The AMD 2nd Gen Ryzen Deep Dive: The 2700X, 2700, 2600X, and 2600 Tested
by Ian Cutress on April 19, 2018 9:00 AM ESTPrecision Boost 2 and XFR2: Ensuring It Hertz More
One of the biggest changes for the new Ryzen-2000 series is in how the processor implements its turbo. Up until this point (except the recent APU launch), processors have relied on a step function implementation: the system determines how many threads are loaded, attempts to implement a specific frequency on those cores if possible, and then follows the look-up table relating thread count to frequency. AMD’s goal in Precision Boost 2 is to make this process more dynamic.
This image from AMD is how the feature is being represented: the system will determine how much of the power budget is still available, and turbo as much as possible until it hits one of the limiting factors. These factors can be any of, but not limited to, the following:
- Total chip peak power
- Individual core voltage/frequency response
- Thermal interactions between neighboring cores
- Power delivery limitations to individual cores/groups of cores
- Overall thermal performance
AMD’s new Ryzen Master 1.3 software, when used on a Ryzen 2000-series processor, has several indicators to determine what the limiting factors are. For the most part, the way the processor will boost and respond to the environment, will be transparent to the user.
The best way to test this in action, from my perspective, is to look at the power draw of the first generation and second generation Ryzen processors. We can examine the internal estimated power consumption of each core individually as thankfully AMD has left these registers exposed, to give the following data:
This is only the core consumption power, not the package power, which would include the DRAM controller, the Infinity Fabric, and the processor IO. This means we get numbers different to the rated TDP, but the danger here is that because the Ryzen 7 2700X has a 10W TDP higher than the Ryzen 7 1800X, where the 2700X draws more power it could seem as if that is the TDP response.
Just plotting the power consumption gives this graph:
Even in this case it is clear that the Ryzen 7 2700X is drawing more power, up to 20W more, for a variable threaded load. If we change the graph to be a function of peak power:
The results are not quite as clear: it would seem that the 1800X draws, as a percentage of peak power, more at low thread count, but the 2700X draws more at a middling thread count.
It is worth noting that the end result of Precision Boost 2 is two-fold: more performance, but also more power consumption. Users looking to place one of the lower powered processors into a small form factor system might look at disabling this feature and returning to a standard step-function response in order to keep the thermal capabilities in check.
A side note – despite the marketing name being called ‘Precision Boost 2’, the internal BIOS name is called ‘Core Performance Boost’. It sounds similar to Multi-Core Enhancement, which is a feature on some Intel motherboards designed to go above and beyond the turbo mechanism. However, this is just AMD’s standard PB2: disabling it will disable PB2. Initially we turned it off, thinking it was a motherboard manufacturer tool, only to throw away some testing because there is this odd disconnect between AMD’s engineers and AMD’s marketing.
Extended Frequency Range 2 (XFR2)
For the Ryzen 2000-series, AMD has changed what XFR does. In the previous generation it was applied on certain processors to allow them to boost above the maximum turbo frequency when the thermal situation was conducive to higher frequencies and higher voltage in low thread-count states. For this generation, it still relates to thermals, however the definition is applied to any core loading: if the CPU is under 60ºC, the processor can boost no matter what the loading is above its Precision Boost 2 frequency (so why not get a better PB2 implementation?). The core still has to be within a suitable voltage/frequency window to retain stability, however.
On certain motherboards, like the ASUS Crosshair VII Hero, there are additional options to assist XFR2 beyond AMD’s implementation. ASUS does not go into specific details, however I suspect it implements a more aggressive version, perhaps extending the voltage/frequency curve, raising the power limits, and/or adjusting the thermal limit.
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John_M - Monday, April 23, 2018 - link
What edition of Windows 10 to typical gamers use and why?johnsmith222 - Monday, April 23, 2018 - link
In the meantime we have a lot benches to analyse :)Sum of web benches:
https://www.3dcenter.org/news/ryzen-2000-launchrev...
oRAirwolf - Monday, April 23, 2018 - link
I would really like to see some storage bench mark to compare pre and post Spectre/Meltdown patching of Intel CPUs as well as an apples-to-apples comparison of nvme storage performance compared to an Intel 8700k.Silma - Monday, April 23, 2018 - link
It's really hard to generalize on why people purchase the processors they do.I met a guy online with an over the top, super expensive computer. His sole purpose seems to be the first in the online tests and he will spend hours fine tuning the overclocking and whatnot.
