Smart Access Memory : How Does It Boost Ryzen 3000 Performance?
Smart Access Memory is AMD’s marketing term for their implementation of the PCI Express Resizable BAR (Base Address Registers) capability.
What does that mean exactly?
CPUs are traditionally limited to a 256 MB I/O memory address region for the GPU frame buffer. This of it as an “data dump” for stuff like textures, shaders and geometry.
Since this “data dump” is limited to 256 MB, the CPU can only send texture, shader and geometry data as and when the GPU requires them.
This introduces some latency – delay from when the GPU requires the data, and the CPU send them.
Turning on Resizable BAR or Smart Access Memory greatly expands the size of that data dump, letting the CPU directly access the GPU’s entire frame buffer memory.
Instead of transferring data when requested by the GPU, the CPU processes and stores the data directly in the graphics memory.
Graphics assets can be transferred to graphics memory in full, instead of in pieces. In addition, multiple transfers can occur simultaneously, instead of being queued up.
While this AMD graphic above suggests that Smart Access Memory will widen the memory path (and thus memory bandwidth) between the CPU and GPU, that is not true.
Smart Access Memory / Resizable BAR will not increase memory bandwidth.
What it does is let the CPU directly access the entire GPU frame buffer memory, instead of using the usual 256 MB “dump”. That reduces latency because the graphics assets are now accessible by the GPU at all times.
Smart Access Memory For Ryzen 3000 : Requirements
This is what you currently require to enable AMD Smart Access Memory for Ryzen 3000 desktop processors :
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It may be the baby of the 3rd Gen Ryzen family, but it delivers a lot of computing power for just $99! What a steal!
Find out why we gave this entry-level Ryzen processor our Editor’s Choice Award!
AMD Ryzen 3 3100 : Official Tech Briefing
Let’s start with the official AMD Ryzen 3 3100 tech briefing by AMD Ryzen Product Marketing Manager, Erin Maiorino.
AMD Ryzen 3 3100 : Key Features
The AMD Ryzen 3 3100 is a quad-core processor, with a 3.6 GHz base clock, and a 3.9 GHz boost clock.
It supports SMT (simultaneous multi-threading), and can therefore handle up to 8 threads at the same time.
New Chiplet Design
Unlike the previous Zen and Zen+ microarchitectures, Zen 2 uses a chiplet design that combines separate CPU chiplets with an I/O chiplet, using Infinity Fabric to connect them.
This chiplet design allows the performance-critical CPU chiplet to be fabricated on the 7 nm TSMC process, while the I/O functions are fabricated on the less expensive 12 nm GlobalFoundries process.
The new I/O chiplet adds PCIe 4.0 support, offering 24 lanes that can be increased to 40 lanes, when paired with the new AMD X570 motherboard.
2+2 CCX Configuration
Unlike the Ryzen 3 3300X, the Ryzen 3 3100 uses a 2+2 CCX configuration. That means it uses two CCXs with two cores in each CCX, communicating through the Infinity Fabric interconnect.
TDP + Bundled Cooler
The AMD Ryzen 3 3100 has a 65 watt TDP, which can be reduced to 45 watts using Ryzen Eco Mode. And it comes bundled with the Wraith Stealth cooler.
Socket AM4
The AMD Ryzen 3 3100 continues to use the AMD AM4 socket, and is backward compatible with AMD 400 Series motherboards, as well as the new X570 and B550 chipsets.
AMD Ryzen 3 3100 : Specifications
Specifications
Ryzen 3
3300X
Ryzen 3
3100
Process
7 nm + 12 nm
CCD Configuration
4+0
2+2
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
Base Clock
3.8 GHz
3.6 GHz
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz
3.9 GHz
L2 Cache
512 KB x 4
L3 Cache
16 MB
8 MB x 2
PCIe Support
24x PCI Express Gen 4
TDP
65 W
Bundled Cooler
Wraith Stealth
AMD Ryzen 3 3100 : Price + Availability
The AMD Ryzen 3 3100 has a launch price of US$99 / ~£80 / ~A$157 / ~S$142 / RM 449 and will be available for sale globally starting 21 May 2020.
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AMD Ryzen 3 3100 : 3D Rendering Speed
CINEBENCH R20 is a real-world 3D rendering benchmark based on the MAXON Cinema 4D animation software.
It is a great way to accurately determine the actual performance of a processor in 3D content creation.
CINEBENCH R20 Single Core Performance
This Single Core test is not reflective of real world performance, but it is useful to find out the performance of the individual core.
On paper, the Ryzen 3 3100 has slower base and boost clock speeds than the Ryzen 7 2700X, but in reality, it has 5% better single-core performance!
CINEBENCH R20 Multi Core Performance
The Multi Core test shows the processor’s real-world 3D rendering performance.
