AMD Zen 3 Announcement by Lisa Su: A Live Blog at Noon ET (16:00 UTC)
by Dr. Ian Cutress on October 8, 2020 9:15 AM EST
Update at the top: Here's our article on today's launch!
11:52AM EDT - One of the most anticipated launches of 2020 is now here. AMD's CEO, Dr. Lisa Su, is set to announce and reveal the new Ryzen 5000 series processors using AMD's new Zen 3 microarchitecture. Aside from confirming the product is coming this year, there are very few concrete facts to go on: we are expecting more performance as well as a competitive product.
11:52AM EDT - Eight minutes to go
11:54AM EDT - There is a live stream for those that want to watch at the same time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuiO6rqYV4o
11:54AM EDT - Why not put the stream and our live blog side by side for interesting commentary!
11:56AM EDT - All text and photos in this Live Blog is being done by Ian
11:59AM EDT - 'Begin shortly'
12:01PM EDT - A one minute countdown
12:01PM EDT - This is technically pre-recorded. One of the benefits of a presentation without a live audience, can be prepared and optimized in advance
12:02PM EDT - Here we go
12:02PM EDT - Starting with a short Intro about Zen
12:04PM EDT - Committment to customers, deliver to roadmap
12:04PM EDT - Making the right bets 3-5 years in advance
12:04PM EDT - Lisa to the stage
12:05PM EDT - It's been a challenging year due to COVID
12:05PM EDT - But High perf computing has been really important
12:05PM EDT - work, school, gaming, entertainment
12:05PM EDT - PC is the platform of choice in 2020
12:05PM EDT - An incredible year for gamers
12:05PM EDT - powering both consoles
12:05PM EDT - High performance Ryzen and Radeon
12:06PM EDT - Deep engineering partnerships
12:06PM EDT - Gaming at the heart of AMD - PC or console or cloud or mobile
12:06PM EDT - AMD loves gaming
12:06PM EDT - Gaming beings with AMD
12:06PM EDT - Next Gen PC Gaming platform
12:06PM EDT - One goal - to build the best PC desktop processor possible
12:06PM EDT - With each gen of Ryzen, we're going towards that goal
12:06PM EDT - more perf, best features, more capabilites to everyone
12:07PM EDT - Do more than you ever thought on desktop or notebook
12:07PM EDT - Ryzen in desktops, TR in high-end desktops, and Ryzen 4000 in notebooks
12:07PM EDT - PC users love Ryzen
12:07PM EDT - Desktop progress has been amazing with Ryzen
12:07PM EDT - Beating the expectations
12:08PM EDT - First 7nm desktop processor
12:08PM EDT - Highest in MT perf
12:08PM EDT - Best in power efficiency
12:08PM EDT - That was 3rd gen
12:08PM EDT - Work with Ryzen is never done
12:08PM EDT - What can we do more? What can we do better?
12:08PM EDT - Zen 3
12:08PM EDT - Bringing the best to the PC market
12:08PM EDT - Increases lead in overall perf, and efficiency
12:08PM EDT - Best single threaded performance in the market
12:08PM EDT - Big changes in the core
12:09PM EDT - Papermaster with the details
12:09PM EDT - Shipping Q4 2020
12:09PM EDT - A course over 5 years for outright leadership
12:09PM EDT - Multiple processor teams in parallel
12:09PM EDT - COnsistent delivery to market of performance
12:09PM EDT - Beast in performance
12:10PM EDT - Absolute leadership
12:10PM EDT - 7nm efficiency enabled leadership performance
12:10PM EDT - chiplet allowed ease of manufacturing and scalability
12:10PM EDT - now Zen 3
12:10PM EDT - Improving every aspect of the CPU in the same 7nm node
12:10PM EDT - higher frequency, higher IPC
12:10PM EDT - Lower latency on top
12:11PM EDT - New processor layout
