AMD’s flagship EPYC processor in the X3D package costs more than $10,000
In March of this year, AMD officially released the third-generation EPYC (7003 series) processor code-named Milan. Then in this year’s Computex 2021 keynote speech, AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su demonstrated the Zen 3 architecture desktop processor with 3D vertical cache (3D V-Cache) technology. This innovative technology can bring an additional 64MB 7nm SRAM cache for each CCD, and the Zen 3 architecture Ryzen series processor with a 3D vertical cache will be put into production later this year.
AMD will also do this on the EPYC series and Ryzen Threadripper series processors. The EPYC processor code-named Milan-X is a product that uses 3D vertical cache technology. Through AMD’s OPN (Order Part Number), several “Milan-X” products have been discovered, namely EPYC 7373X (16 cores), EPYC 7473X (24 cores), EPYC 7573X (32 cores), and EPYC 7773X (64 cores).
B2B retailer Zones has listed EPYC 7773X processor, its OPN code is 100-000000504, the price is $10,476.99, it looks quite expensive. The page did not specify the specific product specifications, such as frequency, etc., and did not disclose the delivery time. The current price of the EPYC 7763 processor with 64 cores on Zones is $9424.99. However, when the “Milan-X” processor is officially on sale, the price difference between the two may change.
It is temporarily unclear how AMD’s specific plan will be used in the next phase of its 3D vertical cache technology. The EPYC processor code-named Milan-X maybe AMD’s stopgap measure to face the Intel Sapphire Rapids processor. Intel has confirmed that it will launch models with HBM memory on Sapphire Rapids processors to increase memory bandwidth and improve the performance of HPC applications running memory bandwidth-sensitive workloads. It is said that AMD may also launch a model equipped with HBM memory on the EPYC processor (Genoa) of the Zen 4 architecture. I don’t know how it will be combined with the 3D vertical cache technology.
