AMD introduced 6nm Mendocino mobile chips with Zen 2 cores and RDNA 2 graphics for affordable notebooks

AMD today introduced not only the Ryzen 7000 series desktop processors, but also entry-level notebook solutions.
In the fourth quarter, AMD will release 6nm Mendocino mobile processors combining the Zen 2 architecture and integrated RDNA 2 graphics.
Image source: AMDIn view of the scale of AMD's assault on its main competitor's position in the processor segment, even such bizarre combinations of innovations should be received favorably by the market.
Laptops based on Mendocino processors will be able to get into the $399 to $699 price segment, offering Zen 2 computing architecture, RDNA 2 graphics architecture and a combination of four processing cores with eight threads.
The Mendocino processor crystals will be manufactured using TSMC's 6nm technology.AMD now offers Dali and Picasso processors based on the Zen and Zen+ processor architectures and Vega graphics in the entry-level mobile segment.
The novelty also offers not the most recent processor architecture (Zen 2 came out in 2019), but still it has a much higher performance.
Also to the benefit of performance will be the presence of modern integrated graphics RDNA 2.
AMD does not specify exactly how many graphics cores will have new products, hardly 12, as in the Radeon 680M senior chips Ryzen 6000.
Note also that the chips Mendocino will offer support for LPDDR5 memory, which has a very high speed, which also will benefit productivity.Notebooks based on Mendocino processors will be able to offer more than ten hours of battery life for mixed use scenarios.
Both Microsoft Windows and Google Chrome OS will be offered as the operating system.
Characteristically, AMD already offers a combination of Zen 2 computing architecture and 6nm manufacturing technology, as Van Gogh hybrid processors are produced with this recipe and are used in Valve's Steam Deck gaming consoles.

A vulnerability similar to the famous Meltdown was found in AMD Zen+ and Zen 2-based CPUs

Researchers Saidgani Musaev and Christof Fetzer of Dresden University of Technology, working in the field of information security, revealed a new method of unauthorized data exchange between internal AMD processor components. Simply speaking, we're talking about a hardware vulnerability that could lead to data leakage.

The vulnerability, called «Transient Execution of Non-canonical Accesses» affects chips built around the Zen+ and Zen 2 microarchitectures. The problem was discovered last October, after which the researchers notified AMD about their finding. It took AMD several months to fix the problem and develop measures to counter possible negative consequences. The vulnerability is tracked under the identifiers CVE-2020-12965 and AMD-SB-101 (internal manufacturer classification). Briefly, according to AMD, the problem is as follows: «In conjunction with certain software sequences, AMD processors can temporarily perform non-canonical loads and saves using only the lowest 48 bits of the address, which can lead to data leaks In investigating the vulnerability, researchers worked with AMD EPYC 7262 processors based on Zen 2, as well as Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX based on Zen+. The researchers note that while all Intel processors vulnerable to attacks via the Meltdown hardware vulnerability «inherently have the same flaw», AMD processors based on the Zen+ architecture and later versions are not susceptible to Meltdown attacks. However, there was a problem of its own for them. It is also noted that AMD has developed a way to fix the new vulnerability by fixing bugs in the software.

AMD prepares new desktop processors on the obsolete Zen 2 architecture

The Ryzen 5000 (Vermeer) processors on the advanced Zen 3 architecture are among the best desktop solutions available on the market. Nevertheless, it seems that the manufacturer has some unused stock of chips with Zen 2 cores & ; probably, AMD will soon release the next processors on this not so fresh architecture.

