AMD Ryzen 7000 With Zen 4 X3D Cores Rumored To Get 2nd Gen V-Cache, Possible Performance Benchmarks & Launch Dates Revealed
Before we start with the rumored details, we have to make it clear that AMD themselves stated that Ryzen 7000 CPUs with 3D V-Cache technology will appear later this year during FAD 2022. Following is their quote: So with that said, let’s get on with the rumors. According to Moore’s Law is Dead, the AMD Ryzen 7000 V-Cache parts are expected to utilize a TSMC 7nm or 6nm process node for the V-Cache. The CPU cores will be manufactured on the TSMC 5nm process node like the standard Zen 4 cores but the V-Cache that stacks on top of those cores are said to utilize a different node. The rumors also state that Zen 4’s V-Cache will be the same capacity as Zen 3’s V-Cache, at 64 MB per stack but the technology is said to be advanced to 2nd Gen which makes it easier to bring the market with some internal advantages such as higher bandwidth. AMD’s Senior Vice President and General Manager for Client, Saeid Moshkelani AMD Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 & Zen 4 3D V-Cache CPU Rumors (Image Credits: MLID): One thing that the previous generation V-Cache CPU, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, lacked was support for overclocking, and to conserve power draw (voltages), it came down-clocked versus the non-V-Cache parts. The Zen 4 V-Cache CPUs are said to ease down on these voltage restrictions and while their clock speeds are expected to be lower than the standard non-V-Cache parts, they will run at much higher speeds and the clock disparity will not be as significant this time around. Moving over to the alleged benchmarks, the rumor from Moore’s Law is Dead points out a chart that compares Zen 3 with Zen 3 V-Cache, Zen 4, & Zen 4 V-Cache CPUs. The Zen 3 CPUs are based on the final silicon whereas the Zen 4 CPUs are based on the early A0 silicon. The chart points out four specific benchmarks though it is not mentioned what these workloads are nor the specific config but considering X3D parts show a major performance benefit, it is likely that these are games and not actual workloads. All CPUs tested here were tested on the same power level and it is also mentioned that the Zen 4 chips weren’t running at their final boost clocks which we know are going to be surprisingly high in the 5.5 GHz+ range (5.7 GHz on the flagship). Alleged AMD Zen 3, Zen 3D, Zen 4, Zen 4D CPU Performance Figures (Image Credits: MLID): In terms of performance, the allegedly internal AMD document shows that while Zen 3 V-Cache offered a 10-15% performance boost over standard Zen 3 Ryzen 5000 CPUs, the Zen 4 V-Cache CPUs offer up to a 30% performance boost over the standard Zen 4 Ryzen 7000 CPUs. Now this looks significant indeed but once again, the Zen 4 being constrained down to Zen 3’s TDP (170W vs 105W) is a major drop and can affect the performance significantly. Since the V-Cache parts are already tuned for lower-voltage operation and it’s the V-Cache and not the frequency doing the main lifting job in games, this result was expected. So overall, we might see a 10-15% increase versus standard Zen 4 CPUs for the V-cache parts with the final silicon, final clocks, and final TDP. Lastly, Moore’s Law is Dead reports that Zen 4 3D V-cache CPUs were planned for 1H of 2023 but they might be launching a bit earlier now that Raptor Lake is in the play. The rumor states that two chips, the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and the Ryzen 7 7800X3D are expected to be part of the Ryzen 7000 V-Cache lineup and AMD could do a paper launch by the end of Q4 2022. But we have to go back to AMD’s original quote from FAD 2022 which reveals that the company indeed plans or planned to offer Zen 4 V-Cache later this year unless they changed their schedule otherwise. There were a few rumors prior to FAD 2022 that the company might have delayed V-Cache parts to 2023 but after the keynote, we dismissed those rumors. So it looks like Intel’s Raptor Lake CPUs will be challenged by AMD from both fronts in the form of Ryzen 7000 & Ryzen 7000 X3D V-Cache CPUs. The Zen 4 parts are currently facing a short delay to late September due to BIOS issues but the company plans on doing a full unveiling later this month on 29th August.
