The Six Skulls Update for World War Z is a MAJOR update with a large number of changes and fixes. There was, however, no mention of any performance boost.
But we can now confirm that the World War Z Six Skulls Update will give everyone a nice boost in performance!
The World War Z Six Skulls Update
On 3 July 2019, Saber Interactive released the big Six Skulls Update for World War Z.
It features a new Extreme (Six Skulls) difficulty level, with the Wakizashi sword and a unique Sniper Rifle as rewards for beating back the hordes of Zeds.
Saber Interactive also introduced a huge list of changes, but it conspicuously did not mention anything about improving performance…
New Features
Added new 6 skulls difficulty mode.
Added Wakizashi melee weapon for completing any level on the new difficulty mode.
Added unique Sniper Rifle variant for completing all levels on the new difficulty mode.
Ammo crates now have limited ammo available based on difficulty level. The amount of ammunition drained from the ammo crate depends on the weapon and how much ammo the player has left. On average, the distribution is:
Easy – unlimited refills.
Normal – unlimited refills.
Hard – 12 full refills.
Insane – 6 full refills.
Extreme – 6 full refills.
AI
Slightly reduced the number of special zombies that can spawn in idle state.
Reduced the total number of special zombies that can be present simultaneously from 6 to 4 on all difficulties except Extreme difficulty, which will have 5.
Slightly increased cooldown between special zombie spawns.
Very slightly reduced the total number of zombies that can spawn during non-swarm waves.
Increased AI bots’ efficiency on Insane difficulty.
Improved balance of zombie waves when playing without AI bots.
Improved friendly auto turrets on higher difficulties (previously their damage did not scale).
Enemy auto turrets will deal slightly less damage on higher difficulties, but will have more health.
Fixed issue that was preventing AI bots from attacking zombies when they were under masking effect.
Special zombies will no longer be able to grab player through thin walls.
Improved Lurker jump behavior; he will be able to spot and jump on players from above more efficiently.
Greengold and Svetlana friendly NPCs will use silenced pistols and will no longer undermine stealth for players.
Quality of Life
AI bots will no longer explode barrels and mines by accidental shooting.
Added HUD icon when teammates are carrying car parts on Jerusalem 2.
Added HUD icon when teammates are carrying explosive charges on Tokyo 2.
Added sound notification when zombie is approaching or attacking from behind.
Added a 6 second masking effect for players that respawn or join the game in progress (without screen effect).
Added a 2 second masking effect for players that are revived (without screen effect).
Added an indicator for remaining mortar shots.
UI
Added weapon perks display on Weapon Customization screen.
Minor UI and localization fixes.
Weapons
Added missing laser sight beam effect for Assault Carbine and Assault Rifle.
MAG5 Machine Gun’s damage increased by 50% (in PvE only).
Chainsaw will now generate noise in all of its attack modes.
Fixed issue that was causing the Chainsaw to not stagger zombies in some cases.
Perks
Gunslinger
Sleight of hand. Weapon switch speed increased from 50% to 100%.
Last Resort. When both primary and secondary weapon magazines are dry you can perform 4 (was 2) more melee strikes without fatigue and damage 2 (was 1) more targets with each melee strike.
Desperado. Pistol damage increased from 25% to 50%.
Free Refill. Primary weapon ammo restored 2% (was 1%) for each kill made with equipment.
Executioner. Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 100% (was 25%) chance to refill one equipment charge (cooldown 60 seconds, was 10 seconds).
Switcheroo. Switching between primary and secondary weapons increases firearm damage by 50% (was 25%) for 3 seconds.
Thrifty. Reloading a weapon with less than 25% ammo in the magazine provides a 35% firearm damage boost (was 25%) for 5 seconds.
Gun Fanatic. Fixed perk conditions triggering early in some cases.
Hellraiser
Unshakeable. Self inflicted explosive damage is reduced by 90% (was 60%).
Pickpocket. Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 100% (was 25%) chance to refill one equipment charge (cooldown 60 seconds, was 10 seconds).
I’ll Take That. Killing a special zombie gives 100% (was 25%) chance to restore one equipment charge (cooldown 60 seconds, was 10).
Deep Pockets. Heavy weapon ammo capacity increased by 35% (was 25%).
Predator. Killing special zombies boosts firearm damage by 100% (was 50%) for 10 seconds.
Medic
Combat Medic. Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 50% (was 10%) chance to receive a Medkit (cooldown 180 seconds, was 10).
Pickpocket. Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 100% (was 25%) chance to refill one equipment charge (cooldown 30 seconds, was 10 seconds).
I’ll Take That. Killing a special zombie gives 100% (was 25%) chance to restore one equipment charge (cooldown 30 seconds, was 10).
