The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X Review: Flagship Zen 5 Soars - and Stalls - Related to controller, heard, 5, soars, flagship

Phison Introduces E29T Gen 4 Controller for Mainstream Client SSDs

At FMS 2024, Phison gave us the usual updates on their client flash solutions. The E31T Gen 5 mainstream controller has already been seen at a few tradeshows starting with Computex 2023. While the USB4 native flash controller for high-end PSSDs was unveiled at CES 2024. The new solution being demonstrated was the E29T Gen 4 mainstream DRAM-less controller. Phison believes that there is still performance to be eked out on the Gen 4 platform with a low-cost DRAM-less solution.

Phison NVMe SSD Controller Comparison E31T E29T E27T E26 E18 Market Segment Mainstream Consumer High-End Consumer Manufacturing.

Process 7nm 12nm 12nm 12nm 12nm CPU Cores 2x Cortex R5 1x Cortex R5 1x Cortex R5 2x Cortex R5 3x Cortex R5 Error Correction 7th Gen LDPC 7th Gen LDPC 5th Gen LDPC 5th Gen LDPC 4th Gen LDPC DRAM No No No DDR4, LPDDR4 DDR4 Host Interface PCIe x4 PCIe x4 PCIe x4 PCIe x4 PCIe x4 NVMe Version NVMe NVMe NVMe NVMe NVMe NAND Channels, Interface Speed 4 ch,.

1600 MT/s Max Capacity 8 TB 8 TB 8 TB 8 TB 8 TB Sequential Read GB/s GB/s GB/s 14 GB/s GB/s Sequential Write GB/s GB/s GB/s GB/s GB/s 4KB Random Read IOPS 1500k 1200k 1200k 1500k 1000k 4KB Random Write IOPS 1500k 1200k 1200k 2000k 1000k.

Compared to the E27T. The key upgrade is the use of a newer LDPC engine that enables improved SSD lifespan as well as compatibility with the latest QLC flash, along with additional power optimizations.

The firm also had a U21 USB4 PSSD reference design (complete with a MagSafe-compatible casing) on display, along with the usual CrystalDiskMark benchmark results. We were given to understand that PSSDs based on the U21 controller are very close to shipping into retail.

Phison has been known for taking the lead in introducing SSD controllers based on the latest and greatest interface options - be it PCIe . PCIe , or USB4. The competition is usually in the form of tier-one vendors opting for their in-house solution. Or Silicon Motion stepping in a few quarters down the line after the market takes off with a more power-efficient solution. With the E29T, Phison is aiming to ensure that they still have a viable play in the mainstream Gen 4 market with their latest LDPC engine and supporting the highest available NAND flash speeds.

One of the core challenges that Rapidus will face when it kicks off volume production of chips on it...

Western Digital's BiCS8 218-layer 3D NAND is being put to good use in a wide range of client and ent...

Let’s say that you get the majority of your work done on a laptop. And you are looking for some cool...

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X Review: Flagship Zen 5 Soars - and Stalls

Earlier this month, AMD launched the first two desktop CPUs using their latest Zen 5 microarchitecture: the Ryzen 7 9700X and the Ryzen 5 9600X. As part of the new Ryzen 9000 family, it gave us their latest Zen 5 cores to the desktop market, as AMD actually launched Zen 5 through their mobile platform last month, the Ryzen AI 300 series (which we reviewed).

Today. AMD is launching the remaining two Ryzen 9000 SKUs first unveiled at Computex 2024, completing the current Ryzen 9000 product stack. Both chips hail from the premium Ryzen 9 series, which includes the flagship Ryzen 9 9950X, which has 16 Zen 5 cores and can boost as high as GHz, while the Ryzen 9 9900X has 12 Zen 5 cores and offers boost clock speeds of up to GHz.

