A Deep Dive into AMD Ryzen Architecture: Zen, Zen+, and Zen 3
In the ever-evolving landscape of computer hardware, AMD has emerged as a formidable competitor to Intel, especially in the consumer CPU market. A significant driver of AMD's resurgence has been its Ryzen line of processors, built on the Zen microarchitecture. Over the years, AMD has iterated and improved upon the Zen architecture, leading to Zen+, and most recently, Zen 3. This deep dive will take you through the journey of AMD's Ryzen architecture, highlighting the key innovations and improvements that have contributed to their success. The Foundation: Zen Architecture: Introduction to Zen: Zen, the first iteration of AMD's new microarchitecture, was introduced in 2017. It marked a significant departure from AMD's previous Bulldozer architecture, which had struggled to compete with Intel's offerings. Zen aimed to bring AMD back into the competition with a strong focus on performance, efficiency, and scalability. 1. Core Complex and Infinity Fabric: At the heart ...