Patch Up. Fixed issue that was causing the perk to not trigger correctly in some cases.
Lobotomy. Fixed issue that was causing the perk to trigger with non-SMG weapons in some cases.
Fixer
Armory. Using a Supply Bag gives a 25% (was 15%) chance to restore one equipment charge.
Stand By Me. Increase firearm damage by 100% (was 50%) for 10 seconds when reviving or unpinning a teammate.
Pickpocket. Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 100% (was 25%) chance to refill one equipment charge (cooldown 90 seconds, was 10 seconds).
I’ll Take That. Killing a special zombie gives 100% (was 25%) chance to restore one equipment charge (cooldown 90 seconds, was 10).
Go Get ‘Em. Reviving a teammate will restore 25% (was 15%) of primary weapon’s ammunition for you and your teammate.
Efficiency. Supply Bag contains 25% more explosive ammo. Masking Grenade effect duration increased by 2 (was 5) seconds.
Darkness Falls. Masking Grenade gas cloud duration is increased by 5 seconds (was 3 seconds).
Slasher
Bullet-dodger – Take 100% (was 90%) less friendly fire from bullets while performing melee attacks.
With My Last Breath – Melee strikes damage 2 (was 1) more targets when health is below 25%.
Third Hand – Killing 5 (was 10) zombies with melee attacks in rapid succession instantly reloads your primary weapon.
Bloodlust – Killing special zombies with a melee weapon will increase firearm damage by 100% (was 50%) for 10 seconds.
Pickpocket – Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 100% (was 25%) chance to refill one equipment charge (cooldown 60 seconds, was 10 seconds).
Heavy Metal I. Fixed issue that was causing improved Chainsaw not to receive proper 50% damage increase.
Exterminator
Dragon Hide. Fire resistance increased by 100% (was 90%).
Pickpocket. Killing 15 zombies in rapid succession gives 100% (was 25%) chance to refill one equipment charge (cooldown 60 seconds, was 10 seconds).
Thrifty. 25% (was 15%) chance of using the Claymore or Molotov without depleting an equipment charge.
Stability
Fixed several gameplay crashes.
Levels
Fixed some gameplay bugs that were causing inability to progress in levels.
Improved navigation on NY 1 level.
Reduced the number of crates player has to deliver on NY 1 when playing solo.
Prevented several options to farm XP by suicide rushing Moscow 1, NY 3 and Tokyo 1.
General fixes
Fixed issue with item pickup progress not showing up in some cases.
Fixed issue with player overhead marker not showing up upon respawn in PvP in some cases.
Fixed issue with receiving party lead privileges causing soft lock in menus in some cases.
Fixed soft lock in menus when entering game settings while respawning in PvP.
Fixed Infector effect staying on screen in outro cinematics.
Fixed voice chat not being output to connected headset in some cases.
Fixed issue that was moving player over large distances when grabbed by a zombie swarm.
Fixed issue causing AI bots trying to shoot through walls.
Fixed issue causing scoreboard to stay on screen in outro cinematics.
Fixed issue causing Medkit progress bar to appear briefly upon respawn.
Fixed issue causing zombies to not receive melee damage in certain doorways.
Fixed issue causing Medkit healing to constantly interrupt in certain locations.
Fixed issue with a certain combination of perks causing Slasher to heal when receiving friendly fire.
Fixed issue causing player to receive another player’s melee weapon when joining a game in progress.
Added sound for receiving medals in PvP.
Sho is no longer wearing 2 helmets at the same time like a true badass.
PC Specific Fixes
Increased bleed out timer on Insane difficulty from 20 to 30 seconds (PC only).
Fixed issue with DLC weapons selection reset upon game restart.
Halfway through, we realised that we should have preserved the old data for a performance comparison. Fortunately, we still had some old data based on the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, so here was what we found…
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When AMD launched the Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G desktop APUs, they also announced price cuts for their existing Threadripper, Ryzen 7, Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3 processors. In June 2018, they announced even lower prices. Check out the AMD Ryzen price cut details below!
Updated @ 2018-06-20 :Added the new AMD Ryzen price cut list, after the abolition of the 6% GST.
Updated @ 2018-03-23 :Added the AMD Ryzen price cut list in the US, and a comparison of that price list against the price cuts in Malaysia.
Originally posted @ 2018-02-13
The 2018 AMD Ryzen Price Cut Details
The original Ryzen price cut list was sparse, so we added prices in USD (after conversion), the price difference, and even the prices of the new Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G desktop APUs.
In the latest version, we added the new Ryzen price list after the abolition of the 6% GST.We also added the 2nd Gen Ryzen processor prices. Some have called this a price cut, but it’s not. The prices are just lower because there’s no longer a 6% tax,
The 2018 AMD Ryzen price cut list showed price cuts across every Ryzen model. The biggest discount was a massive RM 900 / ~$228 discount on the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X. The least was a paltry RM 20 / ~$5 discount on the AMD Ryzen 3 1300X.
