AMD deep dives new Zen 5 core architecture at Hot Chips 2024: new chapter in high-perf chips

AMD took the time at Hot Chips this week to deep dive into its new Zen 5 core architecture, which is already powering the Ryzen AI 300 series "Strix Point" APUs for laptops, and new Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" CPUs on the desktop.

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At Hot Chips this week, AMD went into detail abhout the journey of its Zen core architecture and how it launched in 2017 to fight Intel at levels never before seen, and AMD hasn't let up since. Zen was quickly followed by Zen+, Zen 2, Zen 3, Zen 4, and now Zen 5.

Zen 3 launched with a 19% increase in IPC performance over the Zen 2 architecture, while Zen 4 delivered another 14% IPC performance improvement over Zen 3, and now Zen 5 delivers a 16% IPC lift over Zen 4. Along the way, the Zen architecture picks up new features and tricks, like AVX-512 (FP-256) instructions, more cache, X3D models, and using TSMC's newest nodes.

AMD used TSMC's 7nm and 6nm process nodes for Zen 3 processors, the newer 5nm and 4nm nodes for its Zen 4 processors, and the newest 4nm and 3nm process nodes for its new Zen 5 chips.

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AMD set out some design objectives for Zen 5.

Zen 5 core complexes (CCXs) will fall into multiple products at first: Ryzen AI 300 series "Strix Point" APUs, the Ryzen 9000 series "Granite Ridge" desktop CPUs, and the 5th Gen EPYC "Turin" data center CPU.

In summary, AMD says that Zen 5 delivers again on-cadence with major performance increases, AVX512 with 512-bit FP datapaths for throughput and AI performance uplifts. Efficient, performant, configurable solutions that scale: Zen 5 for peak performance, Zen 5c for efficiency, with support for 4nm and 3nm process nodes.

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Noting that its new "Strix Point" and "Granite Ridge" CPUs have "commanding performance" and "gaming leadership" with Granite Ridge, as well as continuing to support its current AM5 platform. AMD notes that with increased compute and efficiency across the entire chip, Strix Point delivers a complete, uncompromising AI PC solution (they're right about that, I'm currently typing this on an ASUS Zenbook S16 laptop which is powered by the new Strix Point APU and its a bloody incredible piece of laptop).