of Zen-based CPUs, many consumers have been looking forward to each new iteration of CPUs coming from the chip manufacturer – something which also holds true for the upcoming Zen 3 architecture. Initially it was expected that AMD Ryzen 4000 for desktops presented to the public at Computex 2020 in June. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak the event was rescheduled to September.


Image credit: Hexus

Computex 2020 wasn't the only thing that has been delayed, and Ryzen 4000 for desktops is expected to suffer a similar fate. The roadmap for Zen 3 had to be redrawn and it has been uncertain when the public will be able to see the new architecture in action. Now Taiwanese DigiTimes reports that AMD Ryzen 4000 for desktops will arrive in September – based on sources from motherboard manufacturers.

It's speculated that it's only the unveiling ‘Zen 3' – code named ‘Vermeer' – that has been postponed. The reports talk about retailers expecting to receive shipments of the new CPUs in August or September, to be able to prepare in time for the official launch.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What are your thoughts on the upcoming AMD Ryzen 4000 CPUs for desktops? Will they live up to the expectations?

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Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 review – AMD Ryzen 4000 is here! https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/leo-waldock/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-review-amd-ryzen-4000-is-here/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/leo-waldock/asus-rog-zephyrus-g14-review-amd-ryzen-4000-is-here/#respond Mon, 30 Mar 2020 13:00:01 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=459439 We get our first look at how Ryzen 4000 performs in the Zephyrus G14

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In a one-two combo, AMD unveiled Ryzen 4000 Mobile at CES 2020 and then Asus hit us with the ROG Zephyrus G14 which left us in no doubt they were taking the new AMD CPU seriously. This svelte 14-inch notebook looked gorgeous and also packed a lighting system in the lid called AniMe that simply could not be ignored.    

00:16 Introduction
00:47 Unboxing The G14
01:32 No lighting in the lid – aww
02:37 Ports and connectors
03:06 Four distinct families / pricing / hardware
03:55 KitGuru Technical piece on Ryzen 4000 Mobile
04:20 Sampling issues for launch
05:09 The ‘HS’ suffix – 35 watts
05:49 Asus Armoury Crate / clock speeds / package power / temperatures
09:29 The Triangle Discussion
10:00 Ryzen 4900HS – it's impressive!
11:06 G14 hardware detailed
12:21 Is Leo impressed?
13:38 The Cooling System
14:22 One potential snag
14:55 Leo wants the QHD panel version!
15:16 Full HD Gaming is lovely
15:51 Good battery life as well
16:17 It's a triumph!

Product page for Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 HERE

Specification

  • CPU AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS
  • Screen 14-inch, 1,920×1,080 resolution, 120Hz refresh IPS-level
  • Graphics Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q 6GB GDDR6
  • Integrated graphics AMD 7nm Vega 512 Shaders, 512MB DDR4, 128-bit controller
  • Memory 16GB DDR4-3200MHz dual channel (8GB + 8GB on board)
  • SSD 1TB Intel 660p M.2 NVMe
  • Audio 2x 2.5W + 2x 0.7W speakers
  • Networking Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 and BT5.0
  • I/O ports
    • 2x USB 3.2 Type-C (one with DisplayPort)
    • 2x USB 3.2 Gen1Type-A
    • 1x HDMI 2.0b
    • 3.5mm Headphone/mic combo jack
  • Battery 4-cell 76Wh 4800mAh, 180W adapter
  • Dimensions 324mm x 222mm x 17.9mm
  • Weight 1.68kg plus 520g for power supply and mains cable

We were disappointed that our review sample was supplied without the AniMe Matrix lighting in the lid so we instead focussed on the technical features, and in particular the Ryzen 9 4000 HS CPU with 35W TDP. A regular 45W Ryzen 9 4900H has a Base frequency of 3.3GHz and Boosts to 4.4GHz. By contrast the Ryzen 9 4000 HS in this laptop has a lower 3.0GHz Base frequency and a slightly lower 4.3GHz Boost but saves a healthy 10W in the process.