If you read our AMD Ryzen 3 2200G Review, you may have noticed that it is supposed to be $10 / ~RM 39 cheaper than the Ryzen 3 1200. Yet, AMD is pricing it ABOVE the Ryzen 3 1200 here in Malaysia.
Unfortunately, there was no further price cuts after the launch of the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors.
The 2018 AMD Ryzen Price Cut In The US
Here was the AMD Ryzen price cut list announced for the United States. If you compare how the Ryzen price cut list in Malaysia compares to the Ryzen price cut list in the US, you can see some differences.
Also, AMD positioned (and priced) the Ryzen 3 1300X CPU above Ryzen 3 2200G in the US, while the opposite is true in Malaysia. On the other hand, the Ryzen 5 2400G is slightly more expensive than the Ryzen 5 1400 CPU in Malaysia.
The latest June 2018 AMD Ryzen price list also show that the Ryzen 5 1400 and Ryzen 3 1200 have not been phased out. They were supposed to be replaced by the Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G desktop APUs. But it looks like, AMD will continue to sell them, alongside the new Ryzen desktop APUs.
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AMD launched the Ryzen 7 processors in March 2017. Just over a year later, they finally launched the 2nd Gen Ryzen desktop processors, codenamed Pinnacle Ridge, and popularly known as Ryzen 2.
Here is everything you need to know about 2nd Gen Ryzen processors – key features, specifications, price and performance! As always, we will keep updating the article when new information comes to light.
Colloquially known as Ryzen 2, the 2nd Gen Ryzen desktop processors promise even to deliver even better price-performance value than their award-winning Ryzen brethren. But calling the actual models Ryzen 2 is confusing, because the Ryzen family is split into three numerically-named lines – Ryzen 7, Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 3.
Officially, they should be known as the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors, or the AMD Ryzen 2000 Series, like so :
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AMD Ryzen 7 2000 Series
AMD Ryzen 5 2000 Series
AMD Ryzen 3 2000 Series
Even so, many people still insist on calling them the Ryzen 2 processors…
AMD Raven Ridge
The first AMD Ryzen 2 processors already hit the market on 12 February 2018. The AMD Ryzen 2000G Series, codenamed Raven Ridge, is considered to be part of the Ryzen 2000 series, even though they are based on the original Zen microarchitecture.
They are Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) – essentially Ryzen CPUs with integrated Vega graphics. You can read more about them in our articles :
The true 2nd Gen Ryzen desktop processors are codenamed Pinnacle Ridge. They are based on the Zen+ microarchitecture, and fabricated using the 12LP process technology. Here are the first four 2nd Gen Ryzen processors :
Existing AMD 300-series motherboards will support the new 2nd Gen Ryzen “Pinnacle Ridge” processors with a BIOS update, which should be available starting March 2018.
The AMD Ryzen 2000 Series Stack
According to the current AMD Ryzen 2000 Series Stack, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X replaces both the Ryzen 7 1700X and Ryzen 7 1800X.
2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 Specifications
Here are the specifications of the six AMD Ryzen 2000 series processors – four 2nd Gen Ryzen “Pinnacle Ridge” processors, and two Raven Ridge APUs.
Specifications
Ryzen 7 2700X
Ryzen 7 2700
Ryzen 5 2600X
Ryzen 5 2600
Ryzen 5 2400G
Ryzen 3 2200G
Code Name
Pinnacle Ridge
Pinnacle Ridge
Pinnacle Ridge
Pinnacle Ridge
Raven Ridge
Raven Ridge
Socket
AM4
AM4
AM4
AM4
AM4
AM4
Process Technology
12 nm FinFET
12 nm FinFET
12 nm FinFET
12 nm FinFET
14 nm FinFET
14 nm FinFET
Cores / Threads
8 / 16
8 / 16
6 / 12
6 / 12
4 / 8
4 / 4
Base Clock
3.7 GHz
3.2 GHz
3.6 GHz
3.4 GHz
3.60 GHz
3.50 GHz
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz
4.1 GHz
4.2 GHz
3.9 GHz
3.90 GHz
3.70 GHz
L2 Cache
4 MB
4 MB
3 MB
3 MB
2 MB
2 MB
L3 Cache
16 MB
16 MB
16 MB
16 MB
4 MB
4 MB
Integrated GPU
None
None
None
None
Radeon RX Vega 11
Radeon Vega 8
PCIe Lanes
16
16
16
16
8
8
Max. DDR4 Speed
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
TDP
105 W
65 W
95 W
65 W
65 W
65 W
Bundled Cooler
Wraith Prism
Wraith Spire (LED)
Wraith Spire
Wraith Stealth
Wraith Stealth
Wraith Stealth
Launch Price
US$ 329
US$ 299
US$ 229
US$ 199
US$ 169
US$ 99
2nd Gen Ryzen Price & Availability
The 2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 processors are available for sale beginning 19 April 2018, at the following price points :
Will the first generation Ryzen (Summit Ridge) processors get a price cut when the 2nd Gen Ryzen begins shipping? Find out in our article – Cheaper Ryzen CPUs When Ryzen 2 Launches?