According to the non-profit USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), the release of the Athlon Gold 4100GE, Ryzen 5 4500 and Ryzen 3 4100 A1 revision & ; the relevant data is filed by AMD. Although there is no reliable information that the models will be based specifically on the Zen 2 architecture, we know that the company has saved the Ryzen 5000 series for Zen 3 products. It is very likely that the younger named processors will come out on the older architecture. By their names, new products will become a kind of lquo;intermediate link» between Ryzen 5000 and Ryzen 3000. It is also possible that this is a special offer for the company's OEM partners & ; AMD often produces custom solutions. The Athlon Gold 4100GE may be the successor to the Athlon Gold 3150GE & ; an APU for OEMs. Athlon Gold series is equipped with Vega GPUs, so the novelty is unlikely to be an exception. Although neither the number of processor cores nor their frequency is known, the GE suffix indirectly indicates that the TDP of the model is limited to 35 watts. Additionally, we can assume that Ryzen 5 4500 and Ryzen 3 4100 are direct successors of Ryzen 5 3500 and Ryzen 3 3100 models, with six and four cores Zen 2, respectively, TDP 65 watts, without integrated graphics. We can expect that the new variants will differ only in terms of frequency. Prices and availability of the new models will be announced later.

AMD unveils Ryzen 5000 mobile processors

As expected, as part of its presentation at CES 2021, AMD today announced its new Ryzen 5000 family of mobile processors. It includes 10 processors with Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Cezanne, as well as three models of chips with Zen 2 architecture, known by the codename Lucienne (Renoir Refresh).

The Ryzen 5000 CPUs released today are divided into two classes. First class H-processors, based on the new Zen 3 architecture, with up to 8 processing cores and equipped with Vega graphics core. These processors have a 35W or 45W thermal package and are aimed squarely at gaming notebooks with discrete graphics. The second class  -energy efficient U-processors, which are based on Zen 3 and Zen 2 architectures (depending on the model), usually have fewer cores and lower operating frequencies, and are enclosed in a 15 watt thermal package.

The Ryzen 5000 H-series lineup is as follows:

ModelNumber of cores/threadsMax./Base frequency (GHz)L3 cache (Mbytes)TDP (Watt)Architecture

AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX 8C/16T Up to 4.8 / 3.3 16 45+ Zen 3

AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS 8C/16T Up to 4.8 / 3.0 16 35 Zen 3

AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX 8C/16T Up to 4.6 / 3.3 16 45+ Zen 3

AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS 8C/16T Up to 4.6 / 3.0 16 35 Zen 3

AMD Ryzen 7 5800H 8C/16T Up to 4.4 / 3.2 16 45 Zen 3

AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS 8C/16T Up to 4.4 / 2.8 16 35 Zen 3

AMD Ryzen 5 5600H 6C/12T Up to 4.2 / 3.3 16 45 Zen 3

AMD Ryzen 5 5600HS 6C/12T Up to 4.2 / 3.0 16 35 Zen 3

The 45+W HX processors are designed for high performance gaming notebooks, while the HS processors, with reduced 35W estimated heat dissipation, deliver H-series performance in a slimmer, lighter package. All Cezanne mobile processors are based on a monolithic 7nm die with 16 Mbytes of L3 cache like its predecessors. The graphics core remains the same, it is the same Vega with eight CUs that was used in Renoir mobile processors (Ryzen 4000). So, the performance gains in this case will be mainly due to the introduction of Zen 3 architecture, doubling the L3 cache and a rather noticeable increase in marginal clock speeds. Speaking of performance, AMD noted that the new flagship Ryzen 9 5980HX processor is capable of a 23% increase in single-threaded performance and a 17% increase in multi-threaded  compared to the previous generation Ryzen 4900H, making it suitable for both gaming and content creation applications.

The Ryzen 5000 U-series power-efficient processor lineup is as follows:

ModelNumber of cores/threadsMax./Base frequency (GHz)L3 cache (Mbytes)TDP (W)Architecture

AMD Ryzen 7 5800U 8C/16T Up to 4.4 / 1.9 16 15 Zen 3

AMD Ryzen 7 5700U 8C/16T Up to 4.3 /1.8 8 15 Zen 2

AMD Ryzen 5 5600U 6C/12T Up to 4.2 / 2.3 16 15 Zen 3

AMD Ryzen 5 5500U 6C/12T Up to 4.0 / 2.1 8 15 Zen 2

AMD Ryzen 3 5300U 4C/8T Up to 3.8 / 2.6 4 15 Zen 2

A lot of new U-series models with 15W heat pack look like a rather strange mix of Zen 3-based Cezanne and Zen 2-based Lucienne (Renoir Refresh) CPUs, which differ significantly in characteristics like L3 cache size. In fact, we are only talking about two really new models - the eight-core Ryzen 7 5800U and the six-core Ryzen 7 5600U, while the other processors are slightly improved in frequency from the Ryzen 4000 series.

