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The “Zen” micro-architecture is a tremendously important project for Advanced Micro Devices. If the new technology is successful, AMD will become a viable developer of central processing units again. If not, the company will have troubles with surviving. Fortunately, “Zen” is a completely new micro-architecture that promises to be very competitive. Apparently, the management team gave a lot of freedom with the new CPU design.
“It is the first time in a very long time that we engineers have been given the total freedom to build a processor from scratch and do the best we can do,” said Suzanne Plummer, a director of design engineering at AMD and also a veteran Austin chip engineer, who heads development of a “Zen”-based processor, in an interview with MyStatesman.
Last week AMD announced that Jim Keller, a legendary processor engineer who headed development of “Zen” micro-architecture, had left the company. It is believed that he has completed the work on the first two iterations of the “Zen” technology. He also worked on the “K12” architecture, which is compatible with the ARMv8-A instruction set architecture.
“[Zen] is a multi-year project with a really large team,” said Ms. Plummer. “It’s like a marathon effort with some sprints in the middle. The team is working very hard, but they can see the finish line. I guarantee that it will deliver a huge improvement in performance and (low) power consumption over the previous generation.”
Ms. Plummer has worked at AMD since 2002, when the company took over Alchemy Semiconductor.
The first processor based on “Zen” micro-architecture is code-named “Summit Ridge”. The chip is expected to hit the market in October, 2016, and aim at high-end desktops and servers. The new cores will offer at least 40 per cent performance improvement at the same clock-rate compared to existing cores.
“Everything is riding on ‘Zen’,” said analyst Nathan Brookwood with Insight 64. “They are shooting for performance parity with where (arch-rival) Intel will be. AMD understands that they have to succeed with ‘Zen’. If ‘Zen’ fizzles, they will really have to do a lot of running around.”
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KitGuru Says: “Zen” will be AMD’s first major new design since 2011. It has to be successful. If it is not successful, AMD’s share in the market of CPUs will shrink even further.
“The chip is expected to hit the market in October, 2016, and aim at high-end desktops and servers.”
Any sources to this? Or just a wild guess by the author?
I can not wait to do Zen Fury monster…
Do they suggest, that their all previous CEO’s were idiots ? This couldn’t be suprise. Only strong character like Huang as CEO can guarantee good products.
huang is a fking clown… you want strong CEO… look at Jobs or Gates those were/are real CEO’s not that imbec1le…
why would you pair a zen with a fury when you will most likely have arctic island or pascal to chose from by that time??
It would be nice if they finally managed to level the playing field a bit again and help to inspire more competitive innovation. Don’t really want to see them go under and create a vast hardware monopoly.
what is a Huang ?
You made me smirk, by naming Huang as an example of a good CEO.
Heh, are you trying to be funny?
If they are given ‘total freedom’, and since they are likely building an APU equivalent (but with cpu cores far more powerful than Carrizo – with about 40% more IPC which should get them on par with Intel – and possibly even more cores – I could see the consumer version being octa core with 16 threads, while servers would have 16 cores and 32 threads with HBM iGP), then they should definitely pair that with Arctic Island architecture and HBM2 (which is far better).
Plus, as I suspected, the more likely reason behind Keller’s departure is basically due to him finishing his designated task with AMD at this time and simply moving on to other projects.
I suspect this is what he usually does… lays down the ground work and let others finish it up.
I think there’s good reason to think AMD just might deliver this time around. They wouldn’t have gotten Keller to create a completely new architecture which uses cores and threads (equivalent to Intel) for nothing.
“Arctic Islands” is the code name for the architecture series. There will quite likely be a “Fury” branded Arctic Islands-based graphics card.
I hope AMD are viable again. Intel have been able to set their own prices and speed increases for far too long.
I really hope this will give intel a kick in the balls and help them lower their prices.
true that!
Agree, AMD need just one CEO. AMD too much reshuffle of their CEO before. Huang is not the best. but i really like spirit of him, can bring Nvidia from nothing to became big company.
btw huang is former AMD staff 🙂
I have been waiting specifically for the AMD next-gen CPUs. I think this is going to be a big improvement for AMD Fans. However, I’m expecting these in Q1 of 2016, not Q3 or Q4. I’m not so sure I will wait that long. If Intel has a deal before then, I may switch. I just want a fast 6-8 Core CPU, with no GPU onboard, that operates below 60 watts. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for.
Anton, Good article.. But…
AMD & Global Foundries have indicated that LPP would start ramping in Q1. Which means full production by end of Q2. The 2 semi-custom deals are scheduled to start production in late Q2/early Q3.
I think your October date is wrong!