Although they took slightly longer than expected to launch. As there was a delay from the initial launch date of July 31st, the full quartet of Ryzen 9000 X series processors armed with the latest Zen 5 cores are available. All of the Ryzen 9000 series processors use the same AM5 socket as the previous Ryzen 7000 (Zen 4) series, which means individuals can use current X670E and. X670 motherboards with the new chips. Unfortunately, as we highlighted in our Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X review, the X870E/X870 motherboards, which were meant to launch alongside the Ryzen 9000 series, won't be available until sometime in September.

We've seen how the entry-level Ryzen 5 9600X and the mid-range Ryzen 7 9700X perform against the competition. But it's time to see how far and fast the flagship Ryzen 9 pairing competes. The Ryzen 9 9950X (16C/32T) and the Ryzen 9 9900X (12C/24T) both have a higher TDP (170 W/120 W respectively) than the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 (65 W), but there are more cores. And Ryzen 9 is clocked faster at both base and turbo frequencies. With this in mind, it's time to see how AMD's Zen 5 flagship Ryzen 9 series for desktops performs with more firepower, with our review of the Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900 processors.

From a product launch perspective, AMD typically launches its Ryzen portfolio as follows: we get the desktop processors first, then the mobile chips. And usually, the workstation and server parts come a bit later. For the launch of its latest Zen 5 microarchitecture, AMD threw a curveball instead. Last month, AMD opted to first bring their mobile Ryzen AI 300 series to market, combining the full Zen 5 cores and. Compact Zen 5c cores. We did review the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 mobile SoC, which gave us our first glimpse of how Zen 5 performs.

Fast-forward just over a week, and. AMD dropped two of the four Zen 5-based desktop chips they revealed at Computex 2024. AMD launched the Ryzen 7 9700X, an 8C/16T chip targeting the mid-range, and. The Ryzen 5 9600X, a 6C/12T variant representing the entry-level; we also reviewed both of these. It also gave us our first look at how Zen 5 compares with the previous Zen 4 architecture and Intel's current 14th Gen Core series family.

Die shot of a Ryzen 9 (Zen 5) processor with 2 x CCDs.

We have , including an in-depth look at the Zen 5 microarchitecture itself:

Focusing on the Ryzen 9 9950X and the Ryzen 9 9900X, aside from core count, core clock speeds, and. Price, the main difference between the Ryzen 9 pairing and the Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X is the number of active Core Complex Dies (CCDs) on each chip, which AMD has codenamed Eldora. For the Ryzen 9000 series, each CCD can support up to eight Zen 5 cores. With each CCD as standard (not X3D) coming with a 32 MB pool of L3 cache. Similarly, L2 cache is held at 1MB per CPU core for the desktop chips. AMD's latest Zen 5 core is built on TSMC's 4nm N4P node, which is a modest step up from Zen 4. Though outside of CPU cores/CCDs, AMD has opted to use the same I/O Die (IOD) as Ryzen 7000, which is manufactured on TSMC's 6 nm node.

Zen 5 Microarchitecture (Granite Ridge) AnandTech Cores /.

Cache TDP MSRP Ryzen 9 9950X 16C / 32T 16 MB 64 MB 170 W $649 Ryzen 9 9900X 12C / 24T 12 MB 64 MB 120 W $499 Ryzen 7 9700X 8C / 16T 8 MB 32 MB 65 W $359 Ryzen 5 9600X 6C / 12T 6 MB 32 MB 65 W $279.

The Ryzen 9 9950X uses two CCDs for a total of 16 cores (32 threads), with a base frequency of GHz and. A turbo frequency of up to GHz; this is similar to the previous Zen 4 based Ryzen 9 7950X, which also has a max boost clock of up to GHz. The Ryzen 9 9950X also has 64 MB of L3 cache (32 MB per CCD), with a 170 Watt TDP.

For the Ryzen 9 9900X, AMD has actually lowered the TDP down to 120 W for their 12C/24T SKU compared to the previous generations' Ryzen 9 7900X. Which has a 170 W TDP. Benefiting from Zen 5 cores, the Ryzen 9 9900X has a base frequency of GHz and a turbo frequency of up to GHz. The Ryzen 9 9900X also uses two CCDs on the die, which gives it 64 MB (2 x 32 MB) of L3 cache.

