Prepare Yourself: AMD EPYC "Venice" Processors Could Redefine Server Performance with Zen 6
Buckle up, folks. The rumor mill is full of shocking (and quite frankly, staggering) news on AMD's upcoming 6th generation EPYC server CPUs, codenamed "Venice." We're hearing whispers of a record-breaking boost in the core count coupled with a monumental architectural leap using Zen 6, all designed on the latest 2nm technology from TSMC.
What's Cooking with Zen 6 and Venice
It looks like AMD is continuing its winning formula of offering two types of cores. We're anticipating seeing traditional Zen 6 cores for peak per-core performance, along with denser Zen 6C cores that are designed to cram in as many threads as possible. This dual approach will also manifest itself across a variety of server sockets, with more high-end SP7 solutions and more low-end SP8 platforms. We're also anticipating robust memory support, with both 16-channel and 12-channel configurations on the table.
Now on to the really interesting stuff: the core counts. Leaks, particularly from forums like Tieba Baidu, paint an image of some serious horsepower. Imagine a chip design with multiple Core Complex Dies (CCDs) – eight, say. If each of those CCDs contains, for instance, 12 Zen 6 cores, that's already a whopping 96 cores, matching current top-of-the-line Zen 5 "Turin" offerings.
Cache is King, and Venice Might Wear a Crown
But cores are not everything. Cache memory is critical, and AMD seems to be pushing everything here. Rumor has it that there's an enormous increase in L3 cache, up to 128MB per CCD on some SKUs. It's not entirely clear if this huge cache will be on the standard Zen 6 or the dense Zen 6C parts, but if it's for Zen 6C, that's a generous 2MB of L3 per core. For the standard EPYC 9006 "Zen 6" SKUs, we could see up to 96 cores and 192 threads. But for the Zen 6C versions. Brace yourselves for a potential jaw-dropping 256 cores and 512 threads.
To put things into perspective:
- EPYC 9006 "Venice" (Zen 6C): Possibly 256 Cores / 512 Threads
- EPYC 9006 "Venice" (Zen 6 standard): Possibly 96 Cores / 192 Threads
Powering these beasts will not be trivial. We are being informed that SP7 models may have TDPs (Thermal Design Power) around 600W, up from Zen 5's 400W, while SP8 chips might be in the 350-400W range.
More Cores, More Cache Per CCD for Zen 6
Further leaks suggest that the regular Zen 6 CCDs would be able to accommodate 12 CPU cores with a nice 48MB of L3 cache. That's a nice upgrade from the existing Zen 5 CCDs, which typically feature eight cores and 32MB of L3 cache. That's a 50% increase in both cores and L3 cache per CCD.
For the density-focused Zen 6c cores, AMD might be developing a 32-core CCD with a whopping 128MB of L3 cache. The move to TSMC's 2nm process is the magic that enables this, with better power efficiency and the ability to cram more transistors (and, by extension, cores and cache) on the silicon. As much as this new tech will undoubtedly enhance performance, it may also make these chips not very cheap.
What Does This Mean for Gamers (Yes, Even Server News Matters)
You might wonder why PC gamers need to care about server CPU news. The reason is that the trends in AMD CPU designs do trickle down. Historically, whenever AMD has increased the L3 cache available per core complex (CCX), gaming performance has been noticeably enhanced. Recall the leaps from Zen 1 to Zen 2, and then Zen 2 to Zen 3 – those were massive moments for AMD in gaming. And who can forget the X3D technology, which basically supercharges L3 cache for specific chips, leading to incredible gaming performance.
With Zen 6 potentially offering 50% more L3 cache per CCX before any X3D magic, the future for Ryzen gaming CPUs on this architecture is extremely promising. Imagine a Zen 6-based X3D chip – the gaming performance can be next-level.
Stay Tuned
Of course, these are all early information based on leaks and rumors. Zen 6 should land sometime in next year, so we'll likely hear lots more official information from AMD in the coming months. But one thing's for sure: AMD isn't sitting on its laurels and is pushing CPU design to increasingly crazy extremes. The future is shaping up to be very powerful indeed.