This particular version of Zephyrus G14 packs Nvidia RTX 2060 Max-Q graphics that are rated at 65W so we were gratified to see that Asus has worked hard on the cooling system in this skinny laptop. The cooling system covers the CPU, GPU and VRMs and uses five heatpipes with two cooling fans that each have 81 blades. The fan blades have lengths that alternate between 50.0mm and 51.2mm in a move to reduce turbulence, and Asus has also included their dust bypass feature that ensures the fans remain clean.

Externally you can see the ErgoLift hinge that lifts the back of the chassis by 15mm to help cooling and also to angle the keyboard for more natural typing.

Asus controls the power, cooling and clock speeds of the ROG Zephyrus G14 with their Armoury Crate software that has four operation modes: Silent (under 35db), Performance (under 40dB), Turbo and Manual.

Silent CPU fan 2,400rpm, GPU fan 2,600rpm
Performance CPU fan 2,600rpm, GPU fan 2,800rpm
Turbo CPU fan 2,700rpm, GPU fan 3,000rpm
Manual Full speed CPU fan 3,000rpm, GPU fan 3,500rpm

Testing and Performance

We ran Cinebench R15 and Blender to test the CPU, as well as 3D Mark and a number of games tests. It will make things much clearer if you watch our video and take note of the section where we run Blender with Armoury Crate in Performance, Turbo and Manual modes as that will show you exactly how the CPU behaves when it is working hard.

CPU Tests

CPU Test Overview

Ryzen 9 4900HS storms along with eight fast cores delivering impressive performance. It is noteworthy that single threaded performance is on a par with Intel Core i7-9750H.

Synthetic Games Tests

Synthetic Games Tests Overview

You can clearly see the CPU delivers huge levels of performance in 3D Mark while the RTX 2060 Max-Q graphics slot in exactly where you would expect, below RTX 2070 and above GTX 1660 Ti.

Games Tests

Games Tests Overview

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 demonstrates how easily it can play Full HD games with the Image Quality cranked up high. The average frame rates deliver an excellent experience while the grunty CPU and fast memory ensure the minimum frame rates are also acceptable.

Testing and Performance Overview

It is clear the Ryzen 9 4900HS CPU inside Asus ROPG Zephyrus G14 performs like a champ, however it is less clear exactly what the CPU is doing at any given moment as the combination of power, cooling and clock speeds is highly dynamic.

In a lightly threaded task such as the graphics portion of Fire Strike we observed the CPU running at 4,366MHz. By contrast in a CPU-intensive task such as Blender the CPU would initially run at 3.7GHz and then slowly clock down to 3.2GHz or 3.1GHz. When we switched modes in Armoury Crate we could see the target CPU temperature changing from 90 degrees to 93 or 94 degrees. When the task was less CPU intensive the temperature would rapidly fall back to the mid-70s Celsius.

In a combined gaming workload such as Far Cry 5 we observed the CPU temperature at 95 degrees while the RTX 2060 Max-Q graphics were running at 76 degrees, which suggests the cooling package might be approaching its limits on this high end version of Zephyrus G14.

Battery Life

Battery Life Overview

Five hours of battery life in PC Mark 8 equates to ten hours of real world duties, and that is a big thumbs up for Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.

Closing Thoughts

The new Ryzen 9 4900HS CPU in Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 makes us keen to see more laptops with regular non-HS processors so we can get a feel for the whole family of Ryzen 4000 CPUs. We also need to use the AMD 7nm Vega graphics to see how well they work in a laptop so yes, we are slightly frustrated at the moment but yes, we are also impressed by Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.  This is a good laptop that should make for a highly portable working machine, although we would have preferred a version with a QHD screen rather than FHD.

The chassis looks good and has the ports and connectors arranged on both sides in handy locations. The screen looks good, the keyboard feels OK and the touchpad is responsive. None of these critical parts jumped out as exceptional but neither did we hit any problems. Our review sample did not come with the AniMe lighting feature in the lid, and while that is a minor shame as it would have looked interesting on video we cannot claim to be too deeply disappointed.