The Return of The PPM Provisioning Driver: But There's No 3D V-Cache, So Why?

Specifically relating to the Ryzen 9 9950X and. The Ryzen 9 9900X, AMD has brought back their PPM Provisioning driver. The last time we saw the PPM driver was back in our Ryzen 9 7950X3D review. When AMD first introduced it alongside their first multi-CCD X3D processor. This chip was special because one (and just one) CCD came packaged with AMD's 3D V-Cache, which essentially adds a large slice of L3 cache (64 MB) on top of the existing 32 MB of L3 cache on that CCD.

The PPM driver is a fundamental element that works to ensure that the 3D V-Cache is fully utilized within games. Which otherwise may inadvertently bypass the CCD with the extra cache. It works by parking the 'vanilla' CCD, so that the game is running solely on the cores from the CCD with the 3D V-Cache.

For the Ryzen 7000 generation, the PPM driver was only required on the X3D chips with multiple CCDs. Such as the Ryzen 9 7950X3D. But that's not the case anymore, it seems, as AMD is deploying it for all multi-CCD Ryzen 9000 processors.

The AMD 3D V-Cache Performance Optimizer process running in the background (PPM provisioning).

The PPM Provisioning driver is bundled within the AMD chipset drivers (ver . Along with the typical Promontory motherboard chipset drivers for AM5 motherboards. In tandem with Microsoft's Game Bar and Game Mode, the PPM driver operates when Game Mode is enabled. Once a game is detected to be running, the PPM driver parks up one of the CCDs, so this essentially means when gaming. The chip is running at half capacity unless a game intentionally spins up enough threads to require the second CCD. Microsoft has a comprehensive guide to its Provisioning packages, which details many of the benefits and scenarios where it can benefit performance. AMD is leveraging this in cooperation with Game Mode, which is enabled with the Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X in Task Manager with one CCD fired up while playing business of Heroes 3.

AMD has yet to firmly document why it is using the PPM Provisioning/3D V-Cache Optimizer with non-X3D chips from the Ryzen 9000 series. We have reached out to AMD for an answer, and they responded by stating that the core parking feature contains critical game processes in a single cache domain for the best gaming performance. While this is a technically accurate description of what the PPM driver is doing, it doesn't really answer the question of why multi-CCD Ryzen 9000 chips have been deemed to need this kind of help when the 7950X/7900X did not.

Our interpretation is that AMD has run into enough issues on the Ryzen 7000 series with games inadvertently straddling multiple CCDs, that they have decided it's improved to bite the bullet and. Use the PPM driver here as well, even with the extra complexity it entails. PPM core parking on the Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X CPUs enables AMD to more forcefully consolidate all gaming demands within a single cache domain (single CCD), which would avoid the latency-induced performance penalty of threads messaging each other from opposing CCDs or trying to access the L3 cache from outside their own local CCD.

In essence, it would be all the same rationale for why AMD implemented the PPM driver for the Ryzen 7000X3D chips in the first place: due to the poor die-to-die latency. Having game threads spread out over multiple CCDs is bad for performance. Though it does awkwardly suggest that the existing Ryzen 9 7900X/7950X processors are under-performing due to their loosely managed thread allocations, which in turn may be why AMD doesn't want to talk about the issue in any detail.

The other idea in flight is that because AMD is reusing their IOD and Infinity Fabric from the Ryzen 7000 series (just the CCDs are new). Increased resource contention has forced AMDs hand. In other words, that Ryzen 7000 was fine, but the faster CPU cores on Ryzen 9000 are just fast enough to make for a significant problem that needs addressed. Either way the outcome for the Ryzen 9000 series is the same, but it paints Ryzen 7000 in a advanced light.

