News Overview
- Leaked information suggests AMD’s future EPYC “Venice” processors, based on Zen 6 and Zen 6c architectures, could feature up to 96 “classic” cores or 256 “dense” cores.
- The Zen 6c (dense core) variant aims to maximize core density and power efficiency, potentially competing with Intel’s E-core approach.
- Each CCD (Core Complex Die) in the leaked designs is expected to have 128MB of L3 cache.
🔗 Original article link: AMD EPYC “Venice” CPUs: Zen 6 and Zen 6c Leaks Point to Massive Core Counts and Architectural Improvements
In-Depth Analysis
The article primarily discusses leaked specifications for AMD’s upcoming EPYC “Venice” server processors based on the Zen 6 and Zen 6c architectures. The key takeaway is the potential for significantly increased core counts compared to current-generation EPYC processors.
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Zen 6 vs Zen 6c: The “Venice” platform appears to utilize two distinct Zen 6 variants. The regular Zen 6 architecture is presumed to offer higher per-core performance, similar to the current Zen architecture’s focus. The Zen 6c, however, seems designed for core density. This means a smaller core design aimed at fitting more cores into the same silicon area at the expense of individual core performance, but potentially delivering greater overall throughput in highly parallel workloads.
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Core Counts and CCD Configuration: The leak suggests configurations of up to 96 “classic” Zen 6 cores, implying up to 8 CCDs (Core Complex Dies) with 12 cores each. The Zen 6c variant is touted to reach a staggering 256 cores. This drastically higher number confirms the dense core design. Assuming 8 CCDs again, this suggests 32 Zen 6c cores per CCD.
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L3 Cache: A substantial 128MB of L3 cache per CCD is indicated. This is a significant increase compared to previous generations and points to AMD wanting to mitigate potential bottlenecks when using such high core counts. This large cache helps each set of cores quickly access frequently used data, improving performance.
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Implications of Dense Cores: The adoption of dense cores (Zen 6c) aligns with the industry trend towards heterogeneous computing, mirroring Intel’s implementation of E-cores and P-cores in its Alder Lake and Raptor Lake architectures. The Zen 6c approach allows AMD to tackle workloads that scale extremely well across a large number of cores while still maintaining relatively lower power consumption per core.
Commentary
The leaked information paints a picture of AMD aggressively targeting the server market with both high-performance and high-density solutions. The Zen 6 architecture, with its “classic” cores, will likely continue to offer excellent performance for workloads demanding the fastest single-core speed. The introduction of Zen 6c, however, represents a significant strategic shift.
By offering processors with up to 256 cores, AMD could seriously challenge Intel’s dominance in segments like cloud computing, data analytics, and other highly parallel applications. The large L3 cache per CCD will be critical to the success of the Zen 6c processors in delivering real-world performance improvements.
It is important to remember that this information is based on leaks, and the final product specifications may differ. However, the potential for such massive core counts and architectural improvements is undoubtedly exciting and could significantly disrupt the server CPU landscape. Furthermore, the power consumption and thermals will need to be managed carefully to realize the density gains.