AMD Confirms Zen 4 Uses Optimized 5nm TSMC Nodes

The Zen 4 architecture, planned for the next processors
from AMD, should be a big step up from Zen 3.

The problems encountered by Intel on the transition to 10 nm perfectly illustrated the importance of the fine engraving of the latest components and the difficulty of finding companies able to follow the colossal investments in this area.

AMD isn’t first on the 5nm TSMC…

As explained AnandTech, at the launch of the Zen 2 architecture, AMD was in a way the leader on the question. Not that it made its own processors, but it had been among the first to use the 7nm process from the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

The main independent foundry in the world, TSMC is a leader on technological issues, but 7 nm is no longer its main battle horse today. However, this is the process used on Zen 3 cores, and AMD seems to be falling behind.

Indeed, several companies have already placed themselves on TSMC’s 5 nm and even 4 nm processes. Even stronger, discussions are well under way around 3 nm. Thus, smartphone manufacturers (Apple, Huawei) are in pole position on 5 nm while Mediatek has already announced the production of its Dimensity 9000 in 4 nm by TSMC.

… but it will use an optimized version

However, in its official communication, AMD does not seem to have to go so fast with Zen 4, and if we look at the announcements of other companies, it is even “late” by a generation of processes, or even two with the release in 2022 of a Zen 4, “only” in 5 nm.

AMD CEO Lisa Su answered questions fromAnandTech by insisting first on the fact that his company ” continues to innovate in all areas » before indicating that his « 5nm technology is highly optimized for high performance computing and is not necessarily identical to other 5nm technologies available “.

Lisa Su implies here that optimizations related to the design of the brand’s CPUs are at work: AMD may not have the same 5 nm as others. She also specifies that beyond the fine engraving, the organization of the chip is perhaps even of equal importance, evoking ” Zen 4 and 5nm with 2D chiplets and 3D chiplets “.

Finally, as does TechPowerUp, it should be noted that the needs and objectives of a manufacturer of SoCs for smartphones and those of CPUs or GPUs are not necessarily the same: the fineness of engraving is undoubtedly even more critical for the former than for the latter .

Sources: AnandTech
, TechPowerUp