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2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 Key Features Part 1
The AMD Ryzen 2 processors are based on an improved Zen microarchitecture, what AMD calls the Zen+ microarchitecture. Let’s take a closer look at what’s new with the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors!
2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 Tech Briefings
This time, we have not one, but TWO, tech briefings on the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors. This one was recorded at the March preview event in Bangkok, featuring Kevin Lensing (AMD Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Client Business Unit) and James Prior (AMD Senior Product Manager).
And here is an online tech briefing by Robert Hallock, AMD Head of Global Technical Marketing.
AMD Zen+ Microarchitecture
The 2nd Gen Ryzen processors are based on the improved AMD Zen+ microarchitecture, which delivers slightly better performance, with lower cache and memory latencies :
3% more 1T IPC (instructions per second)
13% lower L1 cache latency
34% lower L2 cache latency
16% lower L3 cache latency
11% lower memory latency
Official support for JEDEC DDR4-2933
12LP Process Technology
The 2nd Gen Ryzen processors are fabricated using the 12LP (12 nm Leading Performance) process technology from GlobalFoundries.
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This is really a 14 nm process, with improvements and a tighter pitch, so the die size and transistor count remain the same. However, the improved process allows for these improvements :
top clock speed increased by 250 MHz
“all core” now overclock around 4.2 GHz
CPU voltage is reduced by about 50 mV at all clock speeds
up to 11% lower power consumption, compared to 14 nm
up to 16% better performance per watt, compared to 14 nm
Precision Boost 2
Precision Boost 2 is one of the biggest improvements in AMD SenseMI. It replaces the old 2-core boost model, with a linear boost model. This allows for much greater performance for games and applications that use more than 2 cores.
Precision Boost Overdrive
James Prior revealed that AMD will introduce a feature called Precision Boost Overdrive in the future. The motherboard will be able to communicate its actual capabilities to the 2nd Gen Ryzen processor, allowing for better boost profiles and a relaxed vcore limiter with better motherboards.
Extended Frequency Range 2 (XFR 2)
XFR 2 boosts the 2nd Gen Ryzen processor’s performance by 4-7%, depending on the performance of the installed CPU cooler.
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2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 Key Features Part 2
Soldered IHS
All 2nd Gen Ryzen processors will feature soldered heatspreaders, using premium indium alloy solder. This allows die temperatures to be reduced by 10°C.
Multiplier Unlocked
Like its predecessor, the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors are all multiplier unlocked, so you have full flexibility in overclocking them. Fun fact : The entry-level A320 chipset, which doesn’t allow CPU overclocking, will still allow you to overclock the DDR4 memory.
New Wraith Prism Cooler
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check) now comes with the new Wraith Prism cooler, which is basically the Wraith Max with a “swirling vortex of colour“. The heatsink fin profile was reshaped to allow for better compatibility with smaller motherboards.
The heatsink was also improved with direct contact heat pipes. The fan is also quieter at just 37 dBA, although there is a switch that allows the fan to be overclocked.
AMD 400-Series Chipsets
AMD announced the AMD X470 chipset to complement the new 2nd Gen Ryzen processors. Eventually, they will also release the B450 chipset in mid-2018. However, this does not mean you need to pair the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors with an AMD X470 motherboard.
The 2nd Gen Ryzen processors are drop-in compatible with AMD 300-Series motherboards, with one caveat – they must have an updated BIOS. To help you with that, motherboards that have the updated BIOS will come with an AMD Ryzen Desktop 2000 Ready sticker.
The AMD X470 is very similar to the previous-generation X370 chipset. It is an evolutionary upgrade that improves idle power draw, and introduces an improved power infrastructure to help 2nd Gen Ryzen processors achieve higher boost speeds.
The AMD 400-Series chipsets boast better memory routing, better VRM and power layouts, and a lower idle power of less than 2 watts. While the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors will run on the existing AMD 300-series motherboards, an AMD 400-Series motherboard will allow for better overclocking, and a free AMD StoreMI licence.
