Key Takeaways
1. AMD’s upcoming Zen 6 CPUs may reach clock speeds of 7 GHz or more, marking a significant increase over previous Ryzen chipsets.
2. The Zen 6 architecture will feature a “two to three node jump” from Zen 5, improving architectural efficiency and transistor density.
3. Zen 6 is expected to have 12 unified cores, while Intel’s Nova Lake may include 16 unified P-cores, raising concerns about high core counts in gaming.
4. High core counts can lead to trade-offs, such as race conditions and rendering issues, complicating game development despite improvements in parallel workload handling.
5. Low-power Zen 6 cores under 1 watt could enhance efficiency for devices like the Steam Deck, though there are concerns about compatibility with older games at high clock speeds.
A recent leak from Moore’s Law Is Dead reveals that AMD’s upcoming Zen 6 CPUs might showcase significantly higher clock speeds than any Ryzen chipsets seen before. Although the precise figures aren’t made public, the leak, discussed by Tom Guinet and guest Jesse Brandon, hints at speeds that could reach or even exceed 7 GHz in certain situations, described as “as crazy as you think it is.”
Next-Level Technology
According to Tom, the Zen 6 architecture will represent a “two to three node jump” from Zen 5, indicating not only a remarkable increase in clock speeds but also a notable improvement in architectural efficiency and transistor density. The Zen 6 X3D versions are expected to incorporate extensive 3D V-Cache alongside these high clock speeds, potentially changing the gaming performance landscape, as Tom suggests.
Core Count Competition
During their discussion, Jesse pointed out that AMD is aiming for 12 unified cores in Zen 6, while Intel’s upcoming Nova Lake is anticipated to feature 16 unified P-cores.
Additionally, they brought up worries from various game developers, especially those using Unreal Engine, about the long-term feasibility of very high core counts in consumer CPUs.
Trade-offs in Performance
While Unreal Engine 5.6 has improved in handling parallel workloads, Jesse claims this development often brings trade-offs. These trade-offs include more race conditions, rendering issues, and greater complexity, which complicates both development and debugging processes.
Race conditions happen when multiple threads try to access or change the same data at once, causing unpredictable bugs that are hard to reproduce and resolve. Jesse believes that maintaining strong single-threaded performance and high clock speeds is vital for consistent gaming performance today.
Low-Power Potential
Tom also mentioned the exciting possibility of low-power Zen 6 cores that use less than 1 watt. He argues that such efficiency could make these cores suitable for devices like the Steam Deck or future gaming consoles. For context, the PS4 had a dedicated ARM chip for managing sleep mode and background tasks, and while the PS5 is suspected to follow a similar approach, there’s yet to be any official confirmation or teardown proof to confirm the existence of a dedicated ARM processor.
Concerns were raised about possible compatibility issues with older games when operating at extremely high clock speeds, leading to a wider discussion about the balance between frequency and core counts. For a more detailed look and technical insights, be sure to check out the full video linked below.
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