Ryzen

Ryzen is a brand of central processing units (CPUs) and accelerated processing units (APUs) marketed and designed by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). It was first introduced in 2017 and is based on the Zen microarchitecture. Ryzen processors are known for their high performance and competitive pricing, making them popular among both consumers and professionals.

History

The Ryzen brand was launched by AMD in March 2017, marking a significant return to the high-performance CPU market. The first generation of Ryzen processors, based on the Zen microarchitecture, offered substantial improvements in performance and efficiency compared to AMD's previous Bulldozer architecture.

Generations

Ryzen processors have undergone several generational updates, each bringing enhancements in performance, power efficiency, and features.

First Generation (Zen)

The first generation of Ryzen processors, codenamed "Summit Ridge," was built on the 14nm process and introduced the Zen microarchitecture. These processors featured up to 8 cores and 16 threads, providing significant performance improvements over previous AMD CPUs.

Second Generation (Zen+)

The second generation, known as "Pinnacle Ridge," was released in April 2018. Built on a refined 12nm process, Zen+ offered higher clock speeds, improved power efficiency, and better performance in multi-threaded applications.

Third Generation (Zen 2)

Released in July 2019, the third generation, codenamed "Matisse," utilized the 7nm process technology. Zen 2 brought substantial performance gains, higher core counts, and support for PCI Express 4.0.

Fourth Generation (Zen 3)

The fourth generation, known as "Vermeer," was launched in November 2020. Built on an enhanced 7nm process, Zen 3 offered significant improvements in instructions per cycle (IPC), power efficiency, and gaming performance.

Fifth Generation (Zen 4)

The fifth generation, codenamed "Raphael," is expected to be built on a 5nm process and is anticipated to bring further enhancements in performance and efficiency.

Features

Ryzen processors are known for several key features:

• Simultaneous multithreading (SMT) technology, which allows each core to handle two threads simultaneously.
• High core and thread counts, making them suitable for multi-threaded applications and workloads.
• Support for DDR4 memory with high bandwidth and low latency.
• Compatibility with the AM4 socket, providing a long upgrade path for users.

Ryzen APUs

In addition to CPUs, the Ryzen brand also includes APUs, which combine a CPU and an integrated graphics processing unit (GPU) on a single chip. These APUs are designed for budget-conscious users and offer good performance for everyday computing tasks and light gaming.

Market Impact

Ryzen processors have had a significant impact on the CPU market, challenging the dominance of Intel and driving competition. The introduction of Ryzen has led to more competitive pricing, increased innovation, and better performance for consumers.

See Also

• Zen (microarchitecture)
• Advanced Micro Devices
• Central processing unit
• Accelerated processing unit
• Simultaneous multithreading
• PCI Express
• DDR4
• AM4