We have been able to dig up information on a number of versions of G14 but the prices have not been confirmed in advance of the launch date so we shall hold off on a final judgement about value for money. Right now it seems you pay a significant premium as you step up the product stack and improve the CPU and GPU, moving from £999 to £1,799. The underlying hardware in the chassis remains the same across the range of Zephyrus G14 laptops and that strikes us a good move as the tiny screen bezel, ErgoLift hinge and inclusion of Type-C charging are features that deserve to be shared.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

Pros:

  • Very strong CPU performance from Ryzen 9 4900HS.
  • G14 chassis is thin, light and very compact.
  • Impressive battery life.
  • Good cooling system.

Cons:

  • Our review sample came with a FHD panel, rather than QHD.
  • As you move up the G14 product stack, prices increase significantly.
  • Armoury Crate feels like it needs tweaking for Ryzen 4000.

KitGuru says: Asus has introduced Ryzen 4000 in a premium laptop with ROG Zephyrus G14.

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Ryzen 4000 Mobile – 7nm Zen 2 & Vega Explained https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/luke-hill/ryzen-4000-mobile-7nm-zen-2-vega-explained/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/graphic-cards/luke-hill/ryzen-4000-mobile-7nm-zen-2-vega-explained/#respond Mon, 16 Mar 2020 13:00:12 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=456991 AMD has shared more details on its upcoming Ryzen 4000 Mobile 'Renoir' APUs with 7nm Zen 2 and Vega cores. Offering up to eight cores and sixteen threads from the Zen 2-based CPU cores in 15W and 45W form, will AMD be able to compete against Intel's dominance in the mobile market? And how will AMD's strict focus on high performance graphics capability compare to Intel's competition?

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First announced at CES 2020, AMD is gearing up for the launch of its Zen 2- and Vega-based Ryzen 4000 ‘Renoir’ APUs for laptops. Targeting the mobile market that Intel has dominated for as long as most people can remember, AMD is bringing higher core counts to the low power segment and is banking on alluring GPU performance versus Intel’s Comet Lake-U, Ice Lake, and Coffee Lake Refresh competition.

The main details for Ryzen 4000 ‘Renoir’ mobile APUs are already well understood at this point, given the announcement at CES 2020. The SoC is built on TSMC’s 7nm process technology, which AMD claims is responsible for around 70% of the performance gains from the Vega GPU and Zen 2 CPU cores (versus previous generation 12nm comparisons).

Eight-core, sixteen-thread offerings will lead the pack for both the 45W-class H-series SKUs and the 15/25W-class U-series SKUs. Eight cores and sixteen threads is a new level that we have not yet seen from ‘ultrabook’ class 15/25W chips as Intel’s Comet Lake-U parts top out at six cores and twelve threads.

LPDDR4X memory support is another factor that signals AMD’s move to more modern ancillary components for use in the Ryzen 4000 Mobile ecosystem.

One clear topic of discussion is the use of the older Vega GPU architecture rather than AMD’s latest RDNA alternative. AMD highlighted how everything is closer together on the die using the 7nm manufacturing node, and this helps the Vega GPU’s clock speed to be increased to enhance performance.

Another factor was that it would have simply been difficult to adapt RDNA into the SoC design in the given timeframe. Work on Ryzen 4000 would have begun over 2 years ago, at which stage RDNA was not released and would have still been work in progress.

Critical to AMD’s strategy is the balance it aims to offer with Renoir. Particularly in the ultra-portable U-series 15/25W market segment, AMD is keen to point at that Intel’s competitors force a user to compromise on their purchasing decision.

If you want cores, clock speed, and compute performance, you should be looking at Comet Lake-U but accepting older, lower performance graphics capability. With Ice Lake, you get the newest CPU architecture, 10nm process technology, and more powerful graphics, but CPU compute performance is compromised due to modest operating frequencies and a maximum core count of four.

