Did AMD Just Stage a Comeback to the Server Market?
-
Ryzen is out and rumour has it, it is amazing. At eight cores and sixteen threads this is AMD's answer to both Intel and Microsoft Windows 2016 licensing. AMD has placed their bets on a series of super low cost, super high performance eight core processors which is the sweet spot in Microsoft's Windows 2016 licensing scheme (that many believed was designed to bolster Intel.) The new AMD processors are also AMD's first foray into hyper-threading, a technology that they felt was less important than core count but was not in line with Microsoft's "cores cost money, but threads are free" licensing policy.
In early test the AMD processors are in line with Intel's for single threaded operations but faster for multi-threaded (which is key in virtualization.) And at much lower cost.
Not just servers here, but desktop processors are coming, too. AMD is definitely hoping for a return to their Opteron glory days of the late 2000s when Intel was in a panic to make a competitive processor. Intel still has an amazing line up this time, though. But indications are that AMD might have the upper hand and Intel might be rushing to try to compete.
The pendulum swings, but how far? Hopefully we will see for ourselves very soon.
-
On March 2, and preorderable today, the first three Ryzen processors will be available to buy. All three processors use AMD's brand-new Zen core. All are eight-core, 16-thread parts; all have a 16MB level 3 cache shared across all cores; and all three are unlocked for overclocking.
The top-end part is the R7 1800X. This $499 chip will have a 3.6GHz base speed and a 4.0GHz boost speed, with a 95W TDP. AMD is positioning it against Intel's i7-6900K, a $1,050 processor using the Broadwell-E core running at 3.2 GHz, and turboing up to 3.7GHz.
In the Cinebench R15 multithreaded rendering test, AMD says that its new processor scores about 9 percent higher than Intel's. In the single threaded version of the same test, it's a dead heat.
-
9% higher performance than Intel's processor while something like 40% cheaper. Those are some huge numbers!
-
-
Yeah I was reading about this new line up that they were working on a while back. I was very impressed.
My question is who (what manufactures) are going to pick up this line of processor?
-
I assume Dell and HP can and will, but when?
-
I assume most everyone, a bunch of motherboard makers have board due out for it with release it seems. It'll take longer for the big players to get stuff out, but my guess would be summer.
-
Also its good to note that VMware ESXi free standalone server 6.5 is only limited to 8 vcpu per VM
so I think you can build a a good small server using there upcoming CPU. -
@msff-amman-Itofficer said in Did AMD Just Stage a Comeback to the Server Market?:
Also its good to note that VMware ESXi free standalone server 6.5 is only limited to 8 vcpu per VM
so I think you can build a a good small server using there upcoming CPU.What does vCPU limitations have to do with physical CPU ?
-
@msff-amman-Itofficer said in Did AMD Just Stage a Comeback to the Server Market?:
Also its good to note that VMware ESXi free standalone server 6.5 is only limited to 8 vcpu per VM
so I think you can build a a good small server using there upcoming CPU.That's per VM. So you can use way more than that in physicals, potentially.
-
It was very smart of them to limit this to a physical Cors to match windows licensing it would be a lot less business if they had say 10 or 12 cores
-
@JaredBusch said in Did AMD Just Stage a Comeback to the Server Market?:
It was very smart of them to limit this to a physical Cors to match windows licensing it would be a lot less business if they had say 10 or 12 cores
Yes, my guess is that they found out about the licensing, and knew that their current offerings basically made them totally useless for Windows customers (read: basically everyone) and had to totally shake things up. So they put all their eggs into the "Windows sweet spot" so that they are broadly applicable. I expect much bigger procs to come, but eight cores are the big ones to get for the largest portion of the market. That they were able to get such amazing octo-core units and with hyperthreading out the door so well timed is amazing.
-
This could be great for AMD, I would like to see them start dominating the server market more.
-
I just wanted to belong... thus my comment
-
@msff-amman-Itofficer said in Did AMD Just Stage a Comeback to the Server Market?:
I just wanted to belong... thus my comment
LOL, we appreciate that.
-
@StuartJordan said in Did AMD Just Stage a Comeback to the Server Market?:
This could be great for AMD, I would like to see them start dominating the server market more.
Same here, they were such an awesome player for so long. Would be really nice to see them stage a serious come back. If AMD doesn't do well, Intel gets lazy.
-
It will be nice to have some competition again.
-
Late in the year, the company will be launching its new Vega GPU architecture, the Zen-based Naples server CPU, mobile Ryzen parts with integrated graphics processors, and Radeon Instinct headless GPUs designed for supercomputing number crunching.
Looks like a lot of big releases for them this year. Hope it pays off, Intel isn't the only one that gets to slack if AMD isn't doing well.
-
@NDC said in Did AMD Just Stage a Comeback to the Server Market?:
Late in the year, the company will be launching its new Vega GPU architecture, the Zen-based Naples server CPU, mobile Ryzen parts with integrated graphics processors, and Radeon Instinct headless GPUs designed for supercomputing number crunching.
Looks like a lot of big releases for them this year. Hope it pays off, Intel isn't the only one that gets to slack if AMD isn't doing well.
They just released some new driver updates that did wonders for some of their newer cards. Really liking AMD's direction for gaming. Hoping the new chips will do the same for their CPU market.
-
@NDC said in Did AMD Just Stage a Comeback to the Server Market?:
Late in the year, the company will be launching its new Vega GPU architecture, the Zen-based Naples server CPU, mobile Ryzen parts with integrated graphics processors, and Radeon Instinct headless GPUs designed for supercomputing number crunching.
Looks like a lot of big releases for them this year. Hope it pays off, Intel isn't the only one that gets to slack if AMD isn't doing well.
I have a lot of love for AMD but... it's **ABOUT F(!#%ING TIME
Can only cheer for them for so long before one gives up hope... I'm not holding my breath until they've been benchmarked and tested 9 ways to sunday.