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AMD StoreMI Technology
AMD StoreMI is an OEM version of the Enmotus FuzeDrive Basic. It combines all of your storage drives into a single virtual storage drive. It can even add up to 2 GB of DDR4 memory as a very fast cache to the combined drive.
The software than automatically assigns frequently used data blocks to the fastest storage devices, optimising your storage devices to deliver the best performance possible. This allows you to leverage your much faster SSD and system memory to boost the performance of your HDD drives.
According to AMD’s tests, StoreMI will let you load your games faster by 2.8X, and applications by 9.8X.
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2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 Demos
We had an early preview of the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors in Bangkok. Here are videos of the previews and demos :
First Look At The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
This was our first look at the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check). AMD ran it on the ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WIFI) motherboard, with G.SKILL Sniper X DDR4 memory. It was also our first look at the new AMD Wraith Prism cooler, with its RGB LED ring, and illuminated fan blades.
Extreme overclocker Sami Mäkinen from AMD’s Technical Marketing team showed us how to overclock the 2nd Gen Ryzen processor using the new AMD Ryzen Master 1.3 utility.
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The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X Up Close!
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check) processor is the top-of-the-line Ryzen 7 model. It has eight Ryzen processor cores, with a 3.7 GHz base clock, and a 4.3 GHz boost clock. It supports SMT (simultaneous multi-threading), and can therefore handle 16 threads simultaneously.
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) processor is the top-of-the-line Ryzen 5 model. It has six Ryzen processor cores, with a 3.6 GHz base clock, and a 4.2 GHz boost clock. It supports SMT (simultaneous multi-threading), and can therefore handle 12 threads simultaneously.
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A detailed performance analysis of the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 5 2600 processors was leaked before the launch. It compared their performance against the Ryzen 7 1700X and Intel Core i7-6700K processors. For your convenience, here are the leaked performance charts :
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The Complete 2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 Presentation Slides
Here are the fifty (50) 2nd Gen Ryzen @ Ryzen 2 presentation slides for your perusal!
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The AMD Ryzen 5 1600X was a very impressive processor when it first launched. Now, AMD has just introduced its successor – the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X. How fast is it? What exactly does it offer over its predecessor? Find out in our review of this new 2nd Gen Ryzen processor!
AMD Pinnacle Ridge
Codenamed Pinnacle Ridge, the 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen processors are based on an improved Zen microarchitecture, what AMD calls the AMD Zen+ microarchitecture. In addition, they’re fabricated on the 12 nm LP process technology.
AMD categorise them as part of the AMD Ryzen 2000 Series. This may be a little confusing since the AMD Raven Ridge APUs are also in the same series, even though they are based on the first-generation Ryzen processors, and fabricated on the original 14 nm process.
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X Specifications Compared
Specifications
Ryzen 7 2700X
Ryzen 7 2700
Ryzen 5 2600X
Ryzen 5 2600
Ryzen 5 2400G
Ryzen 3 2200G
Code Name
Pinnacle Ridge
Pinnacle Ridge
Pinnacle Ridge
Pinnacle Ridge
Raven Ridge
Raven Ridge
Socket
AM4
AM4
AM4
AM4
AM4
AM4
Process Technology
12 nm FinFET
12 nm FinFET
12 nm FinFET
12 nm FinFET
14 nm FinFET
14 nm FinFET
Cores / Threads
8 / 16
8 / 16
6 / 12
6 / 12
4 / 8
4 / 4
Base Clock
3.7 GHz
3.2 GHz
3.6 GHz
3.4 GHz
3.60 GHz
3.50 GHz
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz
4.1 GHz
4.2 GHz
3.9 GHz
3.90 GHz
3.70 GHz
L2 Cache
4 MB
4 MB
3 MB
3 MB
2 MB
2 MB
L3 Cache
16 MB
16 MB
16 MB
16 MB
4 MB
4 MB
Integrated GPU
None
None
None
None
Radeon RX Vega 11
Radeon Vega 8
PCIe Lanes
16
16
16
16
8
8
Max. DDR4 Speed
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
TDP
105 W
65 W
95 W
65 W
65 W
65 W
Bundled Cooler
Wraith Prism
Wraith Spire (LED)
Wraith Spire
Wraith Stealth
Wraith Stealth
Wraith Stealth
Launch Price
US$ 329
US$ 299
US$ 229
US$ 199
US$ 169
US$ 99
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Unboxing The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) comes bundled with an AMD Wraith Spire cooler, albeit without an LED ring. Let’s unbox it, and see what we find inside!
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The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X Processor Up Close!
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) processor is the top-of-the-line Ryzen 5 model. It has six Ryzen processor cores, with a 3.6 GHz base clock, and a 4.2 GHz boost clock. It supports SMT (simultaneous multi-threading), and can therefore handle 12 threads simultaneously.
