Amd gamecache: what is it and how does it work on the ryzen 3000?

What is AMD GameCache ?

In a way, AMD GameCache is a term created purely for marketing. However, it has improvements that are relevant beyond just being a pretty name. We could summarize in that AMD GameCache is the nickname that they have given their new cache structure.

Now, what new changes do we have? We leave you the commercial video that AMD uses to briefly explain what AMD GameCache is and so you get an idea of what it is.

What does it bring and what does it affect us?

As you can see, the video enhances (and exaggerates a little) the benefits that the new technology of Ryzen 3000 brings us .

The first thing they show us in the short is the new 'up to 72 MB' of AMD GameCache. The truth is that this statement is a bit tricky. Most 3rd generation Ryzen's carry 35 ~ 36MB of cache memory (L1, L2, and L3) and only the two Ryzen 9s go up to 72MB .

The Ryzen 5 3600 (the cheapest model) has 32 MB of L3 cache memory, which is already double what the Ryzen 7 2700X (the best Ryzen 2000) had . This is already quite a significant improvement.

Unlike other processors, in the 3rd generation Ryzen we have 2 7nm chips (physical cores) and 1 12nm chip (I / O control) .

Each 7nm chip has 3/4 active cores (except Ryzen 9) and each of these has its own L1 and L2 cache . However, level 3 memory is shared between the cores of the same chip, so it is a great help when performing certain calculations.

For example, in video games there are tasks that are very similar to each other. Calculate gravity (physical) , images, cycles and so on, so some values are constantly repeated.

It is there where having a generous memory allows us to save many values without being forced to replace them. Also, when shared, multiple cores can reuse data that their neighbors have already asked for, although that's a typical feature of modern processors.

Cache memory

We believe that knowing how caches work is something that may be of great interest to you. It is something that belongs to the field of knowledge of a computer / hardware engineer, but I will try to explain it to you in a simple way.

We are going to repeat the words 'memory' and 'cache' a lot, so we apologize in advance, but the subject is complex.

Memory levels

Computers have multiple levels of memories, and each level is faster than those below it. As a result, the fastest memories are also the most expensive, so only small quantities are usually installed.

To get a little in context, you have to know that speeds are measured in fractions of a second. Accessing a cached L1 data may take 0.2 ns and "go down" to RAM may be 40ns .

Here you can see the different memories and their usual sizes:

L1 cache: 16 ~ 64kB L2 cache memory: 32kB ~ 4MB L3 cache memory: 256kB ~ 72MB RAM memory / s: 4GB ~ 32GB Main memory / s (HDD or SSD): 256GB ~ 2TB

As you may know, RAM is considerably faster than SSDs. These typically reach transfer rates of around 20 ~ 25GB / s , while only the best solid drives reach 5GB / s with PCIe Gen 4 . There is the same relationship between the L1-L2 cache and the L2-L3 cache and so on , so you will understand why some are for the exclusive use of the processor and others are for the entire system.

Another relevant point, although it does not go with this topic is that all the memories above the RAM (this one included) are volatile. This means that they only save data if they have electricity, so the caches and RAMs are "emptied" when the computer is turned off.

By this rule of three, SSDs and HDDs are non-volatile memories so any data we save will stay there until we overwrite it.

How does the cache work?

When the CPU needs data, it looks for it in the L1 cache . If it is not there, it looks for it on L2, then on L3 and ends up "going down" to RAM .

When obtaining the data that the processor needed, it is taken "up" and the value is stored consecutively in L3, L2 and L1 in case we need it in the future . The funny thing comes when the processor wants to use this same value again.

If the value is in L1 we only need a few moments to reuse it. Otherwise, we will have to "go down" to the next level to check if it still exists there, and so on until we return to RAM . The problem we have is that the higher memories are terribly small .

We leave you here a short video (in English) that briefly explains the caches:

For example, 32 kB of L1 cache holds approximately 8000 values (integers or floats) .

A video game can quietly be working with millions of values every second, so we can't save all the values there. This is why every time we cache L1 data (not reused) , the oldest value is replaced.

If the data has been erased from L1 , perhaps it still exists in L2 cache, as it is larger. Going down a level is a slow process, but much faster than going to RAM . However, if some time has passed, the same may have happened and that value no longer exists in L2 . In this case, we would have to "go down" to L3 and this is where the main mechanics of AMD GameCache comes in .

Being such a generous memory, it fits a lot of data and the probability of reusing it is high. By reusing them, we don't have to "go down" to RAM , so the process is quite streamlined. Also, being a shared cache between a neighborhood, a kernel can take advantage of the data that another kernel has previously requested, although that is a common feature in processors.

AMD GameCache benefits and implications

As you will see, this new structure and sizes in the caches mean a significant improvement in many types of programs.

With the name given to it, AMD has emphasized video games, but any task that requires consecutive calculations will have the same effect.

Here's a commercial image of AMD showing the advantages of AMD GameCache against an improvement in the frequencies of RAM . In the example, they compare improving cache memory with improving RAM memory.

Here we can see an advantage of between 1% and 12%. If we combine the AMD GameCache with high RAM frequencies, we can achieve even higher speed-ups.

In fact, in the new Ryzen the maximum frequency without overclocking the RAM is 3200 MHz , so you should bet on these components. Also, according to various articles, the best RAM frequencies for Ryzen 3000 to run at peak performance is above 3200 ~ 3600 MHz .

Conclusions about AMD GameCache

In itself, AMD GameCache is nothing but a bombastic title that has been given to caches to attract audiences. The important point is that the improvement in L3 cache memory is real and weighty, so that both games and other processes will be enhanced.

However, some users have been concerned with this decision by AMD. According to them, they rename the L3 cache as GameCache is something that will harm the industry by giving it a "kid-friendly" tone.

While Intel has renamed it memory as SmartCache (a more sober name) , AMD has pulled more by the young and gamer public.

We understand that in the gaming world, Intel has always been the most obvious choice. So now that AMD has regained some ground, it wants to squeeze out as much of the goose as possible from the golden eggs.

Improved IPC , better L3 cache and support for high RAM frequencies make AMD an excellent gaming alternative again. However, don't get carried away by pretty names.

We recommend this article about the 3rd generation Ryzen 5. These processors have been specially created for gaming due to their high clock frequencies and good single-core performance .

For our part, we hope that you have easily understood the terms and technologies and that you have learned something new. We are sorry if we have made a mistake in the explanations, and you can tell us anything in the comment box!

And what do you think about this improvement thanks to AMD GameCache ? Do you think it's not that bad? Share your ideas below.

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