According to AMD, its flagship U-series part – the Ryzen 7 4800U – will offer a balance between compute performance and graphics performance thanks to its eight multi-threaded Zen 2 CPU cores with the eight Vega-based graphics cores that are blended together on TSMC’s 7nm node.

That balance, says AMD, will allow for reasonable 1080P gaming performance on U-series processors thanks to the GPU’s capability. Real gaming performance using the iGPU is an area where Intel’s competition has historically struggled.

Of course, battery life is the other spoke in the critical trifecta for U-series processors. During its Renoir Tech Day in February, AMD highlighted how achieving strong battery life is far more complicated than simply using an efficient architecture and process node to drive down power consumption. Processor and operating system power states are critical factors in the equation, as are the decisions on when to move between different power states.

For example, triggering a command to switch to a less energy intensive power state requires the data held in caches to be written and then flushed. This takes energy to do so. As such, the transition to the lower energy state requires energy. If that lower energy state is only going to be required for a short period of time, the net energy usage of switching to it may be higher than the amount of energy it saves over the entirety of the process.

Simply put, it is critical for the system to predict the best power states for the processor to be in early so that the energy used in switching is minimised and the relevant level of performance is provided.

Of course, low-power U-series parts are not for everybody. Many mobile users still command strong levels of compute performance and the ability to be partnered with a dedicated GPU. That’s where AMD’s 45W-class H-series Ryzen 4000 Mobile SKUs fit in.

Leading the pack will be the eight-core, sixteen-thread Ryzen 9 4900H. This processor was not announced back at CES 2020 but AMD confirmed its existence at the Renoir Tech Day and showed off an ASUS laptop housing the part. Realistically, the Ryzen 9 4900H is very similar to the 8C16T Ryzen 7 4800H. The key changes are an increase in the number of graphics cores and their speed, as well as higher base and boost clocks for the CPU cores and higher clock residency, according to AMD.

If eight cores is not necessary for your usage and you’re more concerned with solid compute performance at a reasonable price, I expect the six-core, twelve-thread Ryzen 5 4600H to be particularly competitive. That point will be especially true when we see the APU in systems partnered with a budget-conscious discrete GPU.

One point of note is that ‘S’ suffix after some of the processors. This forms part of AMD’s ‘HS Design Standard’ that it is pushing to OEMs. Several factors go into AMD allowing its OEM partners to use the HS design spec.

Most notably is the reduced TDP to 35W for the Ryzen 4000 APU. This configurable TDP down (cTDP) setting allows the processor to operate at a lower clock speed while maintaining use of all the physical resources. In turn, this should help to reduce the thickness of required cooling hardware and enhance the battery life, which is another factor that AMD forces on its partners – no El Cheapo batteries allowed for HS design standard laptops.

As well as restrictions on the physical dimensions that force vendors to use premium chassis materials and design logics, another critical factor in the HS design standard is a pairing of the APU with a discrete GPU to allow for solid gaming performance.

AMD expects partner vendors to opt for Navi 10 or Max-Q GPUs typically and we have seen an example of ASUS using the Ryzen 9 4900HS with an RTX 2060 Max-Q for its Zephyrus G14.

It is interesting to see AMD enforcing specific rules onto its OEM partners who want to use the ‘S’ suffix processors. The HS design standard reminds me a little of Intel’s Project Athena or Ultrabook push whereby the chip maker works closely with laptop vendors to produce a premium, well-optimised offering to customers.

Clearly, AMD has lofty goals with Renoir and that’s completely understandable given Intel’s dominant position in the mobile processor market. At its Renoir Tech Day back in February, AMD was keen to highlight over 100 Ryzen Mobile systems will be available during 2020 – a statistic that is clearly designed to show that OEMs are taking Ryzen 4000 Mobile seriously.

