AMD Published Two Zen-Related Patches For The Linux Kernel

[phoronix]

Phoronix: AMD Published Two Zen-Related Patches For The Linux Kernel

We've seen AMD already pushing open-source compiler patches for Zen and it seems they are ready to begin pushing Linux kernel changes too for their next-generation CPU architecture...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=AMD-Zen-CLZERO-Kernel

[gigaplex]

I'm surprised this needs a kernel patch. How will Windows based machines benefit from the new instructions?

[pipe13]

Same way, I expect.

[cbxbiker61]

I'm surprised this needs a kernel patch. How will Windows based machines benefit from the new instructions?

Windows uses a platform driver that tweaks things for a particular vendor/processor. So AMD will have a new platform driver for Zen.

As far as CPU features that would be useful from userspace applications, that requires an updated compiler, and app vendors need to recompile with the new features enabled. This doesn't happen often, since the new CPU features typically only benefit a small subset of existing applications (i.e. multimedia).

[newwen]

I'm really looking forward to building my next desktop PC with a Zen processor and an Arctic Islands GPU. I hope 2016 to be the year of AMD

[cbxbiker61]

I'm really looking forward to building my next desktop PC with a Zen processor and an Arctic Islands GPU. I hope 2016 to be the year of AMD

I think Zen is going to be awesome, but Intel has had a lot momentum in current times and it's going to take time to break through. Manufacturers can be quite slow to take up new products even when they are compelling. Hopefully AMD will be looking good (financially) in 2017.

[speculatrix]

For one moment I thought this was virtualisation improvements for AMD processors. I can see there will be confusion when people talk about Xen on Zen.

[oleid]

I think Zen is going to be awesome, but Intel has had a lot momentum in current times and it's going to take time to break through. Manufacturers can be quite slow to take up new products even when they are compelling. Hopefully AMD will be looking good (financially) in 2017.

Athlon was great, but it didn't help AMD very much due to Intel's politics.

[duby229]

I think Zen is going to be awesome, but Intel has had a lot momentum in current times and it's going to take time to break through. Manufacturers can be quite slow to take up new products even when they are compelling. Hopefully AMD will be looking good (financially) in 2017.

I think in a lot of ways AMD is in decent shape, but in a lot ways they're not. I don't trust global foundries. It's AMD's weakest point right now.

[fuzz]

Windows uses a platform driver that tweaks things for a particular vendor/processor. So AMD will have a new platform driver for Zen.

As far as CPU features that would be useful from userspace applications, that requires an updated compiler, and app vendors need to recompile with the new features enabled. This doesn't happen often, since the new CPU features typically only benefit a small subset of existing applications (i.e. multimedia).

I'm totally excited to get one of these running under Gentoo.