Game performance aside, the core parking feature also lowers the power draw and. Helps with thermal dissipation. So AMD will be seeing some fringe benefits besides just keeping games from accidentally strangling themselves by working across the CCDs.

AMD AM5 Chipset Comparison Feature X870E X870 X670E X670 B650E CPU PCIe (PCIe) CPU PCIe ( Slots) At Least 1 PCIe Slot Total CPU PCIe Lanes 24 Chipset PCIe Lanes (Max) 12.

(Discrete. Consumes 4 Chipset PCie Lanes) Optional SATA Ports (Max) 8 4 8 8 4 DDR5 Support Quad Channel (128-bit bus) Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 (Discrete) Wi-Fi 6E (Discrete) CPU Overclocking Support Yes Memory Overclocking Support Yes # of Chips 2 1 2 2 1 Silicon ASMedia Promontory 21 Available Expected Sept. 2024 Expected Sept. 2024 Sept. 2022 Sept. 2022 Oct. 2022.

As we highlighted in our Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X review, the Ryzen 9000 series uses the AM5 socket. Much like the Ryzen 7000 series does. While there's a wave of new motherboards based on the X870E and X870 chipsets coming to market, these aren't expected until September. All the current AM5 socket motherboards on the market, such as X670E and X670 models. Are compatible with Ryzen 9000, so customers don't need to wait. The incoming X870E/X870 motherboards and the current X670E/X670 use the same ASMedia Promontory 21 chipset, so the only difference is in the feature set.

The newer boards utilize new controllers such as Wi-Fi 7, not to mention that X870E/X870 also includes USB support. Which will be ubiquitous on all X870(E) boards, where it was previously only optional for X670(E) series boards. There will also be a requirement to feature at least one PCIe NVMe slot, which will continue to be a mandatory inclusion. AMD also notes that motherboards based on both platforms "feature 44 total PCIe lanes," which would break down to 24 lanes from the CPU and another 20 lanes from the chipset.

Regarding pricing. The entire Ryzen 9000 series line-up is launching at a cheaper price than the counterpart from the Ryzen 7000 series it is replacing. The flagship Ryzen 9 9950X has an MSRP of $649, which is $50 cheaper than the Ryzen 9 7950X when launched back in 2022. The Ryzen 9 9900X is also $50 cheaper at launch than the Ryzen 9 7900X came at, with the 9900X having an MSRP of $499. Even going back to when AMD launched Zen 3 with the Ryzen 5000 series in 2020, AMD is consistently bringing prices down on each subsequent SKU, which demonstrates AMD is even more competitive in pricing with each generation we've seen.

Now that AMD has launched the flagship Ryzen 9 chips, we can finally see how AMD's best Zen 5 desktop chips stack up against the competition.

Today we have a really cool opportunity to check out an upcoming ITX enclosure from iBUYPOWER. Who a...

Additionally, the Apple Music Recap for 2025 has begun.

You can now see your listening stats for January.

When Western Digital introduced its Ultrastar DC SN861 SSDs earlier this year, the business did not d...

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: latest news, rumors, and everything we’ve heard so far

With the Samsung Galaxy S25 series now here we’re looking ahead to Samsung’s next big smartphone launch, which in all likelihood will consist of the brand's 2025 foldables.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 could be the most high-end of these, though there are also reports of a tri-fold model in the works. Which might have it beat. Either way though, the Z Fold 7 is likely to be an impressive phone.

We don’t know anything for sure about it yet, but leaks and rumors have revealed some possible specs. attributes, and other details, so you’ll find all of that below.

What is it? The next big-screen Samsung foldable.

The next big-screen Samsung foldable When is it out? Probably July.

Probably July How much will it cost? Likely upwards of $1, / £1,799 / AU$2,749.

Based on past form it will probably launch in June.

Moving to another aspect, the price is reportedly unchanged from last year.

So far there’s no news on exactly when the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 might launch, but given that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 were both introduced in July of their release years. July is our best guess, with the phone probably shipping either in late July or in August.

