AMD reveals more details about the Zen 4c cores within the Ryzen 8000G series
In April of the previous year, AMD unveiled the Ryzen Z1 series APU, notably introducing the lower-tier Ryzen Z1 which employs the Phoenix2 chip’s hybrid architecture of Zen 4+Zen 4c, marking the first incorporation of Zen 4c architecture cores into the consumer market. However, AMD has historically remained reticent about the specifics of Zen 4c, with an absence of detailed specifications on its official website and a lack of clarity in its marketing materials. In response to these concerns, AMD committed to enhancing the visibility of Zen 4c information in its materials following a website content update at the end of last year.
Recently, AMD refreshed its website, disclosing more details about the Zen 4c cores within the Ryzen 8000G series. According to AMD’s documentation, the new APUs for desktop platforms, including the Ryzen 5 8500G and Ryzen 3 8300G, feature the smaller Phoenix 2 chip utilizing a hybrid architecture of Zen 4 and Zen 4c.
The Ryzen 5 8500G’s Zen 4c cores operate at base/boost frequencies of 3.2/3.7 GHz, while its Zen 4 cores have base/boost frequencies of 4.1/5.0 GHz. Similarly, the Ryzen 3 8300G’s Zen 4c cores have base/boost frequencies of 3.2/3.6 GHz, with its Zen 4 cores operating at base/boost frequencies of 4.0/4.9 GHz. Furthermore, AMD recommends pairing the new APUs with dual-channel DDR5-6000 memory. The Phoenix 2 chip, when utilized with a discrete graphics card, allocates PCIe 4.0 x4 bandwidth, with one of the two M.2 slots offering PCIe 4.0 x4 and the other PCIe 4.0 x2.
Distinct from Intel’s big.LITTLE architecture, the Zen 4c architecture shares the same ISA as the Zen 4, essentially serving as a low-power, streamlined version of the Zen 4 cores with identical IPC and a superior power-efficiency ratio, despite the considerably smaller size of Zen 4c cores compared to Zen 4 cores. However, due to the lower frequencies of Zen 4c cores, they deliver lower peak performance than the standard Zen 4 cores.
The Ryzen 8000G series APUs are set to launch on January 31, with the Ryzen 5 8500G priced at $179, while the Ryzen 3 8300G will be exclusively available to OEM manufacturers.
