Since AMD’s relaunch into high-performance x86 processor design, one of many basic targets for the corporate was to be a aggressive power within the knowledge heart. By having a aggressive product that prospects may belief, the objective has at all times been to focus on what the client desires, and subsequently develop market share and income. For the reason that launch of threerd Era EPYC, AMD is rising its enterprise income at tempo, nonetheless questions at all times flip round to what the roadmap would possibly maintain. Previously, AMD has disclosed that its 4th Era EPYC, often known as Genoa, can be coming in 2022 with Zen 4 cores constructed on TSMC 5nm. Immediately, AMD is increasing the Zen 4 household with one other section of cloud-optimized processors referred to as Bergamo.
As a part of AMD’s Information Middle occasion right this moment, the corporate is showcasing that its 4th Era EPYC roadmap will encompass two segments: Genoa, with as much as 96 Zen 4 cores, and Bergamo, with as much as 128 Zen 4c cores. Not solely are we getting official affirmation of core counts, however AMD is disclosing that Bergamo can be utilizing a distinct kind of core: the Zen 4c core.
The ‘c’ on this occasion means ‘cloud optimized’. AMD has constructed two totally different types of Zen 4 core, one for many functions, and the next density model for the cloud. Which means that these two cores, whereas functionally an identical, will use totally different units of masks. The Zen 4c core has been redesigned to have the identical performance however supply extra density mixed with a distinct energy/efficiency level on the voltage frequency curve. That is going to have an effect on energy consumption, effectivity, and sure the vary of frequencies obtainable. AMD confirmed that Bergamo is more likely to see the ability window of enterprise CPUs develop too: usually we see server CPUs within the 65-280W vary, however Zen4/4c will go additional (in each instructions) to cater for particular cloud use circumstances that may depend on density, efficiency, or effectivity. The Zen4c core is more likely to be smaller with a view to match 128 cores, and have totally different quantities of cache to Zen4, so there could possibly be an IPC distinction to the normal Zen4 core.
AMD has said to us in our briefing that Genoa and Bergamo can be socket appropriate, with Genoa coming within the 2022 timeframe, whereas Bergamo in late 2022/early 2023 (with a spotlight extra on the early 2023 goal). When requested, AMD didn’t need to slender down the Genoa timeframe in an analogous mild. Bergamo nonetheless could have the identical options as Genoa: DDR5, PCIe 5.0, CXL 1.1, RAS, and AMD’s safety suite.
Using two totally different core optimization factors goes to be an fascinating one for AMD. Usually it creates one core chiplet design that can be utilized throughout shopper and server processors, however the improvement of a Zen 4c chiplet now means the corporate has to handle inventory of each independently. Additionally, each being on 5nm implies that the masks improvement prices are more likely to be double than a singular design throughout all. AMD didn’t disclose any new particulars a few centralized IO die – what’s on it, or the place it was made.
The Zen 4c chiplet, in line with AMD, is constructed on an HPC variant of TSMC N5. This goals at denser logic and denser cache, doubtless on the expense of high-end frequency. AMD says that this course of presents 2x density, 2x energy effectivity, and >1.25x silicon efficiency over the common N7 it makes use of. When requested if this was a selected assertion about core efficiency, AMD stated that it wasn’t, and only a touch upon the method node applied sciences. It’s value noting that 2x effectivity is sort of a considerable declare primarily based on metrics supplied by TSMC on its N7 -> N5 disclosures.
With Bergamo focused particularly for the cloud, and cloud cases, I’m wondering if we’ll ever get to check it in an area system akin to a daily evaluation. Certainly one of AMD’s options in earlier technology EPYCs is processor locking, which limits a CPU to a specific vendor’s motherboards. We’ve seen this with a few of Lenovo’s programs, for instance. This characteristic permits for provide chain management, which is requested by sure prospects.
We’re informed that extra data is to observe within the coming months.