We have additional information about the first Zen 3 based fourth generation AMD engineering samples that reveal the existence of two patterns.
AMD Zen 3, new engineering patterns show 4.9 GHz chip
The fourth generation of Zen 3 Ryzen samples are the:
- 100-000000065-04_ 46/36 _Y
- 100-000000061-06_ 49/37 _Y
What’s exciting about these new samples is their clock speed, which offers both basic and boosts clock rates over existing AMD Ryzen 3000 Series processors. One sample offers 3.6/4.6 GHz base/boost clock rates while the other offers 3.7/4.9 GHz. The latter sample offers a 200 MHz increase in base/boost clock frequency over the AMD Ryzen 3950X.
As with all technical patterns, these clock rates may not be representative of retail end products. However, the final clock rates are often higher or equal to the latest technical samples.
Currently, AMD is considering the Ryzen 5000 series as the name of the fourth generation of Ryzen processors and is skipping the name of the 4000 series on desktop platforms. This name change may differentiate the Zen 3 products from the current Zen 2-based Ryzen 4000 mobile / APU processors that have recently been introduced to the market.
With each new Ryzen release, AMD has done its best to bite the heel of Intel and with each new version, gradually overcoming more and more of the drawbacks that its Zen architecture had. Now AMD is working on adding new instructions to Zen to make them parity with Intel’s processors so that AMD can fight its main competitor on a more broad scale.
Igor’s lab has stated that AMD will add ERMC (Enhanced Repeat Move String) and FSRM (Fast Short Repeat Move String) support to Zen 3 processors, allowing AMD to increase performance levels for specific workloads. Thanks to Intel, these guides are already being used by many applications, so AMD doesn’t have to work as hard to get its customers to use these new guides.
If the latest AMD Zen 3 prototypes continue to accelerate, it is possible that AMD will be able to deliver its first Zen-based 5GHz processor when they release Vermeer later this year.