12:11PM EDT - New 8 core complex
12:11PM EDT - Better core-to-core communication
12:11PM EDT - Every core can address 32 MB of L3 cache
12:11PM EDT - Latency sensitive workloads like gaming get a boost
12:11PM EDT - 19% IPC boost
12:11PM EDT - On top of frequency increases
12:11PM EDT - Most significant Zen performance increase
12:12PM EDT - Floating point is wider
12:12PM EDT - Increased loads and store vs Zen2
12:12PM EDT - Wider exectuion capabilites
12:12PM EDT - More branch prediction bandwidth
12:12PM EDT - Clear desktop performance leader
12:12PM EDT - Broad set of improvements
12:12PM EDT - Total front to back redesign
12:13PM EDT - end-to-end improvements
12:13PM EDT - dispatch, decode, all improved
12:13PM EDT - Direct access to 32MB of L3 helps with gaming
12:13PM EDT - Games have a dominant thread that uses the cache
12:14PM EDT - Every core can now communicate to the cache on the chiplet without going off die
12:14PM EDT - Says sync for Gaming, AI
12:14PM EDT - 2.4x perf/watt over first gen Ryzen
12:14PM EDT - 24% perf/watt uplift over Zen2
12:14PM EDT - 2.8x more efficient than 10900K
12:14PM EDT - Not let up going forward
12:15PM EDT - 5nm Zen4 is in track
12:15PM EDT - Next gen Zen processors will keep AMD in the forefront and deliver the best experience for customers
12:15PM EDT - Lisa comes back
12:15PM EDT - Focused on gamers and enthusiasts
12:15PM EDT - Largest increase gen-on-gen since first gen Zen
12:15PM EDT - Ryzen 5000 series
12:16PM EDT - 5900X
12:16PM EDT - 12c/24t, 4.8G boost
12:16PM EDT - 64MB L3 cache, 105W
12:16PM EDT - Big upgrade over Ryzen 3000
12:16PM EDT - Gaming performance is up
12:16PM EDT - 5900X vs 3900XT
12:17PM EDT - Shadow of Tomb Raider
12:17PM EDT - 1080p High preset
12:17PM EDT - +28% increase from 3900XT to 5900X
12:17PM EDT - Better perf over 10900K
12:17PM EDT - 29% is a big upgrade gen-on-gen
12:17PM EDT - Combination of performance metrics
12:18PM EDT - Claiming ~25% overall
12:18PM EDT - from 5% to 50% gain vs 3900XT
12:18PM EDT - sorry, 26%
12:18PM EDT - monumental performance jump for an in-socket upgrade
12:18PM EDT - Relies on strong single core perf
12:18PM EDT - Cinebench R20 1T
12:19PM EDT - One of 25 workloads used to calculate +19% IPC
12:19PM EDT - First desktop to get above 600
12:19PM EDT - 631 on AMD
12:19PM EDT - 544 on 10900K at 5.3 GHz
12:19PM EDT - (595 on Tiger Lake at 4.8 GHz)
12:20PM EDT - Comapred against 10900K, AMD wins in most benchmarks (all but the one AMD is showing)
12:20PM EDT - Wait for 3rd party benchmarks
12:20PM EDT - AMD believes gamers will want 5900X for the best gaming performance you can get
12:21PM EDT - Best Gaming Processor in the world
12:21PM EDT - Now the stack
12:21PM EDT - 5800X - 8c/16t, 3.8G/4.7G, 105W
12:21PM EDT - 5600X, 6c/12t, 3.7G/ 4.6G, 65W
12:21PM EDT - Pricing
12:21PM EDT - +$50 more on MSRP over previous gen
12:22PM EDT - All available November 5th
12:22PM EDT - But THAT'S NOT ALL
12:22PM EDT - Ultimate processor
12:22PM EDT - 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X
12:22PM EDT - Up to 4.9G boost, 105W, 64 MB L3
12:22PM EDT - Breaks CB20 1T with 640
12:22PM EDT - Best in class in every dimension
12:23PM EDT - Still at 105W
12:23PM EDT - +29% gaming perf against 3950X
12:23PM EDT - Against 10900K, the 5950X wins
12:24PM EDT - $799, also Nov 5th
12:24PM EDT - Now Radeon
12:24PM EDT - Next gen Radeon GPU in a few weeks
12:24PM EDT - first preview
12:25PM EDT - Big Navi
12:25PM EDT - AMD's most powerful GPU
12:25PM EDT - Here's a performance preview?!