We can confidently say that this phone is in the works though anyway, especially as multiple insights have come across codenames and model numbers for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. Plus, leaker @PandaFlashPro indicates that production of the phone will start in May, which would likely work for a July launch.

As for the price. . That would mean a starting price of $1, / £1,799 / AU$2,749.

Based on past form we’re fairly confident of a July or August launch for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

We’d take the price rumor above with a pinch of salt. Since so far it only comes from one source. But given that the pricing of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series was for the most part identical to that of the S24, there’s a good chance prices will stay the same here too.

Reports suggest the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 will have bigger screens than the Z Fold 6.

The crease could be smaller this year too.

During an earnings call (via @Jukanlosreve), Samsung itself expressed that its upcoming foldable phones would have “improved form factors, durability”. So we can probably expect some changes to the design and build of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.

As for exactly what changes, we heard from one source that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 could have the same screen sizes as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition. That would mean an 8-inch foldable screen and a cover display, up from inches and inches for the foldable and cover screens respectively on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

While we’d take this with a pinch of salt, another source has more not long ago echoed the claim that the Z Fold 7 will have Z Fold Special Edition-sized screens.

We’ve also heard that Samsung is considering not putting a digitizer on the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s screen, which might allow the phone to be around thinner, but would also mean the S Pen would likely be thicker and require a battery (and therefore need charging), as without a digitizer in the display. The stylus would instead have to generate an electric current to interact with the screen.

Finally on the design front, leaker @PandaFlashPro has claimed that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 will have a smaller display crease than its predecessor, and a more smooth and durable hinge mechanism.

Until we’ve seen renders of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 we’d take any design asserts with a pinch of salt. But with Samsung itself saying that at least some of its foldables will be in for a change, there’s a good chance the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be among them.

There’s also a fair chance the indicates of larger screens are accurate, since multiple findings have stated as much.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 could have a new 200MP main camera.

In relation to this, there's no news yet on the other cameras.

So far the only Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 camera claim we’ve heard is that it will have the same 200MP main camera as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition, which would be quite an upgrade on the 50MP main camera of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Furthermore, there’s no word yet on the other cameras, but for reference the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition both have a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. A 12MP ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view, a 10MP cover screen camera, and a 4MP camera on the foldable screen. So there’s a good chance the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 will stick with at least some of these.

However, the Z Fold 6 uses an under-display camera for that 4MP sensor, while on the Z Fold Special Edition the lens isn’t hidden under the screen, so it remains to be seen whether the Z Fold 7’s camera will be under-display or not.

Since only one source has really shared any camera details yet we’d remain skeptical until we’ve heard more, but we certainly hope the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 will get that rumored 200MP camera.

Likely to use a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.

Could have 12GB of RAM. Just like the current model.

, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 will use a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which is what we’d expect since that’s what the Samsung Galaxy S25 series uses. If it does, then it should be significantly more powerful than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which uses a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

The same source though says to expect 12GB of RAM and a choice of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB of storage, all of which are the same specs as the current model.

Another source has similarly showcased to expect a faster chipset than the Z Fold 6, and both they and @PandaFlashPro have pointed to a bigger vapor chamber (which could help with sustained performance) and advanced speakers.

We haven't heard anything about the battery yet, but for reference the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a 4,400mAh one, so it's likely to be at least that big.

We’d be very surprised if the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 didn’t use a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, since that’s the next model on from the chipset used by the Z Fold 6, and. Since it’s also used by the Galaxy S25 series.

The storage and vapor chamber indicates also sound believable, and sadly so does the claim that it will stick with 12GB of RAM, since even the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra only has that much in most regions.

Earlier this month, AMD launched the first two desktop CPUs using their latest Zen 5 microarchitectu...

on Tuesday introduced its ultra-low-latency DDR5-6400 memory modules that feature a CAS late...

I am so excited to finally experience a Louqe enclosure, they are the guys responsible for the Ghost...