Not surprisingly, when talking about the benefits of the Ryzen 5000 U-series, AMD focuses specifically on the Ryzen 7 5800U with Cezanne design. For such a CPU compared to the old Ryzen 7 4800U, a 16 percent improvement in single-threaded performance and a 14 percent boost in multi-threaded performance is promised.

Mobile computers built on Ryzen 4000 processors have become very common in the past year. According to Mercury Research, AMD's market share of notebook processors reached 20.2 percent by the end of the third quarter, a historic high for the company. The new Ryzen 5000 processors should strengthen AMD's position by introducing a more advanced architecture and increasing performance and efficiency. However, this year the competition in the notebook market will be fiercer because of interesting offerings from Intel as well. The quad-core 35W Tiger Lake for gaming notebooks was unveiled yesterday and Tiger Lake with eight processing cores should be out by the end of the first quarter. The new laptops based on Ryzen 5000 mobile processors will be available from major manufacturers including Asus, HP and Lenovo during the first quarter of 2021. And for all of 2021, AMD expects to release a broad range of more than 150 consumer and commercial laptops based on Ryzen 5000 mobile processors. Also in the first half of 2021, Ryzen PRO 5000 mobile processors with additional security features are expected to be released, orie

AMD has released the Threadripper Pro a second time, but now for the common man

In the middle of last year, AMD announced Ryzen Threadripper Pro processors designed for high-performance workstations produced by the company's partners. It was announced today at the CES 2021 event that such processors will soon be available for purchase for casual enthusiasts.

Many were expecting from AMD's presentation today the announcement of Threadripper HEDT processors based on the new Zen 3 architecture, but that didn't happen. The situation with supply of Zen 3 semiconductor chips remains very tight, so for now AMD has refrained from releasing CPU models, which would consume a large number of CCD chips at once. Instead, the company has re-released the old Threadripper Pro 3000 processors on the Zen 2 architecture, which were actually introduced back in July last year. Threadripper Pro 3000 processors – are not the same Threadripper 3000 processors that have been available to enthusiasts for a long time. They exist within a different, more advanced sWRX8 platform, which features support for eight-channel DDR4 memory (both conventional UDIMMs as well as RDIMMs and LRDIMMs) and 128 PCIe 4.0 lanes instead of the four memory channels and 64 PCIe 4.0 lanes of conventional Threadrippers. The extended memory and PCIe 4.0 controller capabilities are due to the Threadripper Pro's use of the full featured I/O chiplet from the EPYC (Rome generation) processors. Meanwhile, we should realize that we are still talking about processors based on the old architecture, while the modern Zen 3 architecture with 8-core CCX and increased IPC rate is likely to be available to users of high-performance workstations for a long time to come. The Threadripper Pro lineup available to consumers will be slightly different in composition from the set of CPUs available to system manufacturers. AMD has decided to offer enthusiasts only three models with 16, 32 and 64 cores, denying them access to the 12-core.

ModelNumber of cores/threadsMax./Base frequency (GHz)L3-cache (Mbytes)TDP (W)

AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX 64C/128T Up to 4.2 / 2.7GHz 256 280

AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX 32C/64T Up to 4.2 / 3.5GHz 128 280

AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX 16C/32T Up to 4.3 / 3.9GHz 64 280

Leading motherboard manufacturers will release special motherboards with sWRX8 CPU socket for Threadripper Pro processors, which will be based on WRX80 chipset. Images of such boards have already flashed on the web.

