AMD designed the vapor chamber top cover for the Ryzen 7000 processor
Prior to the launch of the Zen 4 architecture Ryzen 7000 processor, AMD had envisioned a design featuring an equilibrium thermal plate for the CPU cap, a stark departure from the conventional metallic cover. However, this concept never saw the light of day, with AMD’s Ryzen 7000 desktop processors currently employing the traditional metallic top.
In a recent tour of AMD’s labs, Gamers Nexus discussed this subject. The AM5 processor package maintains the same dimensions as its AM4 predecessor, accommodating identical coolers and cooler brackets. Nevertheless, the AM5’s cap size is indeed slightly smaller than the AM4’s, and combined with a higher processor power consumption, they face amplified thermal pressure – likely the impetus for AMD’s consideration of the equilibrium thermal plate CPU cap.
However, the outcome is plain for all to see. AMD abandoned this design as the temperature difference between a CPU cap utilizing an equilibrium thermal plate and a traditional metal cap was a mere 1°C. During chip testing, under sustained high load, temperatures occasionally surpassed normal levels. The choice of cooler appeared more vital than improving the cap, rendering the thermal conductivity advantage of the equilibrium plate inconsequential.
Moreover, adopting an equilibrium thermal plate undoubtedly incurs higher costs than a conventional metal cap, though AMD hasn’t disclosed specific figures. Importantly, superior coolers can effortlessly achieve similar temperature reductions, prompting AMD to forsake this design.
Early engineering samples at AMD’s labs undergo a battery of tests. Regardless of whether these samples evolve into retail products, they play a pivotal role in guiding the development direction of AMD’s Ryzen processors. Even when some projects, after prolonged testing by engineers, fail to deliver substantial benefits, such findings remain valuable.
