Digital Foundry examined an Xbox Sequence X-inspired AMD 4800S desktop equipment to see how it could fare in opposition to a few of AMD’s normal desktop Ryzen processors in gaming duties. This equipment is exclusive as a result of it integrates an Xbox Sequence X SoC and GDDR6 reminiscence. Regardless of its gaming-focused nature, the console CPU didn’t fare properly and was always outperformed by a Ryzen 5 3600, regardless of the extra reminiscence bandwidth GDDR6 affords and the Xbox chip’s two further cores.
AMD developed the 4800S desktop equipment to unload Xbox Sequence X SoCs that lacked a functioning GPU. Consequently, these kits function no built-in graphics, leaving the CPU as the one working a part of the chip. The equipment is available in a micro-ATX type issue, that includes an ordinary AM4 Wraith cooler and sufficient USB ports and PCIe slots to arrange a median gaming PC.
This makes the 4800S an fascinating candidate for testing since it might probably present us how AMD’s newest console {hardware} performs in a like-for-like comparability in opposition to present PC {hardware} in PC video games. The chip itself is your typical Zen 2 8-core, 16-thread design. Nonetheless, what makes the CPU platform totally different from AMD’s normal desktop options, is the combination of GDDR6 reminiscence for all the reminiscence system and fewer cache in comparison with AMD’s Zen 2 desktop CPUs. Digital Foundry didn’t say how a lot cache it has, however apparently, it has an identical cache capability to AMD’s Ryzen 7 4750G, which options 8MB of L3 cache.
In comparison with the Xbox Sequence X {hardware}, the 4800S does range barely. The CPU turbo clock is greater, working at as much as 4GHz increase in comparison with 3.6GHz on Microsoft’s console, and options full entry to all eight cores, which isn’t the case with the Sequence consoles with one core reserved for OS features. Moreover, the 4800S equipment options lower than half the GDDR6 ICs discovered on the Sequence X, with simply 4 in comparison with ten. However with no built-in GPU energetic, there isn’t any must have all ten only for the CPU since all 4 ICs nonetheless present 16GB of reminiscence capability. Sadly we don’t know if the reminiscence bandwidth was additionally affected as a result of IC modifications, however Digital Foundry doesn’t point out it, so we suspect it is perhaps the identical because the Sequence X.
Mockingly, Digital Foundry’s testing revealed that the Xbox Sequence chip contained in the 4800S desktop equipment just isn’t pretty much as good of a gaming processor as one would possibly suppose. The CPU didn’t outperform related CPUs with the Zen 2 structure, together with the Ryzen 5 3600 and Ryzen 7 Professional 4750G. The offender was not the CPU itself, however the GDDR6 reminiscence the CPU is hooked up to, which supplies considerably higher reminiscence bandwidth than DDR4 reminiscence however vastly inferior latency outcomes.
Digital Foundry discovered that the latency disparity is so dangerous that the 4800S chip couldn’t outperform any of its Zen 2 counterparts in Digital Foundry’s testing suite, together with Name of Obligation: Black Ops: Chilly Conflict, Cyberpunk 2077, Crysis 3 Remastered, Ashes of the Singularity, Metro Exodus: Enhanced Version, CS:GO, Far Cry 6, Hitman 3, and Microsoft Flight Simulator. There have been additionally a number of artificial benchmarks, together with reminiscence testing.
Regardless of having a two-core benefit over the 3600, and a decent 4GHz clock pace, the 8-core console chip couldn’t outperform the 3600 or 4750G in most video games examined. The closest it may come was matching the efficiency of the 4750G — which options much less L3 cache than the 3600, however that was a best-case situation, and it could not do it on a regular basis.
This exhibits how cache and latency are essential to boosting recreation efficiency on the CPU aspect and why GDDR6 just isn’t used together with trendy desktop CPUs. GDDR6 affords glorious reminiscence bandwidth potential, however as Digital Foundry confirmed, it comes on the appreciable value of reminiscence latency which is extra vital than bandwidth for gaming CPUs.