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AMD and Microsoft are working together to ensure that the redesign of the high-end Ryzen 7000 X3D processors that Team Red just unveiled at CES 2023 works well enough in Windows 11 and is fast enough for gaming.
If you recall, AMD unveiled a trio of new X3D models at CES: the Ryzen 7 7800X3D, plus the Ryzen 9 7900X3D and 7950X3D (with 8, 12, and 16 cores, respectively).
In the case of the last two Ryzen 9 models, they have two CCDs, meaning two separate chiplets that carry the processor cores, with the twist being that only one of those CCDs actually has 3D V-Cache memory on top. The idea is that this CCD can be used for gaming or other apps where that cache is beneficial, while the other CCD – the ‘bare’ chiplet with nothing on it – can be clocked higher, benefiting tasks where the cache is not as impressive (but faster boost clocks will be).
So this fresh design complication is something that needs to be taken into account in the software field, which is exactly what AMD is doing.
As Tom’s hardware (opens in new tab) reports, AMD is working with Microsoft to implement optimizations for Windows in conjunction with a new AMD chipset driver, aiming to determine if a particular game would benefit from the cache, and then ensure it runs in the V- Cache-covered CCD. And vice versa for those games that will be better served by the higher boost speed of the other CCD.
If you were wondering if the last ‘bare’ chiplet can still access the V-Cache on the other chiplet, well, AMD tells us yes it can – but the catch is that this isn’t a quick process or not optimal at all (but can still be useful in rare cases).
So there’s quite a balancing act going on under the hood for these high-end Ryzen 7000 X3D chips.
Another interesting point brought up by Tom’s is that while the new Ryzen X3D models enable Precision Boost Overdrive and the Curve Optimizer to improve performance – which was not possible with the original 3D V-Cache CPU, the 5800X3D – manual overclocking (on the fly increasing voltage) is still not allowed on the Zen 4 models.
Analysis: Getting things right can take some time
There are already some concerns around these Windows optimizations for the Ryzen 9 7900X3D and 7950X3D, as you might imagine. What if AMD and Microsoft struggle to keep them running smoothly? Should we expect teething problems with the launch of these X3D chips?
Those are questions that obviously can’t be answered without the help of a crystal ball, but if there are stumbles with some games on initial implementation, hopefully those will be resolved soon enough.
And we should also keep in mind that Microsoft has had to align with new processor designs from Intel when the chip giant brought in its hybrid technology with Alder Lake. Ensuring that the different types of performance and efficiency cores were properly used and running optimally in Windows is a task that Microsoft has tackled before that took some time to really get everything running smoothly.
For AMD, the proof is in the pudding, and how we see these top-end Ryzen 7000 X3D processors actually perform in a number of games when they release in February. We can’t wait – and we’re also really curious about pricing for these V-Cache models, as that’s something AMD hasn’t shared yet (which is a bit concerning, but we don’t expect the 12 and 16-core models to be remotely cheap of course).
Through WCftech (opens in new tab)