AMD has ZEN will first appear as an FX chip, most likely in Q2! A ZEN server chip will also start sampling in Q2.
Zen APUs will be launched in Q3.
Maybe some of those will not appear in PCs until October, but production will start in Q3.
Prices aren’t the problem, variety is: Not having enough options over time is the problem.
When a company has a monopoly, the don’t just raise prices, the whole idea is to net the most profit; if reducing options to just a few and keeping it that way has the same effect while pacifying consumers with the same prices they’ve had before, then it’s the way to go. Add that they didn’t have to increase IPC since people were buying their products despite the lack of competition (proof that they were not affected by the deFacto-monopoly), Intel really had no incentive to do anything differently. We really can’t blame AMD for not keeping up or Intel for not pushing boundaries, in the end it was our choices that allowed for what is happening.
Intel invented their Extreme Edition branding for the $1000 unlocked processor while AMD’s Athlon FX was reigning– while– and it was doing so at the time at the $800 mark (Of course back then the FX model wasn’t worth the bang for buck, it was the regular Athlon 64’s that were, just like too few go out and get the i7 X processor). Stuff like that, Intel’s prices won’t vary much, it is AMD’s prices that will vary. But Intel has to fill gaps in between their SKUs to prevent AMD from getting a foothold– that is the change that benefits us all.
I highly highly doubt AMD will reach the same IPC has Kaby Lake or Skylake-E, to me that isn’t the point of competition. The point is to just steal sales and having a product in one of those gaps Intel leaves between their SKUs but at a lower price is all AMD really needs. Of course, I do see Intel preemptively counterattacking by debuting their own gapfiller just prior to the rumored Oct 2016 release of Summit Ridge. It may embarrass AMD with a cliche-superior Intel and then the fanatics will come out of the woodwork to attack or defend.
“40% performance improvement at the same clock rate compared to existing cores.”(soft pedia) bulldozer style core with extra pipelines added,”hyperthreading” hbm or wio(samsung tech)(global foundries contract with samsumg) cache system, and phenomII (6×6) style front end, be interesting if hypertransport is going to be used.
Jim Killer works like a contractor. If the architectural design project has finished then that his tenure is completed. Jim is a professional engineer and has a high level of reputation in the chip making industry. He will not leave the work undone therefore the Zen is ready for fabrication and engineering sampling.
“It is believed that he (Jim Keller) has completed the work on the first two iterations of the “Zen” technology. He also worked on the “K12” architecture, which is compatible with the ARMv8-A instruction set architecture.”
Sure thing, bro! I see what you did with the name… XD
October 2016? C’mon, they need to throw us a bone in the interim.
There no freedom what so ever in AMD management.All are bunch of Idiots who are running AMD ,therefore; that is the reason why is going to get bankrupt any time soon.
Seriously ? Yeah like Microsoft and Sony are going to let that happen AMD will be gobbled up before they go bankrupt
Read and Su are fuc king clowns. 😀
Reviews from employees here http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/AMD-Reviews-E15.htm Just too many management (and re-organization) issues…
Usually, everyone that says that only buys Intel and nVidia, and they expect someone else to support AMD.
Not talking about you in particular, but I’m tired of seeing retards…”I only buy Intel and nVidia, but I hope AMD doesn’t go under”.
AMD said they’ll first release Zen for servers and Big Data in general…so my guess is that they’ll release Zen for Desktops by the end of 2016.
If it makes sense to buy AMD then I do so, I have an AMD graphics card and an Intel processor. It made economic sense to do so at the time and provided the best “bang for buck”.
My purchase decisions are inevitably fueled by practicality, rather than brand loyalty, as I imagine most people’s would be. I’m not going to buy inferior products for the sake of supporting a company, but I also won’t adamantly tie myself to their rival regardless of new products released. Hopefully that seems fair.
AMD just announced Global foundries tape out failed. and AMD has tapped TSMC. which means at lest 6 month delay. while AMD get a test and validation batch, then the photo masks, its a disaster. This is why Jim left. Something is really wrong
Where is the “announcement”? There is NONE! So, you are a LIAR!
Which means NOTHING you say is true!
ZEN is finished!
ZEN is a CORE!
ZEN will be part of the 2 ADDITIONAL SEMI-CUSTOM APUs that AMD starts shipping in Q3
AMD begins its SEMI-CUSTOM APUs at TSMC, and then migrates to Global Foundries if it makes economic sense.
All of your lies are being discredited here, Ken: http://finance.yahoo.com/mb/AMD/
You keep pumping
Other way around. They just very recently announced Consumer FX/APUs first. Servers last.