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) directly replaces the Ryzen 5 1600X, with the same core clock but a 200 MHz higher boost clock.
AMD Zen+ Microarchitecture
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) is based on the improved AMD Zen+ microarchitecture, which delivers slightly better performance, and lower cache and memory latencies :
3% more 1T IPC (instructions per second)
13% lower L1 cache latency
34% lower L2 cache latency
16% lower L3 cache latency
11% lower memory latency
Official support for JEDEC DDR4-2933
12 nm Process Technology
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) is fabricated using the 12 nm LP (Leading Performance) process technology from GlobalFoundries. While the die size and transistor count remain the same, the smaller transistors allow :
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top clock speed increased by 250 MHz
“all core” now overclock around 4.2 GHz
CPU voltage is reduced by about 50 mV at all clock speeds
up to 11% lower power consumption, compared to 14 nm
up to 16% better performance per watt, compared to 14 nm
Precision Boost 2
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check)supports the improved Precision Boost 2, whose more graceful and linear boost algorithm allows them to “boost more cores, more often, on more workloads“. It can change frequencies in very fine granularity of just 25 MHz.
This will allow the Pinnacle Ridge processors to perform better with apps and games that spawn many lightweight threads, as opposed to apps with persistent loads (e.g. video editing and 3D rendering).
Precision Boost Overdrive
AMD will introduce Precision Boost Overdrive in the future. The motherboard will be able to communicate its actual capabilities to the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check)processor, allowing for better boost profiles and a relaxed vcore limiter with better motherboards.
Extended Frequency Range 2 (XFR 2)
XFR 2 boosts the 2nd Gen Ryzen processor’s performance by 4-7%, depending on the performance of the installed CPU cooler.
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Soldered IHS
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check)processor features soldered heatspreaders, using premium indium alloy solder. This allows die temperatures to be reduced by 10°C.
AMD StoreMI
AMD StoreMI Technology is an OEM version of the Enmotus FuzeDrive Basic. It combines all of your storage drives into a single virtual storage drive. It can even add up to 2 GB of DDR4 memory as a very fast cache to the combined drive.
The software than automatically assigns frequently used data blocks to the fastest storage devices, optimising your storage devices to deliver the best performance possible.
AMD X470 Chipset
AMD introduced the new X470 chipset to offer better overclocking for the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors. Here is our Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) running on the X470 AORUS Gaming 7 WiFi (Price Check) motherboard.
However, this does not mean you will actually need to buy an AMD X470 motherboard. The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) processor will work with all existing AMD 300-series motherboards, with one caveat – the motherboard must be upgraded with the latest BIOS update to support the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors.
AMD Wraith Spire
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) comes with a bundled cooler – the AMD Wraith Spire. This is the basically the AMD Wraith Stealth cooler with a taller heatsink and a copper base. It uses the same 5-blade fan, with a maximum noise level of 32 dBA. It does not come with an RGB LED ring.
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AMD Ryzen 5 2600X Price + Availability
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X is priced at US$ 229 / RM 899. Here are some purchase links for your convenience :
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Benchmarking The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
In this review, we will take a look at the work and gaming performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, comparing it to 6 other processors :
Note : The motherboard BIOSes were all updated, and so was Windows 10, to ensure that all Spectre and Meltdown mitigations are in effect.
3D Rendering Speed – CINEBENCH R15
CINEBENCH R15 is a real-world 3D rendering benchmark based on the MAXON Cinema 4D animation software. This is a great way to accurately determine the actual performance of a processor in 3D content creation.
CINEBENCH R15 Single Core
This Single Core test is not reflective of real world performance, but it is useful to find out the performance of the individual core.
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) only has a 200 MHz (5%) boost clock advantage over the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check) and Ryzen 5 1600X (Price Check) processors, but you can see that it is 9.2% faster than both first-generation Ryzen processors.
What this means is that the internal improvements made to the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors almost double the boost clock advantage in this test. Otherwise, it would have scored only 160 cb.
CINEBENCH R15 Multi Core
The Multi-Core test shows the processor’s real-world 3D rendering performance.
With all 6 cores firing, the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) is almost 10% faster than the Ryzen 5 1600X (Price Check). This performance advantage can be attributed to XFR 2 and the internal improvements in the Zen+ microarchitecture.
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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. It is based on the MP Ratio and the number of physical cores.
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Video Transcoding Speed – HandBrake
HandBrake is a free, open-source video transcoding utility. Video transcoding basically converts a video file from one resolution / format to another. As you can imagine, it’s very compute-intensive. In our test, we converted a 4K video of 1.3 GB in size into a 1080p video (HQ1080p30).