It will be interesting to see what sort of buy-in AMD gets from large vendors such as Dell, Lenovo, HP, and ASUS. We have already seen details of Lenovo’s upcoming 14” Yoga Slim 7 using the Ryzen 7 4800U and ASUS’ Zephyrus G14 looks incredibly promising with up to a Ryzen 9 4900H calibre processor. Given the current situation of turbulence around the globe, we have a few more weeks to wait before the performance data can be shared and the systems will be on shelf around the world.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru Says: AMD is aiming to compete with Intel in the mobile scene to the same extent that the vendor has battled Intel successfully in the desktop and enterprise CPU space. Do you think AMD will be able to match Intel’s well-optimised offerings? And which products from the Ryzen 4000 line-up are you most interested in? Check back next month for our full hands-on analysis and more comprehensive architecture breakdown.

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CES 2020: First-hand look at MSI’s latest gaming laptops https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/notebook/matthew-wilson/ces-2020-first-hand-look-at-msis-latest-gaming-laptops/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/notebook/matthew-wilson/ces-2020-first-hand-look-at-msis-latest-gaming-laptops/#respond Wed, 08 Jan 2020 14:11:20 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=445443 Today at CES, our man on the ground, Luke Hill, had the chance to check out MSI's impressive lineup of laptops, including the Alpha and Bravo AMD-powered systems, as well as the brand new GS66 Stealth and GE66 Raider...

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Today at CES, our man on the ground, Luke Hill, had the chance to check out MSI's impressive lineup of laptops, including the Alpha and Bravo AMD-powered systems, as well as the brand new GS66 Stealth and GE66 Raider.

The MSI Alpha 15 laptop is currently running a Ryzen 3000 laptop processor, so it hasn't updated to the new 7nm Ryzen 4000 laptop series that AMD announced earlier in the week. However, we are told that Ryzen 4000 is coming to this model soon, so expect the spec to update.

The MSI Bravo 15 on the other hand is already running Ryzen 4000 and also comes with an RX 5500M discrete GPU. The display is 1080p/144Hz, which is music to any gamer's ears and we are told that pricing will sit below the $1000 mark, making this a very intriguing option on the market.

The GS66 Stealth goes in the ‘thin and light’ direction with a stealthy black design. MSI has taken feedback from the previous Stealth laptops and integrated upward facing speakers in the new GS66 Stealth, rather than downward facing speakers. This should improve overall sound quality compared to previous generations.

The panel in use can be up to 300Hz, so this is going to be one of the top-end options for competitive gamers. Under the hood, you will find a triple-fan cooling design with the world's thinnest 0.1mm fan blades. According to MSI, this design generates 10% more airflow, which of course leads to better thermal performance. MSI is planning on adding in the latest Intel 10th Gen CPUs and Nvidia GeForce graphics for this laptop, so it might not hit the market for another few months as new hardware is on the way.

Finally, we have the GE66 Raider, which is more obviously a gaming laptop compared to the Stealth. For the new Raider, MSI has angled the hinge to make the laptop easier to open with one hand, meanwhile MSI is using a titanium silver colour scheme with a bright RGB LED bar at the front of the laptop. When the GE66 Raider arrives, it will have similar specs to the GS66 Stealth, so the latest and greatest from Intel/Nvidia plus a 300Hz display option.

Both the GE66 Raider and GS66 Stealth come with a 99Whr battery, which is the maximum legal capacity allowed to be taken on a plane in the US.

MSI has a few other laptops announced here at CES, you can find our rundown of the full lineup, HERE.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru Says: Gaming laptops have certainly come a long way over the years and MSI's latest batch all appear to be very impressive. We'll be looking forward to having a more in-depth look later on in the year. What do you all think of MSI's new laptops? 