ASUS WS WRX80 SAGE motherboard. Source: videocardz

As promised by AMD, Threadripper PRO processors will now be available to consumers directly through retailers and online retailers. It is expected to go on sale by March 2021.

Gigabyte is preparing a motherboard on WRX80 chipset - AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO chipset will be available soon

This July AMD has announced Ryzen Threadripper PRO series processors, sWRX8 processor socket and its own WRX80 chipset. At the time of the announcement it was said that at first the chips of new series will not be available for public sale. The only company Lenovo will distribute ready-made systems based on them. It seems that in the near future this exclusive agreement will come to its end.

According to VideoCardz resource, Lenovo ThinkStation P620 workstations use reference motherboard, developed by AMD itself. Now it turns out that other manufacturers are developing motherboard based on WRX80 chipset. Network sources shared an image of Gigabyte WRX80 SU8 motherboard, which is designed specifically for Ryzen Threadripper PRO processors. There are four models of this powerful workstation series, with 12 to 64 cores and TDP 280W. The main features of this new series of CPUs are the support of up to 128 PCI Express 4.0 lines, as well as the ability to work with up to 2 Tbytes of RAM, which can be connected via eight channels; Unfortunately, Gigabyte WRX80 SU8 motherboard official specs have not been released by image sources. However, when visually comparing it to the Lenovo ThinkStation P620 reference workstation board, it can be noted that the latter has fewer PCIe x16 slots available.

Lenovo ThinkStation P620

Lenovo ThinkStation P620.

At the moment, it is also unknown when the Gigabyte WRX80 SU8 board will be officially introduced and how much it is estimated by the manufacturer.

AMD's two-year plan for APU revealed: an integrated version of Navi 2 as early as 2021

Twitter informant under the pseudonym _rogame, who has provided many credible leaks over the past year, today revealed details about AMD's future hybrid processors. These details fill in the gaps in the previously known data regarding AMD's plans.

According to this information, AMD is expected to release the first APU with Navi 2 graphics next year, known by the codename VanGogh. This processor will include cores with Zen 2 architecture and will feature a TDP value of just 9W. As noted by _rogame itself, these will be high-end solutions. However, the focus will be on the Cezanne series, which will offer processors with Zen 3 cores and integrated graphics. Curiously, unlike VanGogh, these solutions will still include the rather old Vega graphics.

[AMD APUs for 2022] �� Rembrandt-H | 45W | Zen3+ | Navi2 | 6nm | LPDDR5/DDR5 Rembrandt- U | 15W | Zen3+ | Navi2 | 6nm | LPDDR5/DDR5 Barcelo-U | 15W | Zen3 | Vega 7 | 7nm DragonCrest | 9W | Zen2 | Navi2 | 7nm | LPDDR5 Pollock | 4. 5W | Zen | Vega | 14nm & ; _rogame (@_rogame) December 19, 2020

AMD will also release updated hybrid processors with Zen 3 cores and 6nm process technology by the end of next year. Codenamed Rembrandt, these APUs will replace Cezanne and get an updated Navi 2 integrated graphics. Rumors about the company's 6nm chips are not new, although AMD has never officially confirmed it.

[AMD APUs for 2021] �� Cezanne-H | 45W | Zen3 | Vega 7 | 7nm Cezanne-U | 15W | Zen3 | Vega 7 | 7nm Lucienne-U | 15W | Zen2 | Vega 7 | 7nm VanGogh | 9W | Zen2 | Navi2 | 7nm | LPDDR5 Pollock | 4. 5W | Zen | Vega | 14nm & ; _rogame (@_rogame) December 19, 2020

The informant also gave a brand new codename for Barcelo: supposedly it will be an update of Cezanne-U and a replacement for Lucienne-U. Recall: the Ryzen 5000U series is expected to include both Zen 3-based Cezanne-U APUs and Zen 2-based Lucienne-U. It looks like AMD may continue a similar trend.

