AMD's Ryzen 9 6900HS Rembrandt Benchmarked: Zen3+ Power and Performance Scaling
by Dr. Ian Cutress on March 1, 2022 9:30 AM ESTConclusion
When AMD announced the new Ryzen 6000 Mobile series, codename Rembrandt, we saw a number of distinct upgrades over the previous generation: moving from TSMC 7nm to TSMC 6nm should provide a small efficiency boost, and then coupled with the move from DDR4 to DDR5 should greatly improve any memory-bound workloads. Instead of Vega graphics we now move to RDNA2 graphics, which should provide a much better gaming experience, coupled with that increased memory bandwidth. On top of that all, we were told about AMD’s 50+ updates to the SoC focused on power management, wake from sleep, and race to sleep. The one thing that we knew didn’t change was the CPU core: despite being called Zen3+, there is no difference in the microarchitecture compared to Zen3 – the reason why it gets a plus is due to the power management techniques, improved memory, and new manufacturing process.
But the fact of the matter is, CPU performance is more than just the microarchitecture and frequency. Beyond that, it’s the memory subsystem, which also contributes directly to IPC or performance per clock. This is why I’ve gone off iso-frequency testing for this sort of comparison, because each product is built with optimization points in mind, and moving simply the core frequency causes a different balance of resources compared to the ‘as built’ and ‘as sold’ metrics. This is why when we put Zen3+ up against Zen3 at a similar power level, we’re seeing a sizable uptick in performance.
In our industry standard SPEC tests, this translates to an +11.9% average increase for Zen3+ across integer and floating point in single threaded mode compared to Zen3. In multi-threaded mode at 35 W, this was a +10.4% for integer, but +32.4% for floating point. We saw a similar size jump in our multi-threaded floating point SPEC tests when Intel’s Alder Lake moved from DDR4 to DDR5, showcasing that there are key industry standard workloads for which DRAM memory bandwidth is still the limiting factor.
So while it’s a great move to see AMD jump into DDR5 with this new platform, the elephant in the room is still the performance against similar power hardware from Intel. Unfortunately we don’t have too many data points, as Brett in Canada tested the performance-focused 12900HK, and I’m the UK where I tested the efficiency-focused 6900HS, but suffice to say that in raw performance at least, comparing P cores to Zen3+ and multi-threaded workloads, Intel still has an advantage. Intel’s advantage increases when we increase the power, as it seemingly has more frequency to give, whereas AMD’s Rembrandt is already near peak all-core frequency at modest 35-45W power levels. This is showcasing one difference between the two manufacturing processes: AMD on TSMC N6, and Intel on Intel 7.
If we take something as simple as CineBench R20 (everyone’s favorite), the Intel CPU in 45 W mode scores 730, while the AMD CPU in 45 W mode scores 613, only matching Intel’s previous generation. That’s partly due to the single threaded power consumption on both platforms – while AMD is using 12.9 W on the cores (23 W package) to reach one thread at 4850 MHz, and doesn’t improve single thread performance in higher power modes, Intel does gets a performance uplift going from 45 W to 65 W, suggesting that the single thread power consumption is up in that region.
The same applies for multi-threading – in a lot of our benchmarks we see that AMD scores minor gains going from 35 W to 45 W to 65 W, indicating that the efficiency point is really around that 35 W metric. But when we scale that up to the multi-threaded tests, Intel can scale power for additional performance a lot more, but also wins as it has a total of 20 threads, compared to AMD’s sixteen. This means at the end of the day Intel can get +40% performance at the same power in benchmarks that can take advantage of its core structure, but only +14% in other tests (like SPEC) despite having +25% more cores.
While we haven’t touched battery life or graphics in this article, instead looking at CPU performance, we can see that realistically AMD is finding a good optimization point around that 35 W mark with this new Rembrandt chip. Pushing for more power gives minor performance uplifts, suggesting it isn’t really that scalable, but when we combine the new updated SoC with the move to DDR5, it’s still a great performer. In fact, both Intel and AMD chips seem to be amazing this generation, and if you’re in the market for a flagship, CPU performance is everywhere. But right now, Intel seems ahead at the high-end.
What’s going to be interesting here is testing the 15 W versions of the latest platforms. AMD still has 8 core processors, with all 8 cores being big cores, whereas Intel has moved down to 2 big cores paired with 8 efficient cores. We might see the tides shift the other direction allowing AMD to be more scalable, pushing 15 W or higher modes with more performance, while Intel relies on the efficient cores to pick up the rest of the workload. Ultimately this is where the battle really matters, as this is at the price points where most notebooks are going to be sold.
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Kangal - Sunday, March 6, 2022 - link
Zeno, Guards of Zeno, Grand Priest, Whis/Angels, Awakened Gass, Ultra Granolah, Ultra Instinct Goku, Beerus/GoDs, Fused Zamasu, Prime Moro, Raged Broly, Ultra Ego Vegeta, Full-power Jiren, LSS Kefla, Destruction Toppo, Max Hit, Anilaza, SSJ Rose Black, Golden Frieza, Dyspo, LSS Kale, Spirit Future Trunks, Super Ribrianne, Trained #17, Ultimate Gohan, Buu, Seven-Three.GeoffreyA - Monday, March 7, 2022 - link
Astonishing, and thanks for that! Remembering only Buu, Ultimate Gohan, and a bit of Beerus, I am really out of touch with DB canon!Kangal - Tuesday, March 8, 2022 - link
You can find the new series Dragon Ball Super online or even youtube. There is also the official manga which you can read for free* here:https://www.viz.com/shonenjump/chapters/dragon-bal...