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CES 2020: AMD announces Ryzen 4000 mobile series processors https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/matthew-wilson/ces-2020-amd-announces-ryzen-4000-mobile-series-processors/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/matthew-wilson/ces-2020-amd-announces-ryzen-4000-mobile-series-processors/#respond Mon, 06 Jan 2020 23:12:53 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=444854 At CES today, AMD CEO, Dr. Lisa Su, proudly proclaimed that 2020 is going to be an even bigger year, with the company focused on delivering the very best, That battle is starting off in the laptop sector, with the brand new Ryzen 4000 mobile series processors, spearheaded by ‘the best laptop processor ever built'.  …

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At CES today, AMD CEO, Dr. Lisa Su, proudly proclaimed that 2020 is going to be an even bigger year, with the company focused on delivering the very best, That battle is starting off in the laptop sector, with the brand new Ryzen 4000 mobile series processors, spearheaded by ‘the best laptop processor ever built'. 

AMD's Ryzen 4000 mobile series processors come in two flavours, a H-series (high power) and a U-series (low power). These chips are built using 7nm technology, with up to 8 cores and 16 threads, delivering new levels of performance in ultra-thin form factors and gaming laptops.

The Ryzen 7 4800U comes with eight Zen 2 cores, 16 threads, a 1.8GHz base speed, 4.2GHz boost speed, an additional eight ‘Radeon' cores for the integrated GPU and just a 15W TDP. Interestingly, the Radeon cores here are based on the Vega architecture but through some additional design work, AMD has managed to generate a 59% performance boost over the previous generation.

Compared against Intel's latest Core i7-1065G7 processor, the Ryzen 7 4800U delivers 28 percent better graphics performance in 3DMark Time Spy Extreme, 90 percent better multi-thread performance in Cinebench R20 nT and 4 percent better single-thread performance in Cinebench R20 1T. AMD's low-power chip also delivers bigger performance leads across productivity software, including a 49% performance advantage in Adobe Premiere Pro and a 40 percent advantage transcoding video with Handbrake.

Performance per watt versus 3rd Gen Ryzen Mobile processors is doubled. A chunk of this comes from benefits of using the 7nm process, delivering power savings for longer lasting battery life.

The first AMD Ryzen 4000 U-series laptops are due over the course of Q1 2020 and we'll be seeing a bunch of them announced this week at CES. Currently, AMD expects to have these chips inside over 100 different laptops by the end of the year.

The AMD Ryzen 4000 H-series is AMD's high power variant aimed at gamers and professional creators. At the top of the pile is the Ryzen 7 4800H, which also sports 8-cores and 16-threads but has a higher 45W TDP and 2.9GHz/4.2GHz base/boost clock speeds.

During AMD's presentation, we see slides that show that an Intel Core i7-9750H has roughly 26 percent lower performance than a desktop Intel Core i7-9700K. In order to deliver ‘desktop class' performance, AMD designed the Ryzen 7 4800H to beat that benchmark, delivering a 39 percent performance increase over the Core i7-9700K in a 3DMark Firestrike Physics test.

One of the very first laptops to sport the Ryzen 7 4800H is going to be the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, which we have more details on in our ASUS coverage HERE. Beyond the Zephyrus G14, we'll see other Ryzen 4800H powered gaming laptops over the course of this week.

These new Ryzen powered laptops will also benefit from a brand new AMD technology in development known as ‘Smart Shift'. The idea is that tasks can be dynamically shifted between the laptop's integrated CPU and GPU cores, generating a 10 to 12 percent performance boost at the push of a button. Smart Shift is still in development so these numbers are preliminary, but it will be interesting to see what sort of gains can be had by the time it ships.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru Says: AMD is making a big push in the laptop space this year and so far, the offerings sound very impressive. What do you all think of the new Ryzen 4000 mobile CPUs?