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) did well in this test, with 13% better performance than the Ryzen 5 1600X (Price Check). We know that cache and memory performance helps a fair bit in this test, so a significant amount of that performance improvements must be due to the lower cache and memory latencies.
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Radial Blur Speed – Photoshop CC 14
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 a single 13.5 megapixel photo, with a filesize of 4,910,867 bytes.
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Ashes of the Singularity
In the RTS game, Ashes of the Singularity, the single core CPU performance has a significant effect on the actual frame rate. We tested the cards using the Normal setting preset.
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For Honor
We tested For Honor using the Medium settings.
1080p Gaming Resolution
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) did incredibly well at this resolution. In fact, it came within 2% of the Intel Core i7-8700K!
At the 2160p resolution, For Honor was graphics-limited. The CPU played only a minimal role in the frame rate. The fastest processor – the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check) only delivered a 5% higher frame rate than the slowest processor – AMD Ryzen 5 2400G.
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Our Verdict On The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) is not only faster than its predecessor, the AMD Ryzen 5 1600X (Price Check)., it is also cheaper and offers more value.
Priced at just US$ 229 / RM 899, the Ryzen 5 2600X is $20 cheaper, and now comes with an AMD Wraith Spire cooler! This is going to significantly impact the appeal of the 8th Generation Intel Core processors, codenamed Coffee Lake.
But make no mistake – the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) is an evolutionary refinement of the AMD Ryzen 5 1600X (Price Check). It is faster and more power-efficient, no doubt, but not significantly so. The Ryzen Effect forced Intel to buck the hell up, but AMD is under no pressure to do the same.
What does this mean for you?
If you currently own a first-generation AMD Ryzen 5 processor, it would not make much sense to upgrade to the Ryzen 5 2600X.
If you currently own a first-generation AMD Ryzen 3 processor, the Ryzen 5 2600X is a good upgrade option, offering a significant boost in performance.
If you are using an older / slower processor (pre-Ryzen, 6th Gen Intel Core or earlier), the Ryzen 5 2600X would make a great upgrade option, with great value for your money.
What AMD brought to the table with the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X (Price Check) is not shock and awe, but refinement and even more value for your money. By our books, that’s worthy of our Reviewer’s Choice Award!
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On 27 March 2017, AMD organised an exclusive 2nd Gen Ryzen tech briefing and demo session in Bangkok. Space was extremely limited, so we are most fortunate to attend.
Don’t worry though – we recorded everything, so you can see for yourselves what went on during the 2nd Gen Ryzen tech briefing and demo in Bangkok! ENJOY!
Codenamed Pinnacle Ridge, the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors were more popularly (albeit inaccurately) called Ryzen 2. We had earlier shared with you the key features and specifications of the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors, as well as a price comparison.
Now, let’s join Kevin Lensing (AMD Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Client Business Unit) and James Prior (AMD Senior Product Manager) for their 2nd Gen Ryzen tech briefing.
The entire 2nd Gen Ryzen tech briefing runs just over an hour, including the Q&A session. If you are in a rush, here are the key points.
For a price comparison against the first-generation Ryzen processors, click here!
Performance Vs. Coffee Lake
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X will come within 5% of the Intel Core i7-8700K in 1080p gaming performance (average of 12 games), while delivering over 20% better content creation performance (average of 5 applications).
Value Vs. Coffee Lake
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X comes with two additional processor cores, a premium Wraith Prism cooler, but is priced 6% cheaper than the Intel Core i7-8700K.
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The 2nd Gen Ryzen Tech Briefing (Continued)
AMD Zen+ Microarchitecture
The 2nd Gen Ryzen processors are based on the improved AMD Zen+ microarchitecture, which delivers slightly better performance, and lower cache and memory latencies :
3% more 1T IPC (instructions per second)
13% lower L1 cache latency
34% lower L2 cache latency
16% lower L3 cache latency
11% lower memory latency
Official support for JEDEC DDR4-2933
12 nm Process Technology
The 2nd Gen Ryzen processors are fabricated using the 12 nm LP (Leading Performance) process technology from GlobalFoundries. While the die size and transistor count remain the same, the smaller transistors allow :
top clock speeds increased by 250 MHz,
“all core” now overclock around 4.2 GHz
CPU voltage is reduced by about 50 mV at all clock speeds
Precision Boost 2
Precision Boost 2 is one of the biggest improvements in AMD SenseMI. It replaces the old 2-core boost model, with a linear boost model. This allows for much greater performance for games and applications that use more than 2 cores.
Precision Boost Overdrive
James Prior revealed that they will introduce Precision Boost Overdrive in the future. The motherboard will be able to communicate its actual capabilities to the 2nd Gen Ryzen processor, allowing for better boost profiles and a relaxed vcore limiter with better motherboards.
