AMD Launches Ryzen 4000 APUs - But Only For Pre-Built PCs / OEMs

[Shiba]

Makes sense to make them OEM only, they are not really that interesting to us DIY people. The gpu performance increase is tiny, why bother?

Because I don't care about graphic performance. I'm so glad there finally is a 8c/16t APU, so I don't need to waste my money on some nearly obsolete graphic card just to get video output. Now let's hope they will be available to consumers too...

[smitty3268]

If AMD continues to treat DIY market and enthusiasts like this, I think they will not forget and not show any loyalty when Intel is on top again.

AMD released Ryzen 2 directly to the DIY market a year ago. This is their attempt to gain actual widespread marketshare with lower end chips, and therefore profits on them. They don't have enough manufacturing capacity to provide both markets. Hopefully they can ramp that up at TSMC soon.

[blackshard]

They need to do something to solve the memory problem and add some CUs on the thing. I would gladly buy a 4 core APU but with more CUs, like 15 or 20, preferably RDNA2, and some proper solution for the memory badwidth. I don't really need many cores, but i do need a little more oomph on the gpu side for the times i want to game. There is no product like that on the market, why not?

This question has been answered many times. You cannot multiplicate memory bandwidth ad infinitum: commercial memory DIMMs have their rated frequency and technology, nowadays we have DDR4 memories and in 128bit dual-channel configurations.
Quad-channel configurations require (guess what?) four memory controllers on the same chip, something 99% of people really does not need and has huge costs on manufacturing.

On the contrary, custom designed high-end video cards can have GDDR6 and HBM memories with very fat buses (256 bits, going up to 1024 bits for HBM) just because they can stack memory chips in parallel, and very high frequencies.
So, put your n-dozens CUs on your APU and what you get? Just a big fat chip capped by memory bandwidth, because system memory cannot cope with the amount of data to be moved around.

Also GPUs and CPUs have very different workloads: GPUs usually prefers higher bandwidth, CPUs instead prefers lower access timings.
If you need high graphics performance, buy a dedicated card.

[gukin]

If I'm going to build a desktop then only discrete graphics will do, meanwhile snoozing until 4000 desktop proper arrives later in the year then wake me up when the benchmarks for those land.

Since I've been working at home, my "work" computer is my Intel NUC with an 8259 (the fastest Intel Iris GPU at the time) and my play computer is a Raven Ridge 2400g. Sure I can pop a discrete video card into my 2400g system but there are a lot of games and goof off stuff that does fine on the Vega 11 GPU. Still I build WINE, mesa and other things from source so those extra cores would be welcome.

As for running the discrete video all the time, I run the NUC because most of the time it draws less than 10W of power and in the summer power == heat.

It is disappointing, we APU fans have waited a long time for this and since the 3400g was just a warmed over Raven Ridge it's even more bitter.

On the other hand, there are worse things happening in the world than my not getting my Renoir processor so I'm not going to grouse much.

[cjcox]

I'm waiting for Emerson Lake, which is said to be void of that rhythmic "tapping" sound problem.

[vladpetric]

Some people decide by emotions not by logic.

Yes, I'm quite "emotional" about my 5-year old Intel Xeon E5 2640 v3, which offers roughly 2/3 of the single threaded performance of a Ryzen 3800x (cpu benchmark).

What's the last time an AMD cpu lasted me that long? Well, it never happened.

[GraysonPeddie]

Ryzen 7 4700GE

I want that in my next Linux home server!!! 35W TDP!? YES!!!

[schmidtbag]

14nm of Intel is like 10nm of TSMC. It is not that far from 7nm as you think. Though indeed they have overstayed at 14nm, it is getting ridiculous.

No, Intel's 10nm is more like TSMC's 7nm. Intel's 14nm is refined but it's not that refined.

[skeevy420]

It's even worse when you remember that what you can buy today is essentially the same Raven Ridge that was launched in late 2017, and appeared on the AM4 platform in February 2018. More than two years with only moderate clockspeed increase but no new features or architectural improvements.

I wonder why AMD is most loyal to the customers who are least loyal to them, and vice versa. It is the PC enthusiasts that shout "buy AMD" at every opportunity, and have practically turned the DIY market into an AMD-only show, even in those few instances where Intel is objectively better (see latest der8auer video where he wonders why people don't buy Intel 10600K for dedicated gaming PCs). If AMD continues to treat DIY market and enthusiasts like this, I think they will not forget and not show any loyalty when Intel is on top again.

Because for less than $50 more you can buy a Ryzen 7 or Threadripper with more cores or spend a hair less and get a Ryzen 5 with the same number or cores and a lower TDP....ain't said that about AMD vs Intel in regards to TDP in....hmm, well, I don't remember if we're being honest. Basically, dollar for dollar, Intel isn't very competitive..at least at Newegg today. If the 10600K was $50-$70 cheaper it would be something worth buying, but as it stands, it's a upper end budget CPU with mid-grade CPU pricing.

That and it's my opinion that only the ultra hardcore, slightly retarded people with too much money to spend buy stuff to overclock it to get moar massive FPS. The ordinary, average person just wants the best bang for the buck with the least amount of fuss and AMD is delivering that in spades right now.

[Drago]

Since I've been working at home, my "work" computer is my Intel NUC with an 8259 (the fastest Intel Iris GPU at the time) and my play computer is a Raven Ridge 2400g. Sure I can pop a discrete video card into my 2400g system but there are a lot of games and goof off stuff that does fine on the Vega 11 GPU. Still I build WINE, mesa and other things from source so those extra cores would be welcome.

As for running the discrete video all the time, I run the NUC because most of the time it draws less than 10W of power and in the summer power == heat.

It is disappointing, we APU fans have waited a long time for this and since the 3400g was just a warmed over Raven Ridge it's even more bitter.

On the other hand, there are worse things happening in the world than my not getting my Renoir processor so I'm not going to grouse much.

Why not ASUS Mini PC PN50? Coming in a month or so at Amazon.co.uk. Having Ryzen 4300U, 4500U, 4700U, 4800U in a 11x11x5 cm package. I probably will take one 4700U.