Up to 96 cores and 12 DDR5 memory channels with AMD Zen4-based server processors.
So in the previous post you've read about the recent Gigabyte breach, which exposed source code from Intel and private papers from AMD. And all of a sudden this data is out; AM5 motherboard BIOS and info on ZEN4 server procs have leaked.
User Yuko Yoshida (Twitter) has shown that the Genoa series consists of 12 chiplets, on Twitter. This totals 96 cores and 192 threads, all running at the same time. The number of cores has increased, while the number of memory channels has increased by 1.5 times (from 8 to 12).
Zen 4-based server CPU will be the first to support the avx-512 instruction set. The SP5 socket has 6,069 contact pins to accommodate all of this computing power and extra features. Other documents state that the energy consumption goes up, even if the standard and configurable tdp is not indicated ( 320 and 400 watts according to speculations). The value of this quantity is held for a maximum of 1 ms, whereas up to 440 W (one horsepower) of power can be applied for a duration of 10 ms.
At the end of October last year, AMD CEO Lisa Su revealed that the company's Zen 4 processors and RDNA 3 graphics cards are both on schedule, with devices including these architectures set to launch within the next several years. TSMC's 5nm technology is expected to be used for both of them.
Senior Member
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AMD is reaching a point with these sockets where budget CPUs won't really make sense. I'm sure a 6000+ pin socket is expensive to manufacture, especially when you consider all the gold plating. Imagine having something like an 8-core CPU in one of those boards - seems like it'd be a real waste. The thing is, unless AMD releases AM5 Epycs or continues with LGA4094, there isn't really going to be an option for people who want a low-end server. I would argue servers with 8 cores would still be practical, if what you're looking for is the oodles of PCIe lanes. You don't need 6000 pins for that.
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You still need pins for 128 lanes of PCIE 4.0, and now we have 50% more DRAM channels on DDR5 (more pins on top of more slots). That is all matched to a big I/O die that does all that, which is the same no matter your core configurations at that point.
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There are a ton of options for low end servers and it all depends on what you are using it for. This chips looks better suited for supercomputing in a compact environment. My guess is there will be older Epic chips that may be sold or modified to fill in the gap between this and lets say a Threadripper. Virtualization goes a long way in solving dissimilar processors in one environment as a whole if you want a cheap and practical server environment.
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Ah right I forgot about the extra memory channels; that would make a difference. Though even then... nobody needs 12 channels with 8 cores, or even 16 cores. It's likely that we won't see something below 16 for this socket. But that leads to my original point: AMD won't really have a middle-ground by the time this is released: you're either getting a massive socket meant for huge core counts, you get the Threadrippers (which aren't ideal for many server workloads), or you get a small socket with just barely enough features for a gaming PC.
Currently there are low-end server options, but my point is the motherboards will be built to handle these giant CPUs (it's not just the socket, but all the power delivery stuff too), which is going to drive up the cost of entry-level systems considerably. So unless there will be some motherboards manufactured with fewer pins and weaker power delivery (which adds complication to the consumer), there's a rather large gap in sensible products.
The way I see it, assuming AMD doesn't release a Threadripper based on this socket, they should have TRs and low-end Epycs share the same smaller socket, where you pick the CPU that best fits your needs. Once you go below 32 cores, there's no point in having dual-socket options, 128 PCIe lanes, or 12 memory channels, so for people who don't need such power, motherboards could be made much cheaper.
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I like the idea, 1 PS CPU.