AMD seems to indicate that Zen CPU is twice as fast as FX-8350

AMD has published a chart that seems to indicate that the upcoming Summit Ridge processor for desktops is twice as fast as the AMD FX-8350. Concrete numbers are missing, making the exact meaning unclear.

The chart was shown during a presentation to investors from AMD. The image shows a comparison of Orochi to Summit. Orochi is the codename of the one on which the AMD FX-8350 processor is based. By Summit, AMD refers to Summit Ridge; the code name by which Zen desktop CPUs are known.

The caption speaks of a ‘significant’ performance gain and the graph seems to suggest that the Zen processor is twice as fast as the FX-8350. However, AMD has not provided any further explanation and because figures are lacking, no firm conclusions can be drawn from the graph.

The AMD FX-8350 dates from 2012. The 32nm octacore has computing cores with a speed of up to 4.2GHz. Summit Ridge is also an octacore processor, but based on the new Zen architecture, which is expected to appear at the end of 2016. Nothing is known about the clock speed of the Zen CPUs. The new processors are made on a 14nm finfet process. AMD has indicated more than once that the new Zen architecture should result in a 40 percent improvement in instructions per clock tick over Excavator.

Furthermore, the image provides insight into the performance of the new Bristol Ridge APUs. Compared to the Kaveri generation with Steamroller cores, the new apus should be 1.5x as fast. AMD will announce the new APUs for AM4 motherboards on June 1.