News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:AMD EPYC “Rome” Server Processors to Feature 8 to 64 Cores by nabla9 on Thursday June 20, 2019 @12:54PM (#20234780)
Does anyone have an idea how many different processors tapeouts are needed to create this line?

It seems reasonable to assume that 48-core chip is just 64-core chip with few defective cores. A lower clocked version is the same ship that high clocked that did not pass some test.

Re:AMD EPYC “Rome” Server Processors to Feature 8 to 64 Cores by opencl on Thursday June 20, 2019 @01:04PM (#20234888)
There are three tapeouts used for the entire desktop, HEDT, and server lineup combined. Everything uses the same 8 core CPU dies and there are two different I/O dies- a smaller one used for desktop (which doubles as the X570 chipset) and a big one for HEDT/server. There's also a separate 4 core + GPU die used for laptop parts.
Re:AMD EPYC “Rome” Server Processors to Feature 8 to 64 Cores by juergbi on Thursday June 20, 2019 @02:38PM (#20235877)
This is correct for desktop and server. However, AMD hasn't said anything about the HEDT I/O die yet, as far as I know.

Assuming Zen 2-based Threadripper will still have quad channel memory and 64 PCIe lanes, AMD might go for a medium sized I/O die instead of disabling half of the large server I/O die. Or maybe the Threadripper volume is too low and a separate tapeout is not worth it.

Re:AMD EPYC “Rome” Server Processors to Feature 8 to 64 Cores by jjwhitaker on Friday June 21, 2019 @12:10PM (#20243799)
I haven't seen a lot for Zen2 based Threadripper news since the end of May so maybe I missed how they are doing those chips like via the same 8 core chiplets as Zen2 or something larger. If their yields are really really good, maybe they are stacking 8 core chiplets for Rome and based on final yields on that determine what range will be offered as Zen2 TR HEDT to split 16 core Zen2 from Rome. Maybe at 16 cores, Zen2/Ryzen 9 is HEDT enough to compete?

If they are doing larger chiplets for Rome like 16 or 32 core but pairing up with Infinity Fabric for up to 64 cores, yields could also determine what becomes Zen2 TR with the weak chiplets becoming 8-32 core 92 chiplets), single CPU HEDT material? Or will they have a whole other solution here like limiting Zen2 TR to the same socket as previous gens to push upgrades vs a first gen TR user jumping to a Ryzen 3850X vs low end Rome?

Re:AMD EPYC “Rome” Server Processors to Feature 8 to 64 Cores by opencl on Thursday June 20, 2019 @04:05PM (#20236793)
This is true that they haven't actually confirmed that Threadripper is using the EPYC I/O die but I would be very surprised if it isn't. The entire idea behind Threadripper was to reuse as much EPYC tech as possible (in particular the physical socket) to keep NRE costs low because the HEDT market is so small.
Re:AMD EPYC “Rome” Server Processors to Feature 8 to 64 Cores by kllrnohj on Thursday June 20, 2019 @01:21PM (#20235045)
There's 9 different independent pieces of silicon on the 64-core chip. It looks like this: https://images.anandtech.com/doci/13561/amd_rome-678_678x452... ( source https://www.anandtech.com/show/13561/amd-previews-epyc-rome-... )

Each of those smaller dies is 8 cpu cores. So 8x8 = 64. The 48-core one could either be 6 full-yield chiplets, or 8 partially defective ones with just 6 cores active. I'd guess it's 8 chiplets with 6 cores each just because that seems like it'd be more balanced, but I don't think we'll know for sure until someone de-lids a shipping one.

Re:AMD EPYC “Rome” Server Processors to Feature 8 to 64 Cores by ip26 on Thursday June 20, 2019 @01:35PM (#20235198)
It depends on yield. If it's very high, you save money using only 6 chiplets. If it's not as great then using 8 lets you downbin the 64 core parts that were defective into the 48 core slot.

You can't do both in the same SKU because they have different performance, e.g. different amounts of L3 cache & memory bandwidth.

Re:AMD EPYC “Rome” Server Processors to Feature 8 to 64 Cores by frankchn on Thursday June 20, 2019 @01:03PM (#20234878)
Two tapeouts, one for the IO die and one for the 8-core chiplet. For lower core count versions they can simply leave chiplet slots blank: https://img.purch.com/o/aHR0cDovL21lZGlhLmJlc3RvZm1pY3JvLmNv...
Re:AMD EPYC “Rome” Server Processors to Feature 8 to 64 Cores by paulmd on Thursday June 20, 2019 @02:54PM (#20236034)
Consumer dies use a smaller IO die, so three tapeouts.

Epyc IO die will probably be re-used on Threadripper with chiplet slots blank though.

Re:AMD EPYC “Rome” Server Processors to Feature 8 to 64 Cores by bryanlarsen on Thursday June 20, 2019 @12:57PM (#20234817)
2. Epyc is a combination of multiple tiny 7nm 8 core CPU chiplets and a single massive 14nm IO chip.