AMD’s Zen architecture has been the talk of the town recently, with Moore’s Law is Dead (MLID), a popular YouTube leak channel, revealing some intriguing insights about the upcoming Zen 5 and Zen 6 CPU architectures. While previous rumors and expectations set the bar high for these new releases, it appears that the performance gains might be more modest than anticipated. In this article, we will delve into the details provided by MLID and explore what we can expect from Zen 5 and Zen 6.
To understand the potential impact of Zen 5 and Zen 6, it is essential to establish a baseline by looking at their predecessor, Zen 4. Currently, AMD’s Ryzen 7000 CPUs utilize the Zen 4 architecture, which delivered a 13% increase in performance, on average, over Zen 3 in terms of instructions per clock (IPC). However, the anticipated performance gains for Zen 5 and Zen 6 are not as remarkable. According to MLID, Zen 5, codenamed Nirvana, is expected to offer a 10-15% improvement in IPC, while Zen 6 is projected to provide an additional 10% boost as a more derivative architecture.
To put these figures into context, we can compare them with previous generations. Zen 3, for instance, demonstrated a 19% increase in IPC over Zen 2 for AMD’s Ryzen 5000 CPUs. From this standpoint, both Zen 5 and Zen 6 do not appear to offer groundbreaking improvements in IPC. However, it is important to note that IPC gains should not be the sole factor influencing CPU performance. There are other critical factors to consider, which we will explore in the subsequent sections.
MLID’s leaks provide us with some granular details about the architectural changes expected in Zen 5 and Zen 6. Some of these improvements include an increase in instruction dispatch from 6 to 8-wide, an enhancement in the number of ALUs per core from four to six, and various other upgrades. The leaks also claim significant improvements in AVX floating-point performance. These comprehensive changes may explain the seemingly modest IPC gains in Zen 5 and Zen 6. In fact, previous leaks suggested a 23% improvement in IPC for Zen 5 over Zen 4.
One crucial aspect to note is the introduction of new core complexes in Zen 5 and Zen 6. Currently, AMD’s core complexes top out at eight cores. However, Zen 5 is rumored to introduce a 16-core complex, while Zen 6 is expected to offer 32-core complexes. The question remains whether these complexes will consist of full Zen 5 or Zen 6 cores, or if lower-power Zen 5c and Zen 6c cores will be utilized for certain configurations. If AMD decides to leverage lighter weight c-class cores, it could potentially create a powerful Ryzen CPU with a combination of Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores.
Another significant detail leaked by MLID is the implementation of new packaging techniques in Zen 6. Unlike previous Zen-series desktop CPUs that utilized an IO die and multiple core complexes, Zen 6 is said to stack the compute dies on top of the IO die. The intent behind this change is to reduce latency and match the performance of a single monolithic die. While this technique shows promise, only time will tell if it proves true and what impact it will have on overall CPU performance.
It is important to approach leaked information with caution. Even if the details provided by MLID are sourced from AMD, they should be taken as preliminary and subject to change. The CPUs that eventually hit the market could differ significantly from the leaked specifications. Additionally, the timing of Zen 5 and Zen 6 releases is yet to be confirmed. Zen 5 is expected to arrive next year, while Zen 6 is projected for either 2025 or 2026. It will be interesting to see how Zen 5 fares against Intel’s forthcoming Arrow Lake CPUs, which are also set to launch next year.
While the leaked information about Zen 5 and Zen 6 suggests more modest performance gains than previous generations, it is essential to consider the broader context of CPU performance. IPC gains alone do not cover the entirety of CPU capabilities. As AMD continues to refine its Zen architecture, the introduction of new core complexes and packaging techniques could bring about exciting advancements. Whether Zen 5 and Zen 6 will live up to the expectations remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – the future of AMD’s Zen CPU architecture is worth keeping a close eye on.
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