Overview of the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X Processor

Let's view over the AMD top processor model – Ryzen 7 1800X shipped in the original packaging, with the appearance of which the designers worked quite hard. In general, with the release of Ryzen, the degree of pathos in novelties is simply off-scale from a box to software; all the seriousness of the approach to the release of Zen solutions could be felt.

But for the CPU itself, the user will find in the box a sticker with the Ryzen logo for the case, as well as the installation instructions. The lack of a cooling system is not surprising as the Ryzen 7 1800X/1700X processors are still available only without it.

Features

Externally, the body of the new products has not changed at all since the release of K8, it has the same large heat distribution top completely covers the CPU’s substrate, but unlike the old solutions, the name of the series is now engraved in large letters and it is unlikely that it will be confused with Bulldozer and derivatives.

But the «abdomen» has changed and now it resembles the APU, only the number of contacts has been increased to 1.331 (940 for AM3 + and 906 for FM2 +). The legs are thinner, so when handling the processor, you need to be even more careful than before.

The cooler bracing has undergone some changes as well, or, to be exact, the socket frame: it is now simpler and wider. It is necessary because of the complicated wiring layout and the need to increase the mechanical strength for this.

The Ryzen 7 1800X processor has eight physical cores and supports SMT technology, and now each core has its own FPU. Also, the third level cache capacity is now increased to 16 MB, but with the only condition – it is the one with 16-channel associativity and is represented by 8 MB blocks.

The fact is that the Ryzen 7 processor in a monolithic crystal consists of two modules, four cores each with its own L3 cache, which communicate with each other via the Infinity Fabric high-speed interface. Naturally, suchlike design affects the time access to the data located in the neighbouring memory cells.

In addition, the novelty supports the SSE4.1, SSE4.2, SSE4A, AVX, AVX2.0, FMA3 instructions, as well as the AES encryption acceleration and is designed for a frequency of 3.6 GHz, but in most cases runs at 3.7 GHz. Being idle, the frequency is reduced to 2.2 GHz, the power supply is works in wide range from an incredible 0.350 V to 1.4 V and even more under load. This is due to the peculiarities of the CPU cores and individual blocks power peculiarities.

When performing single-threaded tasks due to the Turbo-mode, it is possible to increase the frequency of one or two cores to 4 GHz, but when using cards on the X370 chipset, another mode is activated – XFR, which adds 100 MHz more.

There have also been changes compared to its predecessors with memory support: processors on the Zen architecture can only function with DDR4. Officially declared frequencies are 2,666 MHz for two single-way modules and 2,400 MHz for two-way ones. If all the four slots on the motherboard are full, then the memory modes will run at 2,133 and 1,866 MHz, respectively. The integrated controller functions at the modules’ physical frequency, and the higher it is, the faster the system should be.

As for the CPU potential, it does not run smoothly enough. The new architecture, a complex crystal affected it greatly: the Ryzen 7 1800X, when overclocking all the cores could only function at 4 GHz and the supply voltage is to be raised up to 1.45 volts. In this mode and with DDR4-3200 memory, the system easily passes the Prime95 stress test for 30 minutes, and the cores warmed to 91.3 °C under the liquid cooling be quiet! Silent Loop 280. it has recently become known that the temperature for the Ryzen 7 1800X/1700X processors is overestimated by 20 ° C in order to optimize the cooling system operation with the XFR mode, so soon all the utilities are expected to be updated for more reliable indications.

For those considering manual overclocking through a motherboard’s UEFI settings to be very difficult, the proprietary Ryzen Master utility is released. In addition to frequency and voltage management, it allows disabling the cores and saving settings, as well as monitoring the frequencies and temperature for each core separately. It is quite interesting to note that in the latter case it loads the processor quite well.

When searching for the highest possible processor frequency, at 4,100 MHz and during the Prime95 stress test, the motherboard has rebooted and started the firmware updating, then went into a cyclic restart and eventually “died”and is now gone to service center. So, be extremely careful when overclocking a new platform.

Conclusions

Processors based on the Zen microarchitecture have a powerful memory controller, and now each core has its own FPU, which was so lacking in the solutions of the previous generation. In addition, the CPU chip now houses controllers of modern high-speed interfaces, and with them the processor has become a more complex device ever.

The Ryzen 7 1800X processor is difficult to give an unambiguous evaluation. It is good for rendering and encryption of information, as well as for working with high-definition video, but for archiving operations it is necessary to select a specific application. But after all, its predecessors behaved the same way, demonstrating excellent results in programs optimized for multithreading.

And here the games come to the fore. A fast memory controller, a large number of floating-point calculation units should have a favorable effect on the gameplay. But to meet expectations with reality, it is necessary to observe several conditions:

1. 1. The AM4 platform is designed just for high-frequency DDR4 memory, with which it reveals its full potential.
2. 2. The processor should be overclocked to 4 GHz, since it does not get warmed at this frequency with adequate cooling, even the air one.
3. 3. Solving the problem with energy-saving functions in the Windows 10 operating system is absolutely necessary, as the novelty has serious performance drawdown because of the fact.

While all users have to wait for another «magic patch» from the Redmond company, one can take advantage of manual settings of these functions, or simply disable SMT technology. Yes, deactivation of multithreading will raise the average fps too. Even if all this is not done, the AM4 platform has one advantage – high minimum fps which affects the smoothness of the gameplay.

Overclocking: the CPU works at its limit, but it can still be slightly overclocked. The memory frequency above 2,666 MHz is available with not every RAM module. In general, the dampness of the platform is felt, especially of the motherboard firmware. And this is when searching for the maximum frequency in the 4,100 MHz range. Still there is hope that soon all the shortcomings will be corrected and all users will be able to appreciate the AMD Ryzen 7 1800X overclocking potential.