Another guy mostly playing D3 purchased a 3K euro computer, which is absolutely over the top for what he plays/does. His reasoning is, I change my computer every 10 years, so when i do, I want the best components.
In my opinion, for most people without special needs (YouTube encoding, 3D rendering and whatnot), most processors have been good enough for years, and there is no reason to invest a lot in a processor when money is much better spent in an x4 PCIe SSD where you'll instantly feel the difference vs a hard drive or a medium quality SSD.
To me, power consumption and noise of processor as well as graphic card is a consideration at least as important as price.
The sole reason I would change processor today would be to get a fully Thunderbolt 3 compatible system, since the first TB3 audio interfaces are slowly coming to market.
Then again, I'm sure many people will have other priorities and reasons for purchasing their processors.
Targon - Monday, April 23, 2018 - link
Many of these high end systems are overpriced, or they come with components that are not worth it for what is being done. With that being said, going for a higher end CPU does make sense for those looking to keep their systems for a long time. Video cards and storage are areas that people should pay close attention to when it comes to price.NVMe drives are VERY expensive if you go up to the 1TB level, so spending that sort of money doesn't make sense when the prices will drop in the next two years. A 250-500GB NVMe drive would make more sense when combined with a traditional hard drive for additional storage. Video cards are also at a premium right now, as is RAM. If the system were purchased back in April of 2017, then yea, not too horrible to go for 32GB of RAM back then, but now, I'd stick with 16GB of RAM due to the prices being so much higher than they were.
For desktops, Thunderbolt isn't all that amazing when you can add a video or sound card to the system that will do what you want it to. Laptops are another story, and you need to pick and choose your priorities.
Flying Aardvark - Monday, April 23, 2018 - link
That's if you're short on money. I don't spend much extra other than vacations & eating very well. So when I upgrade, which is every 5 to 10 years, I buy the best available like Silma. I have a 1TB 960 Pro for that reason, it was $650 and I didn't think twice about it. I need the most reliable, fastest drive at the time. The 960 Pro is a MLC memory configuration, I've always used higher end MLC drives and they've served me very well.I'm not waiting a year or two, when I have over $100,000 sitting in my bank account doing nothing. What's the point, it's just $650. Same goes for the rest of my computer, which I only own/maintain one of.
Not everyone is a child or someone who doesn't spend the majority of their time progressing their careers so they can make more money. The price consideration is not the end-all, ultimate rule on hardware for every single consumer.
mapesdhs - Monday, April 23, 2018 - link
Indeed, though I guarantee some here will react poorly at the notion of someone who can make such a purchasing decision. :) Sometimes the best makes perfect sense, and if one can afford it, then why not.Kaihekoa - Monday, April 23, 2018 - link
Why are Anand's gaming numbers showing the 2700X beating all Intel CPUs when every other reviewer still shows the 8700K/7700K still being the best gaming CPUs?Flying Aardvark - Monday, April 23, 2018 - link
TechRadar & the wccftech preview has the same results. If you have been following Spectre as I have, you would've seen even users find this result. See the top comments here. https://np.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/7obo...AT, TR & WCCF's results are accurate. Many reasons for this.
- Many reviewers used the old Ryzen balanced power setting which cripples the 2700X
- Disallowed the motherboard settings that push the chip over TDP
- Fully patched as possible for Spectre v1 & v2, which cripples Intel up to 50% in IO heavy tasks (streaming textures for games that do so).
There is naturally, lots of resistance to the fact that AMD is dominating. It's over for now, time for people to just admit it, they got screwed if they don't have Ryzen. Or at least, bought the inferior product.
mapesdhs - Monday, April 23, 2018 - link
I don't think those posting so much venom about the results will change their minds until AMD releases something that really is just right out the gate blatantly faster, including for IPC. Another year or two and I think that will happen.