Question Zen 6 Speculation Thread

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basix

Member
Oct 4, 2024
86
177
66
Because L2 is physically not configurable.
This does not really answer my question.

It is not configurable out of the box, could be very well true. But hey, AMD can design CPUs and Caches and whatnot. They had 512kB L2$ from Zen 1 to Zen 3. If Sony asks for 512kB L2$, AMD could design it. 100%.
 

OneEng2

Senior member
Sep 19, 2022
462
695
106
A double node shrink onto the most expensive process on the planet?

If true, this can only mean that Intel really does have the goods with 18A.

Then server will come down to who can do the most work with the bandwidth they can shove through their memory control fabric.

OR. MLID could be full of crap.
 
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reaperrr3

Member
May 31, 2024
81
267
86
A double node shrink onto the most expensive process on the planet?
By prior standards, it's just a double half-node shrink.
Also, cost is relative.
What's 50% more cost per mm² vs. N4P if it lets you put 50% more cores and L3 into the same area, with higher clocks and IPC to boot?

If true, this can only mean that Intel really does have the goods with 18A.
No, this can mean all kinds of things.

It could mean AMD feeling they got Intel in the ropes and going in for the kill.
It could mean 18A is a dud and Intel going all-TSMC for the relevant parts, so AMD saw a need to do the same.

OR... it could mean AMD just looked at what's best for their planned products and chose N2 variants because N2 R&D went with less hiccups than N3B/E/P and therefore just hit a good time-to-market spot for AMD, with solid enough cost/benefit ratio.
 

OneEng2

Senior member
Sep 19, 2022
462
695
106
@adroc_thurston,

One word answers are infantile. Please provide some background to your rebuttals. You know, something of substance? Hard to formulate a rebuttal to "nope". I am tempted to go with the "my dad is bigger than your dad" line, but that seems equally silly.

I'll believe it when I see it guys. MLID has been wrong many times before.

Even if AMD goes with N3P for desktop Zen 6, it would be believable that they might achieve 6Ghz + speeds. After all, on N4P Zen 5 reaches 5.7Ghz.

Another thought. Do we really expect the first GAA to clock higher than the most mature FinFET right out the gate (no pun intended)?

I expect N2 to be more dense. I expect N2 to be less leaky, and more power efficient. I am not so sure I expect it to clock as aggressively as N3P though.
 
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adroc_thurston

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2023
5,365
7,546
96
Name something pricier.
18A.
Hard to formulate a rebuttal to "nope".
"Nope" means nope.
Even if AMD goes with N3P for desktop Zen 6
It's not "desktop". Doesn't exist anymore.
That CCD goes in a whoooole buncha things.
Do we really expect the first GAA to clock higher than the most mature FinFET right out the gate (no pun intended)?
Yeah, you know, TSMC is not Samsung or Intel, their stuff actually yields on ramp.
I expect N2 to be more dense. I expect N2 to be less leaky, and more power efficient
The density bump on N2 is close to nothing.
The only density scaling booster for N2 (BSPDN) was quite literally dropped.
It's a things go faster node.
 

Joe NYC

Platinum Member
Jun 26, 2021
2,928
4,299
106
N2 risk production started last July. Mass production will be starting in H2 2025, not risk. China Times had an article (referenced by wccftech) that seemed to be claiming (automated translation is always a big unknown with such things) that mass production of N2 will begin around the end of April. If so, the first chips would be delivered to customers in Q4. We'll have to see if TSMC makes any statements about recognizing any N2 revenue in this fiscal year in their next quarterly call. The article (or translation) could be wrong though and the first deliveries won't happen until H1 2026.

Apple moved M4 production forward by months to soak up excess production capacity until it was needed for iPhone SoCs, I expect they would do something similar to insure they are consuming all the N2 they've prepaid to get early access to. There is now the additional wild card of internal production of chips for their internal server needs, which could soak up a ton of capacity and isn't dependent on a calendar like iPhone chip production.

You are right. This article also mentions N2 mass production start in H2 2025 and the same sources:
 

eek2121

Diamond Member
Aug 2, 2005
3,277
4,823
136
There is no engineering effort to gut the FPU, AMD has already designed it to be configurable. You just pick whether you want 256-bit or 512-bit ALUs, and I don't see a world where the die area would be better spent on doubling the SIMD execution width, and not in the GPU.

And again, 256-bit execution width doesn't mean that the FPU is crippled. Zen4 and mobile Zen5 with half-width FPU are still really good! If the data path between L2 and L3 doubles in Zen6, I would bet that half-width Zen6 beats full-width Zen5 on a lot of real FPU-heavy loads.
Why is this even a discussion point. These chips still support and accelerate AVX-512.
This does not really answer my question.

It is not configurable out of the box, could be very well true. But hey, AMD can design CPUs and Caches and whatnot. They had 512kB L2$ from Zen 1 to Zen 3. If Sony asks for 512kB L2$, AMD could design it. 100%.
Not without redesigning the chip.
By prior standards, it's just a double half-node shrink.
Also, cost is relative.
What's 50% more cost per mm² vs. N4P if it lets you put 50% more cores and L3 into the same area, with higher clocks and IPC to boot?


No, this can mean all kinds of things.

It could mean AMD feeling they got Intel in the ropes and going in for the kill.
It could mean 18A is a dud and Intel going all-TSMC for the relevant parts, so AMD saw a need to do the same.

OR... it could mean AMD just looked at what's best for their planned products and chose N2 variants because N2 R&D went with less hiccups than N3B/E/P and therefore just hit a good time-to-market spot for AMD, with solid enough cost/benefit ratio.
AMD wouldn’t want Intel dead, and despite Intel’s current state, they still have significant marketshare.

I meant something real.
18A is very real.It takes time for things to be designed, developed, and manufactured, but chips are coming soon. Possibly from other vendors before Intel even.
 
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OneEng2

Senior member
Sep 19, 2022
462
695
106
Do we even have any AMD chip on N3E? They dont seem to want to be early adopters for cost/yield issues?
As mentioned, Turin Dense Zen 5c is on N3E.

I agree with your assessment of AMD's philosophy to date. This is why it seems strange to me that AMD would jump over N3E, N3P, N3X and climb onto N2P. I'll believe it when I see it.
 
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