Of course, it is still a 4-core, 8-thread processor, which means it will not perform as fast as 6-core processors, or 8-core processors.
Even so, the Ryzen 3 3100 was 91% as fast as the Ryzen 5 1600X (6 cores), and 65% as fast as the Ryzen 7 1800X (8 cores).
Multi-Threading Boost
This is not a CINEBENCH benchmark result. The Multi-Threading Boost is our calculation of the performance boost that the processor’s Multi-Threading capability provides.
While it may appear that the Ryzen 3 3100 has superior SMT (Simultaneous Multi-Threading) capabilities to the Intel Core i7-8700K, this is due to the fact that all four cores are in the same CCD (Core Chipset Die).
AMD Ryzen 3 3100 Video Transcoding Speed
HandBrake is a free, open-source video transcoding utility, which converts a video file from one resolution / format to another.
As you can imagine, it’s very compute-intensive, which makes it a great benchmark for multi-core processors. In our test, we converted a 4K video of 1.3 GB in size into a 1080p video (HQ1080p30).
Despite having only four cores, the Ryzen 3 3100 was 86% as fast as the Ryzen 5 1600X (6 cores), and 72% as fast as the Ryzen 7 1800X (8 cores).
In other words, it was 30% to 45% more efficient per core, than both first-gen Ryzen processors.
AMD Ryzen 3 3100 Radial Blur Speed
The radial blur filter adds the perception of motion to a picture. This is a compute-intensive operation that benefits from multiple processing cores.
This radial blur test was performed on Photoshop CC 14 using a single 13.5 megapixel photo, with a filesize of 4,910,867 bytes.
For a quad-core processor, the Ryzen 3 3100 did very well, coming within 13% of a 6-core processor like the Ryzen 5 1600X.
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Synthetic Game Test – 3DMark
We used 3DMark’s Time Spy and Time Spy Extreme synthetic benchmarks, which supports DirectX 12, and the latest features like asynchronous compute, and multi-threading support.
Time Spy – 2560 x 1440
The AMD Ryzen 3 3100 was just 6.6% slower than the Ryzen 3 3300X, and 20% slower than the Ryzen 5 1600X.
Of course, the CPU only has a slight influence on a game’s performance, so its effect on the overall gaming score is less significant.
At the higher 4K resolution, the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 was 8% slower than the Ryzen 3 3300X, and 14% slower than the Ryzen 5 1600X.
Now check out the processors’ effect on the overall gaming score…
At 4K, it was just 2% slower than the Ryzen 3 3300X, and only 3% slower than the Ryzen 5 1600X. Practically no difference.
F1 2019
F1 2019 is a relatively recent racing game by Codemasters, released on 28 June 2019.
We tested it on three resolutions at the Ultra High settings :
1080p : 1920 x 1080
1440p : 2560 x 1440
1080p Gaming Resolution
Look at that. This is why the number of CPU cores don’t really matter when it comes to games.
The cheap Ryzen 3 3100 delivered 13% higher frame rates than the 8-core Ryzen 7 1800X!
1440p Gaming Resolution
At the higher 1440p resolution, the importance of CPU performance was greatly reduced. It didn’t matter which processor you used – they all delivered about the same frame rates.
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World War Z
Based on the 2013 movie, World War Z is a relatively recent third-person shooter game, released in April 2019.
We tested it on three resolutions using the Vulkan API at the High settings :
1080p : 1920 x 1080
1440p : 2560 x 1440
1080p Gaming Resolution
At 1080p, the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 delivered average frame rates within 4% of the Ryzen 5 1600X, and within 8% of the Ryzen 7 1800X!
1440p Gaming Resolution
When we bumped the resolution up to 1440p, it really didn’t matter that much which processor you used.
Ashes of the Singularity
Ashes of the Singularity is a 2016 game that supports multi-core processing and asynchronous compute.
In this game, the single core CPU performance has a significant effect on the actual frame rate.
We tested it on three resolutions using the DirectX 12 API at the High settings :
1080p : 1920 x 1080
1440p : 2560 x 1440
1080p Gaming Resolution
This showcases the importance of the Ryzen 3 3100’s greatly-improved single-core performance. It actually delivered 6% and 7% better frame rates than the Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 5 2600X processors!
1440p Gaming Resolution
At the higher 1440p resolution, the Ryzen 3 3100 was 7% and 11% faster than the Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 5 2600X processors!
AMD Ryzen 3 3100 : Our Verdict + Award!
Built around the Zen 2 microarchitecture, the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 uses a chiplet design which combines 7 nm and 12 nm parts to deliver a more powerful, and power-efficient processor at a great price point.
The end result is significantly better single-core and multi-core performance over previous generation Ryzen processors.