*only the latest three issues available, new issues always free.
GeoffreyA - Tuesday, March 8, 2022 - link
Thanks, I only saw the first 10-15 episodes of Super in 2018, where Beerus came to the cruiseship, and still hope to watch the rest of it, eventually. It was nostalgic, I remember, seeing these dear characters after so long.mode_13h - Wednesday, March 9, 2022 - link
Eh, I only watched the original series. The few things after it that I had seen lacked the same charm. And among that series, the first season was one of the best. The censors had clearly cracked down on it, after that.What I thought worked so well about the original DB was Goku's innocence, ignorance, indomitable spirit, and purity of heart. That made it so much more entertaining and gratifying to see him overcome all the obstacles and enemies he encountered. And it's almost as if not knowing his own limitations made him unrestrained by them.
GeoffreyA - Thursday, March 10, 2022 - link
That's an exact description of Goku's character and is likely the secret of his greatness and why he often prevailed over his enemies. I would add that forgiveness was another trait of his, and something they could never understand. It's almost paradoxical, at least in DBZ, how he was the comic clumsy figure, and yet when it came to saving the world, only he could do it. Without knowing it, people are emulating, I feel, more of Vegeta's cynical character today. What the world needs is more of Goku.mode_13h - Friday, March 11, 2022 - link
I haven't watched much since the mid 2000's, but I thought Luffy, in One Piece, had a similar personality. However, he seemed to have a mercurial wisdom and canniness, just beneath the surface. In that regard, he seemed to have echos of Irresponsible Captain Taylor.I don't remember too much of Naruto, though I had started watching it from the beginning. Like Goku, he also had an innocence and indomitably, but there was obviously a darkness about him and inside of him.
I wouldn't have patience for any of that, now. Even at the time, it seemed rather excessively drawn out.
BTW, did you see the live action DB movie? I think it was made around 2008? More of a Hollywood movie; not Japanese. I'm apparently among the small minority who actually liked it. It helps to remember that Dragon Ball itself is loosely based on the ancient tale of Saiyuki and just don't expect a direct translation from the TV series or manga. It's very much a reinterpretation, but I enjoyed it.
GeoffreyA - Monday, March 14, 2022 - link
Luffy is very like Goku, regarding his innocence, simplicity, and goodness, but yes, he had another element which is hard to pin down. Perhaps a certain stoic quality that clicked on at times, and made him something fearful to all those who practised evil. (It's even evident when they left the Merry; Goku would never have operated like that, and for my part, I agree with Usopp.) I really loved One Piece. It could often be tedious and silly, but once the story knocked into gear, it was usually astonishing, and gave you the feeling of being on an adventure with noble companions. Namaka. My favourite arcs were Arlong/Nami, Arabasta, and Water 7. In 2018, I got stuck at Thriller Bark and never went on.What caused me to stop was seeing Evangelion for the first time that year. It left me a sadder, more sober person for ever; and I'll add a word of warning to others, Eva is terribly depressing and no joke. That and Steins;Gate are my favourite anime. I've heard great things about Naruto but to this day have not seen a single episode. Rurouni Kenshin was nice.
My brother really enjoyed the live-action Dragon Ball, but though I've seen only bits and pieces, I always debate with him that it's not the real DB! He contends that it's pretty good. Well, perhaps I need to sit down and actually watch it and give it a proper appraisal.
mode_13h - Tuesday, March 15, 2022 - link
Wow, all those One Piece names are definitely a flashback. I hung out with some Kenshin fans, so I saw the entire original series.Evangelion was pretty mind-blowing for me, when the original series first aired. A bit confusing, especially with the movies, the revisionist ending, and whatnot.
More recently, I went to a marathon showing of the original series, back when they started releasing the new version. I watched the first 2-3 installments of the new version and just quit. It got too absurd for me. I never liked the direction Gainax took with FLCL, but I guess it was inevitable the new Eva would go there (and lose me). I did really like Kare Kano and Chobits (lol, they seemed to have HDDs inside!).
I got a lot from Evangelion, but I'm pretty much over it. Not unlike how I parted ways with the Star Wars franchise, more than a decade ago. I just don't need it. I don't seem to have trouble finding enough to watch. For instance, a movie I recently enjoyed was Arrival.
Even the news is like a high-tension drama, for at least the past half decade. I can really feel like I'm living through history. It gives me a new perspective on much of the past century and what it was probably like, at the time.
Some other old anime that's fun to re-watch are the original Patlabor OAV series and movies, Akira, and the Ghost in the Shell series and movies. And every time I hear about space junk in the news, my mind goes back to Planetes.
GeoffreyA - Tuesday, March 15, 2022 - link
Evangelion is indeed out of this world. It's really the sadness of the characters that touched me, though of course the relentless, minimal action was impressive when it came. Can anyone ever forget Eva-01 breaking out of the shadow space in episode 16, or the time, nearing the end, when it reactivates though its power is gone? The new movies' weakness is that they tried to spin everything out to excessive detail, whereas the series' strength was minimalism. The characterisation, too, was subtly altered. Anyhow, last year I watched the final film, Thrice upon a Time, and can honestly say they did a good job and ended Eva on a surprisingly cheerful note, with a good message. I secretly hope for a return someday.I haven't seen most of the anime you mentioned, except for Akira and Ghost in the Shell. Suffice to say, Akira leaves the viewer speechless.
Same here. Lost my interest in Star Wars and don't care to see it again. Arrival was great, with a good performance by Amy Adams. And talking of Villeneuve movies, the new Dune was a big disappointment to me.