Following the global release of the China-only Ryzen 5 3500X, the hitherto OEM-only Ryzen 3 2300X will be available for retail sale as well!
AMD Ryzen 3 2300X : OEM Model Goes Retail!
Launched in September 2018, the AMD Ryzen 3 2300X is a 2nd Gen Ryzen desktop processor (codenamed Pinnacle Ridge). It is based on the Zen+ microarchitecture, and fabricated using the 12LP process technology.
The Ryzen 3 2300X comes with four cores, using a single CCX – which means improved latency since there is no need for cross-CCX communications.
But that also means it will have half the L3 cache. It also lacks SMT, so can only process 4 simultaneous threads.
AMD Ryzen 3 2300X Specifications
Here is a comparison of the AMD Ryzen 3 2300X, against the other Pinnacle Ridge processors :
Model
Cores /
Threads
Base
Clock
Boost
Clock
L2
Cache
L3
Cache
TDP
Ryzen 7
2700 X
8 / 16
3.7 GHz
4.3 GHz
4 MB
16 MB
105 W
Ryzen 7
2700
3.2 GHz
4.1 GHz
65 W
Ryzen 5
2600X
6 / 12
3.6 GHz
4.2 GHz
3 MB
95 W
Ryzen 5
2600
3.4 GHz
3.9 GHz
65 W
Ryzen 5
2500X
4 / 8
3.6 GHz
4.0 GHz
2 MB
8 MB
Ryzen 3
2300X
4 / 4
3.5 GHz
4.0 GHz
AMD Ryzen 3 2300X Price + Availability
The AMD Ryzen 3 2300X be available for retail sale starting 3 March 2020, with a recommended retail price of RM 299 / ~US$69 / ~£55 / ~A$105 / ~S$99.
It is already available for sale at these online stores :
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Are you trying to overclock your brand new 2nd Gen Ryzen processor? Let extreme overclocker Sami Makinen will show you how to overclock the 2nd Gen Ryzen processor!
They were all based on the ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WIFI) (Price Check) motherboard, with G.SKILL Sniper X DDR4 memory (Price Check), but with different cooling solutions.
Sami Makinen On How To Overclock The 2nd Gen Ryzen
Before we got started on our test rigs, extreme overclocker Sami Makinen 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.
AMD Ryzen Master 1.3 will highlight the four fastest cores in each processor. This allows you to turn off the slower cores, so you can achieve a higher clock speed.
AMD Ryzen Master 1.3 will allow you to adjust the core clock individually, the CPU voltage, as well as memory voltage and settings.
Using LN cooling, Sami Makinen managed to overclock his Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check) processor to 5.6 GHz, which cored over 2,500 in Cinebench R15.
AMD Ryzen Master 1.3 comes with a new Apply & Test feature. Clicking on it runs a stability test, so you can quickly know if your settings are good to save and use.
One of the new features in the AMD X470 motherboard is Enhanced XFR. This is a 2nd Gen Ryzen enhancement that allows for higher clock rates (automatically) with better coolers. The new AMD Wraith Prism cooler, for example, would allow the Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check) to automatically achieve a higher clock speed through Enhanced XFR, than with a less capable cooler.
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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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AMD first showed us the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X at an exclusive tech briefing in March. Now, we have the opportunity to test it out for ourselves. So how fast is the new AMD Ryzen 7 2700X? What exactly does it offer over its predecessors? 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 7 2700X 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 7 2700X
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check) comes bundled with the new AMD Wraith Prism cooler, which features a rainbow LED ring and illuminated fan blades. Let’s unbox it, and see what we find inside!
Here is what you will find inside the box :
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X CPU and case badge
The AMD Wraith Prism cooler, with two cables
An AMD CPU installation guide, and certificate of authenticity (missing in our box)
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The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X Processor
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 Ryzen 7 2700X is positioned just under theRyzen 7 1800X, which could mean a Ryzen 7 2800X is in the pipeline.
AMD Zen+ Microarchitecture
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (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 7 2700X (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 :
[adrotate group=”2″]
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 7 2700X (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 7 2700X (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 7 2700X (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 7 2700X (Pr1ice 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 7 2700X (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 Prism
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check) comes with a new cooler – the AMD Wraith Prism. This is an upgraded version of the AMD Wraith Max cooler with heat pipes that are in direct contact with the CPU for better performance, and a rainbow LED ring.
It uses a 7-blade fan, with a maximum noise level of 39 dBA. The fan blades are LED-illuminated, but you can turn off the lights.
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AMD Ryzen 7 2700X Price + Availability
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X is priced at US$ 329 / RM 1,559. Here are some purchase links for your convenience :
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Benchmarking The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
In this review, we will take a look at the work and gaming performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, 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.
This is due to the internal improvements made to the 2nd Gen Ryzen processors, which almost doubled the boost clock advantage in this test. Otherwise, it would have scored only 163 cb.
CINEBENCH R15 Multi Core
The Multi-Core test shows the processor’s real-world 3D rendering performance.
With all 8 cores firing, the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check) is 11.5% faster than the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check). This performance advantage can be attributed to the slightly higher clock speed, 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.
Surprisingly, the multi-threading capability of the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check) is 10% lower than that of the Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check).
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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 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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Things flipped at the higher resolution of 1440p. The Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check) was now very slightly faster than the Ryzen 7 2700X (Price Check).
2160p Gaming Resolution
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.
Priced at just US$ 329 / RM 1,559, the Ryzen 7 2700X is $20 cheaper, and now comes with an AMD Wraith Prism 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 7 2700X (Price Check) is a refined, faster version of the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X (Price Check). It is faster and more power-efficient, 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 7 processor, it would not make much sense to upgrade to the Ryzen 7 2700X.
If you currently own a first-generation AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 3 processor, the Ryzen 7 2700X 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 7 2700X would make a great upgrade option, with great value for your money.
What AMD brought to the table with the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (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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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
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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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