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CES 2020: ASUS launches Ryzen 4000 powered laptops, new gaming monitors and more https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/matthew-wilson/ces-2020-asus-launches-ryzen-4000-powered-laptops-new-gaming-monitors-and-more/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/laptops/matthew-wilson/ces-2020-asus-launches-ryzen-4000-powered-laptops-new-gaming-monitors-and-more/#respond Mon, 06 Jan 2020 23:00:14 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=444737 Our CES 2020 coverage kicks off today with ASUS, who had a lot of new gear to show off. In our first video, Leo and Luke take a look at new ROG gear, including two highly impressive gaming monitors, Ryzen 4000 powered laptops, an all-new ITX chassis and more. The ROG Z11 chassis is the …

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Our CES 2020 coverage kicks off today with ASUS, who had a lot of new gear to show off. In our first video, Leo and Luke take a look at new ROG gear, including two highly impressive gaming monitors, Ryzen 4000 powered laptops, an all-new ITX chassis and more.

The ROG Z11 chassis is the first new launch we are taking a look at here. This is a custom designed case from the ROG team, supporting both Mini-ITX and Mini-DTX motherboards. The case itself can stand horizontally or vertically, so there are options in how you set it up. Aluminium is primarily in use here, which keeps the overall weight lower and helps provide better cooling.

The motherboard tray is canted by 11 degrees, providing  a little extra room for cable management or additional cooling. The unit we saw on display featured a 240mm AIO liquid cooler and an RTX 2080Ti, so the case is more than capable of housing high-end hardware. The chassis also comes with five fans for each of its fan slots, which is a nice change of pace as you usually only get a couple of fans bundled in.

Next up on the list is the new ROG Chakram gaming mouse, which incorporates a bunch of new features. It can be used as a wired mouse or in one of two wireless modes, including 2.4GHz wireless or Bluetooth, the mouse also supports Qi wireless charging. The mouse switches are replaceable, DPI can be tuned in 100 DPI increments all the way up to 16,000 DPI and finally, there is a programmable joystick where your thumb sits, which is an interesting inclusion. There is no final pricing information just yet but we are told to expect less than $200 but more than $100, so it will likely fall somewhere around the $150 mark.

On the monitor front, we have the brand new ROG Swift 360Hz display, a world first for ASUS, pushing refresh rates to new heights. The ROG PG32UQX is also new, sporting a 32-inch 4K/144Hz panel with 1400 nits of peak brightness for HDR. You can find more details on both of these monitors HERE.

One monitor that we didn't hear about before heading to the show floor is the ROG Swift PG43UQ, a new 43-inch 4K monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate, DisplayHDR 1000 and G-Sync.

Now we're moving on to the big announcement for the day- brand new Ryzen powered gaming laptops. ASUS has three announced so far, the TUF Gaming A15 & A17 as well as the ROG Zephyrus G14. Each of these laptops sports an AMD Ryzen 4000 H-series CPU with up to 8C/16T and up to an RTX 2060 GPU for graphics.

The TUF Gaming A15 and A17 come with a 15.6-inch 144Hz/1080p and a 17-inch 120Hz/1080p display respectively, although faster refresh rate options are due to come later on. This pair of laptops also features an anti-dust cooling system with dust rejection tunnels to clear it out. You also get easy access for M.2 SSD upgrades or SODIMM memory upgrades.

The ROG Zephyrus G14 uses a special Ryzen 4000 H-series chip designed in collaboration with AMD to achieve 35W TDP instead of the standard 45W. It is thin and light, measuring in at just 1.8cm thick and 1.6kg in weight. There is also an SSO power button, which will scan the user and log them in with one click, rather than the usual two-step process, which requires pressing the power button and then being scanned to log-in.

There is an OLED display on the rear panel of the laptop, which can be used to display images or certain information like date/time. The battery in use here is 76Whr and you get a 180W slim power adaptor to go with it.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru Says: That's all we have from ASUS for now but there is still plenty more to see at CES, including a bevvy of other Ryzen 4000-powered laptops. What do you think of all the new ROG gear from ASUS so far? 

