The date is getting closer and most likely the 23rd of this month, when the IT 2022 Let’s look at some data, or maybe all of it. In any case, AMD Zen 4 processors are already seen on several sites, where the latest reveals something really interesting: AMD has caught up with Intel and manages to break the 5 GHz barrier with its Ryzen 7000 processors.
It was in Phoronix Test Suite where it was possible to see the first engineering sample of a Zen 4 processor with really interesting data, where it seems that the mid-range of processors is going to give a lot to say in the end of this summer. What has AMD achieved?
A significant speed gain: Zen 4 will exceed 5 GHz
Well, what we can see that has already passed the suite’s tests is a processor labeled with an OPN 100-000000666, which may sound familiar to us as this is the same processor that was seen in the January leak at the time. This time there are more interesting data, since this Raphael microarchitecture processor consists of 8 cores and 16 threads at a maximum frequency of 5.21GHz.
This would mean AMD took on Intel and increased the frequency of its mid-range by more than 500MHz in a single generation, far exceeding the 5GHz psychological barrier that no Zen 3 processor had reached in out of the box, not even close until the specs say yes.
The AM5 platform where this processor will be placed is called Splinter-RPLwhile the chipset is referenced as AMD 14d8 device, which would in principle be the new X670. There really is more interesting data, since the audio codec is misrecognized as Rembrandt Radeon HD Audio, and this is related to its integrated graphics card, which seems to be quite controversial.
A graphics card that will not be cut out for gaming
Or at least that is what is stipulated. The iGPU is recognized as AMD GFX1036 con 512 MB of VRAM at an assumed frequency of 2 GHz Boost and 1 GHz Base. Well, according to the latest rumors, this is another software detection error.
It should be remembered that Zen 4 and more specifically Raphael will be the first high-performance desktop architectures and microarchitectures with iGPU as such in the purest Intel style. But there will be a subtle difference that would change everything, and that is that AMD isn’t looking for the same goal as Intel with its iGPU, that is, it’s not looking to give gamers a graphics card gaming.
The reason this is detected as GFX1036 is that it belongs to the GFX1030 family and branch, all based on RDNA2 like the iGPU of the Steam Deck under Van Gogh, but contrary to all this GFX1036 is not an integrated graphics card for gaming, but has another much more basic use: to simply be a tool for give video to pc o be used to decode video or audio.
This is important because it creates a new segment on PC where there may be users who don’t want to use a GPU and only need an iGPU to function, one that offers them video on their monitor and nothing on the other, with the power to work and decode video and audio codecs, which would mean minimal consumption associated with that of CPU cores and a much smaller space in the final encapsulation. A smart decision from AMD which should also offer a lower price than its great rival.