No doubt the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 is an entry-level processor, but our benchmarks show that it is roughly 85% as fast as the Ryzen 5 1600X (6 cores), and 65% as fast as the Ryzen 7 1800X (8 cores).
Now if you do a lot of 3D or video rendering, you should definitely get something like the Ryzen 7 3700X with 8 cores and 16 threads of processing power.
But if you want something cheap to power a gaming system, the Ryzen 3 3100 is a great, GREAT option. The money you save can go towards a better graphics card!
And we should point out again that this 4-core, 8-thread processor only costs US$99 / RM 449, and it’s bundled with a Wraith Stealth cooler to boot!
It is such a steal at this price point, we have no qualms giving it our Editor’s Choice Award.
AMD Ryzen 3 3100 : Where To Buy?
The AMD Ryzen 3 3100 has a launch price of US$99 / ~£80 / ~A$157 / ~S$142 / RM 449.
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Now that the first two 3rd Gen Ryzen 3 processors are out, here is a quick comparison of the AMD Ryzen 3 3300X and Ryzen 3 3100 processors!
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X vs Ryzen 3 3100 : Official Tech Briefing
Let’s start with the official AMD Ryzen 3 3300X and Ryzen 3 3100 tech briefing by AMD Ryzen Product Marketing Manager, Erin Maiorino.
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X vs Ryzen 3 3100 : Comparison
Cores + SMT
They are both quad-core processors that supports SMT (simultaneous multi-threading), so they both can handle up to 8 threads at the same time.
CCX Difference
While they are both quad-core processors using a single CCD (Core Chipset Die), AMD configured both processors differently.
The Ryzen 3 3300X uses a single CCX (Core Complex) – its four cores directly communicate with each other, and share the same 16 MB L3 cache. AMD calls this a 4+0 configuration.
The Ryzen 3 3100 uses two CCXs with two cores in each CCX, sharing their own 8 MB L3 cache. The two CCXs communicate through the Infinity Fabric interconnect. This is known as the 2+2 configuration.
This difference has performance implications – Ryzen 3 3300X will deliver better performance with lower latencies, than the Ryzen 3 3100.
Clock Speed Difference
To further differentiate them, the Ryzen 3 3300X has a 200 MHz (5.55%) higher base clock and a 400 MHz (10.25%) higher boost clock.
TDP + Bundled Cooler
They both have a 65 watt TDP, which can be reduced to 45 watts using Ryzen Eco Mode. They also come bundled with the Wraith Stealth cooler.
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X vs Ryzen 3 3100 : Specifications
Specifications
Ryzen 3
3300X
Ryzen 3
3100
Process
7 nm + 12 nm
CCD Configuration
4+0
2+2
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
Base Clock
3.8 GHz
3.6 GHz
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz
3.9 GHz
L2 Cache
512 KB x 4
L3 Cache
16 MB
8 MB x 2
PCIe Support
24x PCI Express Gen 4
TDP
65 W
Bundled Cooler
Wraith
Stealth
AMD Ryzen 3 3300X vs Ryzen 3 3100 : Price
The Ryzen 3 3300X has a launch price of US$120 / ~£97 / ~A$190 / ~S$172 / RM 549.
The Ryzen 3 3100, on the other hand, has a launch price of US$99 / ~£80 / ~A$157 / ~S$142 / RM 449.
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The AMD Ryzen Desktop CPU Spring 2020 Update reveals that AMD is pushing for affordable computing and gaming in these difficult times, with two cheap Ryzen 3 processors and a new B550 chipset!
The AMD Ryzen 3 3300X is a quad-core processor that supports SMT (simultaneous multi-threading), allowing it to handle up to 8 threads.
It has a 3.8 GHz base clock with a 4.3 GHz boost clock, and comes with 2 MB of L2 cache and 16 MB of L3 cache.
The Ryzen 3 3300X has a 65 watt TDP, and comes bundled with the Wraith Stealth cooler, with a launch price of US$120 / ~£97 / ~A$190 / ~S$172 / RM 549.
The AMD Ryzen 3 3100 is a quad-core processor that supports SMT (simultaneous multi-threading), allowing it to handle up to 8 threads.
It has a 3.6 GHz base clock with a 3.9 GHz boost clock, and comes with 2 MB of L2 cache and 16 MB of L3 cache.
The Ryzen 3 3100 has a 65 watt TDP, and comes bundled with the Wraith Stealth cooler, with a launch price of US$99 / ~£80 / ~A$157 / ~S$142 / RM 449.
AMD B550 Chipset
The AMD B550 chipset introduces PCI Express 4.0 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 support at a more affordable price point. It also offers Dual GPU support, which was previously available only on the X470 / X570 chipsets.
It will also support the next-generation AMD Ryzen processors, built around the upcoming Zen 3 microarchitecture.
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