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X670 chipset might be outsourced, arriving in late 2020 https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/joao-silva/x670-chipset-might-be-outsourced-arriving-in-late-2020/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/joao-silva/x670-chipset-might-be-outsourced-arriving-in-late-2020/#respond Wed, 04 Dec 2019 08:08:39 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=439777 The next-generation X670 chipset from AMD will be produced by a third-party, according to insider sources. These same sources also revealed that X670 would release in late 2020, alongside the 7nm+ Ryzen 4000 CPUs. The current X570 platform is manufactured in-house, by AMD, unlike the previous 300-series and 400-series motherboards. With X670, AMD will be …

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The next-generation X670 chipset from AMD will be produced by a third-party, according to insider sources. These same sources also revealed that X670 would release in late 2020, alongside the 7nm+ Ryzen 4000 CPUs.

The current X570 platform is manufactured in-house, by AMD, unlike the previous 300-series and 400-series motherboards. With X670, AMD will be relying on a third-party to produce its chipset. The third-party mentioned in the original leak is Xiang Shuo Technology, also know as ASMedia  (an Asus subsidiary).

ASMedia previously had some limitations regarding PCIe 4.0. Those limitations were the reason why AMD had to produce its own X570 platform. With ASMedia preparing itself to support PCIe 4.0 on its produced motherboards, AMD will reportedly trust the chipset production back to ASMedia.

The next-gen X670 platform might use PCIe 4.0 on both general purpose lanes and the chipset bus. Other changes include upgrades to the USB 3.2, SATA, and M.2 interfaces, and a reduction of the chipset's TDP. If the TDP is indeed reduced, there would be no need for active cooling the motherboard, which would also reduce the manufacturing costs.

According to MyDrivers, the B550 chipset is already being produced by ASMedia, and it will launch in February 2020.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: Are you waiting for the new Ryzen 4000 processors?

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TSMC is hitting 7nm+ yields in time for AMD Zen 3 https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/james-dawson/tsmc-is-hitting-7nm-yields-in-time-for-amd-zen-3/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/cpu/james-dawson/tsmc-is-hitting-7nm-yields-in-time-for-amd-zen-3/#respond Wed, 09 Oct 2019 13:15:27 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=429354 There is growing optimism that AMD will deliver on its schedule for next-generation Zen 3 processors after TSMC says it has begun mass production of chips based on its new 7nm+ EUV technology. TSMC this week announced it is “delivering customer products to market in high volume”, which means they are hitting yield just in …

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There is growing optimism that AMD will deliver on its schedule for next-generation Zen 3 processors after TSMC says it has begun mass production of chips based on its new 7nm+ EUV technology.

TSMC this week announced it is “delivering customer products to market in high volume”, which means they are hitting yield just in time for AMD’s next-generation, Zen 3 Ryzen 4000 CPUs which are expected next year. However, TSMC didn’t mention AMD specifically.

AMD has already confirmed its next-generation Zen 3 CPUs will be built on the 7nm+ node from TSMC, officially called N7+. According to DigiTimes N7+ production is the fastest on record. TSMC claims the new N7+ node is matching yields similar to that of the previous N7 process, which has been in high volume production for over a year.

TSMC also says its new N7+ process will be the first EUV based node to deliver products to the market putting capacity in place for multiple customers. TSMC is not the only manufacturer to use EUV technology, Samsung has been producing 7nm EUV chips for over a year. TSMC’s N7+ is a direct derivative of their N7 technology which has recently appeared to suffer from supply issues contributing to lead times being extended.

AMD will be looking to manage expectations of Ryzen 4000 processors. With such a big leap in performance from Zen 2 over previous Ryzen architectures, we may not see as great a boost in performance this time around. AMD’s Mark Papermaster has said in the past not to expect huge performance gains from Zen 3, as the technology will be focusing more on efficiency improvements.

TSMC’s EUV portion of the N7+ process is said to be only used in a few critical layers. However, TSMC is suggesting there will be up to a 1.2 x increase in Transistor count and potentially a 10% performance boost.

KitGuru says: The future looks good for AMD and their Zen 3 architecture after this news from TSMC about production of their N7+ process. What do you guys hope comes with Ryzen 4000, more improved performance or greater efficiency?

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