12:25PM EDT - Borderlands 3
12:25PM EDT - 4K with 5950X + RX6000
12:25PM EDT - 60+ fps at
12:26PM EDT - A few weeks until launch
12:26PM EDT - fine tuning
12:26PM EDT - Oct 28th for the full story for RX6000
12:26PM EDT - Nov 5 for Ryzen 5000 on shelves worldwide
12:26PM EDT - That's a wrap
12:27PM EDT - Here's our article
12:27PM EDT - https://www.anandtech.com/show/16148/amd-ryzen-5000-and-zen-3-on-nov-5th-19-ipc-claims-best-gaming-cpu
90 Comments
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silverblue - Thursday, October 8, 2020 - link
Modern Warfare apparently doesn't have a standardised benchmark (thanks Ryan), so I think we can ignore this.Tewt - Monday, October 12, 2020 - link
ehh, considering AMD's past performance in video cards, I would say this is a win for them. They are at least in the same ballpark this time and not having to pump insane watts just to gain a couple fps. Even better if they beat Nvidia on price.prophet001 - Thursday, October 8, 2020 - link
This is pretty exciting.Why does AMD keep using the same socket though? Seems like you're inevitably forced to make sacrifices for the sake of keeping the same pin-out. That doesn't seem worth it.
charlesg - Thursday, October 8, 2020 - link
Probably to differentiate themselves from the 'other' group who requires a new motherboard just about every new processor.While it is handy to be able to upgrade the CPU on your MB, I have to admit I do it far less than I thought I would. I build for the future and I find myself replacing almost the entire system after a number of years.
That said ... because this next zen gen will likely work in my B450, I'm seriously considering upgrading my 2700x.
Olaf van der Spek - Thursday, October 8, 2020 - link
It's not like any AM4 CPU will work in any AM4 board.. compatibility is quite limited.Intel's approach is at least more understandable.
I've upgraded a CPU once, from Pentium MMX 200 to K6-2 400. In hindsight, I should've bought a new motherboard.
Notagaintoday - Thursday, October 8, 2020 - link
"It's not like any AM4 CPU will work in any AM4 board"You keep telling yourself that...I'm running a 3950X on X370 (Asrock Fatal1ty X370 Professional Gaming)! I have no problems and run all cores @ 4.4Ghz and never exceed 70 degrees C, and I use my CPU for video encoding, and my system is on 24/7!
"compatibility is quite limited"
So, no it isn't, but your knowledge base could maybe do with an upgrade?
"Intel's approach is at least more understandable"
Yes, fleece you, then fleece you some more. At least since 2014!
Dahak - Thursday, October 8, 2020 - link
its is a bit limited as there is only so much room for microcode for the cpus. Forget which launch it was but one the the recent chipsets they are removing alot of old cpus to allow support for the new oneshttps://www.anandtech.com/show/12971/amd-bios-limi...
That is just some
Notagaintoday - Thursday, October 8, 2020 - link
Yes the BIOS size was a limiting factor in some of the cheeper X370/B350 boards, and that meant they couldn't squeeze in all the microcode of all the CPUs if the board partner wanted to keep their UEFI graphics and logos. Not an AMD fault...In reality, all X370 boards will accept all Zen+ CPUS, allof them. Thats every Zen 1*** & every Zen 2*** CPU. Thats what, how many dozens and dozens of CPUs released over two/three years.
Most of the boards that had limited BIOS sizes, also had crappy VRM's, so couldn't accept a 3900 or 3950X, regardless of BIOS, and some would struggle with a 3800 or even a 3700.
But that's the fault of the consumer. If you buy the cheapest board money can buy, you can't really reasonably complain it won't run the most expensive CPUs released years later, can you. Thats the same reason why AMD limited PI gen 4 to X570. Many X370 boards would happilly run itm, but the cheaper ones wouldn't. So rather than have a lenghtyspec sheet of wht boards will run what CPUs and at what PCI speeds, its easier to just have cut-off at the platform level...
It all comes down to people buying crap, and expecting it to work as if it were the most expensive... Ill informed consumers, what you go'na do?
dotjaz - Thursday, October 8, 2020 - link
>"It's not like any AM4 CPU will work in any AM4 board">You keep telling yourself that...I'm running a 3950X
So WHEN Ryzen 5000 inevitably won't work on my B350 MoBo, you owe me a new one, would you?
Notagaintoday - Thursday, October 8, 2020 - link
Where in any marketing did AMD say that they would support launch gen, and then the following three gens after that? They didn't! They said they would support 3 generations of CPU, way more then Intel!Like I said:
"It all comes down to people buying crap, and expecting it to work as if it were the most expensive... Ill informed consumers, what you go'na do?"