Also Dragon Crest is called a simple upgrade & ; VanGogh with the same Zen 2 cores and Navi 2 graphics. Finally, the upcoming Pollock hybrid processors will be relatively simple 14nm solutions with first generation Zen cores and Vega graphics, but with a TDP of only 4.5W. AMD is set to unveil its Ryzen 5000 processors, codenamed Cezanne-H and Cezanne-U, at CES 2021 next January. Some may still remember AMD's earlier piecemeal internal slide published by the MebiuW whistleblower. It remains incomplete, but the cropped letter D is an indirect confirmation of the Dragon Crest codename mentioned.

AMD Ryzen 5000 processor crystals are studied under a microscope: the layout of the cores has really become better

Enthusiasts regularly take apart new processors to see how they are arranged, and not only for the sake of science, but primarily for the sake of viewing and attention in social networks. Processors are not always able to survive such experiments, which is especially noticeable by the fresh acquaintance with the anatomy of Ryzen 5 5600X, which confirms the changes in the layout of the crystals taken by AMD.

Image source: Flickr, Fritzchens Fritz

AMD's Technical Marketing Director Robert Hallock spoke about innovations in the structure of chipsets containing Zen 3 processing cores a few days before Ryzen 5000 processors were sold from the YouTube platform. The eight cores on the crystal are now combined into a single complex, each of the cores has equal access to a shared Level 3 cache. The first experiments to remove the lid from Ryzen 5 5600X processors have confirmed that the crystal with computing cores after switching to the architecture Zen 3 slightly increased in length. According to official data, the area of the crystal has increased from 74 to 81 mm2, by 9 %. The number of transistors on the crystal increased, according to official data, by 350 million pieces.

Zen Crystal 3. Image source: Reddit, Locuza

The famous master of macro photography of electronic components, Fritzchens Fritz, recently published images of Ryzen 5 5600X crystal with computational cores. The process of removing the lid from the processor, which is held on solder as before, was not completed without consequences for the crystal & ; as a result, it was partially destroyed. However, just because of this risk in such situations on the table of the pathologist gets exactly the youngest model of the family, as the cheapest.

Zen Crystal 2. Image source: Flickr, Fritzchens Fritz

When compared to the layout of the Zen 2 chip, the Infinity Fabric bus controller shifts from the central area where it was previously needed to communicate between blocks of cores to the periphery of the chip. These changes are precisely the result of the changes in core layouts that Robert Hallock described; the cores are no longer divided between two segments, but belong to a single complex. Measurements made by the enthusiast indicate other dimensions of the chipsets with computational cores: the area is 75.75 mm2 for Zen 2 and 83.74 mm2 for Zen 3. Unlike AMD, which only takes into account the area of useful crystal elements in measurements, the author of the photos takes into account the total area of a silicon crystal. This method allows us to state that the crystal area has increased by about 11 % compared to its predecessor. The performance of the Ryzen 5000 processors has increased by more than 9-11 %, so the implemented changes justify themselves economically. The more compact the crystal is, the cheaper it is in production. AMD in its time switched to multi-crystal layout just for reasons of economy.

Zen 3 I/O Crystal. Image source: Flickr, Fritzchens Fritz

Snapshots of 12nm crystal with I/O logic allowed to confirm that it has not undergone any changes in comparison with representatives of Zen 2 architecture. This is also indicated by the words of Robert Hallock, who last week said from the social networking pages that the memory controller on Zen 3 processors is the same, and it is located on « central » the crystal.

The Zen 2 I/O Crystal. Image Source: Flickr, Fritzchens Fritz

The immutability of this crystal is beneficial for AMD in terms of unification. However, logistically, such a division is not quite convenient. The large central crystal is produced using 12nm technology by GlobalFoundries at its facility in the U.S., while smaller 7nm crystals with computational cores are produced in Taiwan by TSMC. Mounting of these elements on the textolite and testing of the finished processors are engaged in the enterprises in Malaysia and China, so the labeling on their cap mentions three countries of origin.