Does AMD sell defective CPUs destined for Xbox Series X?
Starting from what we know so far, AMD 4700S is a CPU based on the eight-core Zen 2 architecture with support for simultaneous multithreading (SMT) and with a base frequency of 3.6GHz capable of reaching 4GHz in Boost. Apparently, the AMD 4700S desktop kit comes with 16GB of GDDR6 memory, the same as the Xbox Series X. This suggests that the Sunnyvale-based company is recovering components that don't meet the Xbox Series X requirements, then reselling them as the 4700S. Logically, AMD cannot simply distribute the same processor it manufactures for Microsoft (for obvious reasons) and, therefore, the chip could be the result of a faulty die with a malfunctioning integrated GPU.
The only image inherent within the mini-ITX system for sale on TMall, as spotted by the well-known leaker @momomo_us, revealed the presence of a motherboard with the same dimensions as the Xbox Series X. There are no memory slots and we can see some of the GDDR6 chips surrounding the processor. Of course, AMD has reworked the motherboard for PC use, with the addition of capacitors, passive heatsinks, power connectors and connectivity ports. Since the AMD 4700S does not have an integrated GPU, the company has added a PCIe 3.0 x16 expansion slot for use with a dedicated graphics card.
Importantly, the 4700S may not be the exact processor used in Microsoft's latest console. Series X, in fact, uses a chip that operates at a frequency of 3.8GHz, lowering it to 3.6GHz when the SMT is active. The AMD 4700S, on the other hand, is clocked at 3.6GHz with a boost clock of 4GHz. According to tests, the AMD 4700S is slower than the Ryzen 7 4750G (Renoir) and Core i7-9700 (Coffee Lake) in single-core workloads but, in multi-core workloads, it outperformed the Core i7-9700. however, it is positioned behind the Ryzen 7 4750G.
Processor Cinebench R20 Single-Core Cinebench R20 Multi-Core Cinebench R15 Single-Core Cinebench R15 Multi-Core Ryzen 7 4750G 411 4,785 199 2,085 AMD 4700S 486 3,965 160 1,612 Core i7 -9700 508 3.643 200 1.469 It remains to be seen whether AMD is selling the AMD 4700S to consumers or OEMs only. So far, we've seen the AMD 4700S desktop kit sold for € 263.71 at Tulostintavaratalo, a Finnish retailer. The Chinese mini-ITX gaming system on TMall is instead offered at 4,599 yuan (about € 587 at current exchange rates), but also includes the Radeon RX 550 graphics card, an SSD, a CPU cooler, power supply and case. br>
Ryzen 5 5600X, very balanced CPU with very satisfactory performance in the gaming field, is currently available on Amazon.
