Three AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D misconceptions debunked

With AMD’s new V-Cache-infused Ryzen 9 7950X3D and 7900X3D processors now formally on sale, the corporate’s “best of both worlds” design is creating confusion.

Both Ryzen 9 X3D chips ship with two dies inside. One die comes stacked with V-Cache on high to hurry up gaming, whereas the opposite non-cache-laden die can hit greater clock speeds. AMD mentioned it made this resolution—somewhat than topping each dies with V-Cache—as a result of many purposes don’t care concerning the extra 64MB of cache and profit from greater clock speeds as a substitute.

Unfortunately, we’ve seen plenty of misconceptions of AMD’s method on the Internet, with some fans outright calling the CPU a “scam,” and others wishcasting for the 12-core 7900X3D to be constructed in a fashion the corporate has by no means finished earlier than. In the curiosity of spreading good data somewhat than unhealthy data, we’re debunking a couple of of the misconceptions on the market that we’re seeing.

Further studying: Ryzen 7950X3D review: AMD’s monster gaming CPU works like a pro, too

The Ryzen 9 7950X3D’s 2nd die is “disabled” or a “scam”

One frequent false impression we’re seeing usually offers with how AMD is managing the place purposes run on its dual-die method. These allege that the second die is “disabled,” “is a scam,” and that you just can’t entry it whereas gaming—successfully turning your 16-core CPU into an 8-core CPU. This merely isn’t true.

Without entry to a fancy Thread Director technology just like Intel’s implementation in 12th- and 13th-gen Core chips, AMD depends largely on the working system having the ability to determine video games. Once a recreation is recognized as being the centered utility within the foreground, the system tells the second die to “park.” Parking doesn’t imply completely shut off or disabled, because it was with AMD’s unique Threadripper. That CPU did certainly shut off a die, which might solely be turned again on after a reboot.

With the Ryzen 9 7950X3D, parking the 2nd die mainly redirects all threads from the the sport to the primary die, conserving all the recreation’s threads on the cached or stacked die. In our expertise, it’s a fairly blunt instrument and the whole lot is then shunted to that die when below a sure threshold.

It doesn’t, nevertheless, imply the second die is “disabled.” Think of it extra as on standby to work if there’s truly work to be finished.

For instance, we performed a recreation within the foreground with Google Chrome operating a benchmark (a really lightly-threaded process) in addition to Cinebench R23 operating on 4 threads, then switched again to the sport. The overwhelming majority of the sport in addition to Google Chrome and Cinebench would largely keep on the stacked die’s 16 accessible threads.

We then tasked Cinebench R23 with operating 16 threads—consuming a full die’s value of cores—along with the sport within the foreground and Google Chrome operating a benchmark. Under this situation, each dies could be awake and dealing although a recreation was being run.

So no, Internet, you aren’t being “scammed” out of that second core.

Ryzen 9 7900X3D will characteristic an 8-core die and 4-core die!

Adam Patrick Murray / IDG

We’re undecided the place this rumor began from nevertheless it’s frequently bubbled up in latest weeks because the Ryzen X3D launch has approached. Despite the truth that AMD has by no means made an 8+4 chip in any of its 12-core Ryzen chips, by some means it frequently has been whispered that the 12-core 7900X3D would use an 8-core and 4-core design.

That isn’t true, in response to AMD. As anticipated, the design for the Ryzen 9 7900X3D will characteristic the anticipated 6-core plus 6-core design as earlier ones have, with one of many dies being stacked with V-Cache. So why the wishcasting for an 8+4? We suspect some hoped the chip would bias towards giving the CPU the benefit of a full 8-core die that will profit over having “only” a 6-core CCD with V-cache.

And sure Internet, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D may also characteristic a single 8-core design too—not a 4+4 dual-core design as some have additionally floated as properly.

Ryzen 9 7950X3D requires a “huge check list” to make it even work.

IDG

This final false impression is basically primarily based on a doc supplied to reviewers (and we suspect software program and {hardware} builders) to make sure their dual-die Ryzen 7000 X3D techniques had been functioning appropriately. The doc offers 47 pages of step-by-step directions. Some individuals took that to imply customers may need to take the identical steps for full performance. That isn’t true, in response to AMD. The firm says all a shopper must do is be certain the BIOS is up to date to the newest one (which provides help for the Ryzen 7000 X3D elements) and cargo the newest accessible Ryzen drivers. The third step will probably be to verify the Microsoft Xbox Game Bar is up to date via the Windows retailer, because it’s in command of assigning video games to the V-Cache-equipped dies. 

Put down your pitchforks

Despite these misconceptions, there are positively nonetheless many, many open questions on AMD’s new Ryzen 7000 X3D chips transferring ahead.

It is, clearly, a distinct method to constructing a CPU than we’ve seen earlier than. Could AMD have benefited from much less confusion, or counting on the working system to do a lot of the heavy lifting like Intel’s Thread Director approach? Perhaps. Taking a longer-term view, it additionally turns into extra clear that as processor corporations combine totally different chips inside with totally different efficiency capabilities, managing how the OS and fewer subtle video games and purposes use these property goes to be more and more vital too.

For now, AMD’s method “mostly” works. We present in our testing that it offers us the anticipated excessive increase clocks on par with the Ryzen 9 7950X below mild masses, barely much less efficiency below all core-loads (because of its barely decrease clock speeds), and very spectacular gaming positive factors the place the cache issues. But there have been instances once we wished we might assign some video games to the non-stacked die somewhat than have all video games being merely pushed to the stacked die.