Extended Frequency Range 2 (XFR 2)
XFR 2 boosts the 2nd Gen Ryzen processor’s performance by 4-7%, depending on the performance of the installed CPU cooler.
Soldered IHS
All 2nd Gen Ryzen processors will feature soldered heatspreaders, using premium indium alloy solder. This allows die temperatures to be reduced by 10°C.
Multiplier Unlocked
Like its predecessor, the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors are all multiplier unlocked, so you have full flexibility in overclocking them. Fun fact : The entry-level A320 chipset, which doesn’t allow CPU overclocking, will still allow you to overclock the DDR4 memory.
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New Wraith Prism Cooler
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X now comes with the new Wraith Prism cooler, which is basically the Wraith Max with a “swirling vortex of colour“. The heatsink fin profile was reshaped to allow for better compatibility with smaller motherboards.
The heatsink was also improved with direct contact heat pipes. The fan is also quieter at just 37 dBA, although there is a switch that allows the fan to be overclocked.
Ryzen 2000 Series Stack
According to the current AMD Ryzen 2000 Series Stack, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X replaces both the Ryzen 7 1700X and Ryzen 7 1800X.
AMD X470
AMD X470 is very similar to the previous-generation X370 chipset. It is an evolutionary upgrade that improves idle power draw, and introduces an improved power infrastructure to help 2nd Gen Ryzen processors achieve higher boost speeds. X470 motherboards will also come with AMD StoreMI Technology.
AMD StoreMI Technology
AMD StoreMI is an OEM version of the Enmotus FuzeDrive Basic. It combines all of your storage drives into a single virtual storage drive. It can even add up to 2 GB of DDR4 memory as a very fast cache to the combined drive.
The software than automatically assigns frequently used data blocks to the fastest storage devices, optimising your storage devices to deliver the best performance possible.
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First Look At The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
This was our first look at the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check). AMD ran it on the ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WIFI) motherboard, with G.SKILL Sniper X DDR4 memory. It was also our first look at the new AMD Wraith Prism cooler, with its RGB LED ring, and illuminated fan blades.
Extreme overclocker Sami Mäkinen from AMD’s Technical Marketing team showed us how to overclock the 2nd Gen Ryzen processor using the new AMD Ryzen Master 1.3 utility.
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We had earlier leaked the specifications and benchmark results of the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors, codenamed Pinnacle Ridge. Now, we can reveal to you the official 2nd Gen Ryzen price list, and our price comparison with other AMD Ryzen CPUs!
2nd Gen Ryzen Price Comparison
AMD has officially announced that they will be launching four 2nd Gen Ryzen processors :
For your convenience, we prepared a table to compare the 2nd Gen Ryzen price lists, with the recently discounted prices for the existing AMD Ryzen processors.
As you can see, there are some differences in the 2nd Gen Ryzen price list for Malaysia, and the United States.
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700 costs the same as the Ryzen 7 1700 in the US, but in Malaysia, it is priced RM 30 (~US$ 12) or about 2% higher.
It appears that the AMD Ryzen 7 2700 will directly replace the Ryzen 7 1700 in the US, but both models will continued to exist side-by-side in Malaysia, at least initially.
You can also see that the positioning of the AMD Ryzen 3 2200G versus the Ryzen 3 1200 is different in the US, than it is in Malaysia.
2nd Gen Ryzen Availability
The 2nd Gen Ryzen processors will be available for purchase worldwide on 19 April 2018 (9 AM EDT).
Pre-orders for these new processors, though, will kick off today – 13 April 2018 (9 AM EDT). Here are some pre-order links for your convenience :
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AMD just sent us the AMD Ryzen Gen 2 Reviewer’s Kit. This time, it’s two heavy boxes, instead of just one. Let’s take a look and see what they sent us, and what you should look forward to!
The AMD Ryzen Gen 2 Reviewer’s Kit
Earlier AMD Ryzen Reviewer’s Kits came in the form of a large black box, or a fancy wooden box. Each Reviewer’s Kit contains a complete set of CPU + motherboard + memory kit.
This time, they sent us a gray box, as well as the large black box. Let’s take a look inside the AMD Ryzen Gen 2 Reviewer’s Kit!
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The AMD Ryzen Gen 2 Reviewer’s Kit contains the following components :
What AMD ships in these kits is important, because it shows us the motherboard and memory kit that AMD had earlier tested and confirmed to work best out of the box with their latest Ryzen processors.
AMD assured us that X470 motherboards that ship on launch date have been thoroughly tested by their partners for compatibility with the 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen processors.
But if you are an early adopter, and want a worry-free experience, it may be helpful to know what AMD has personally tested out and certified for use by reviewers.
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