AMD’s Ryzen Embedded chips offer many of the same features as the company’s mainstream desktop and laptop processors, but are designed for embedded applications such as storage, networking, or edge computing devices.
Since these chips are aimed at commercial and enterprise customers, AMD typically sells and supports Ryzen Embedded chips for at least 10 years. But the company also releases new chips less frequently: the company’s first desktop chips based on Zen 4 CPU architecture have started to arrive, but AMD is just now getting around to launching the first Ryzen Embedded chips with Zen 3 architecture.
AMD’s new Ryzen Embedded V3000 chips come with up to 8 cores and 16 threads, support speeds up to 3.8 GHz, and feature up to 16MB of L3 cache and 4MB of L2 cache.
The new chips all support up to DDR5-4800 memory and 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes. And the chips support dual 10 Gbps Ethernet ports.
They’re also designed for use in extreme temperatures, with most of the Ryzen Embedded V3000 chips support temperatures as low as 0 degrees Celcius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) or as high as 105 degrees C (221 degrees F). The Ryzen Embedded V3C18I goes further, with support for temperatures as cold as -40 C (-40 F).
Here’s an overview of some key specs for AMD’s Ryzen Embedded V3000 lineup:
| TDP Range | Cores / Threads | CPU base / boost | L2 / L3 cache | |
| V3C48 | 35 – 54W | 8 / 16 | 3.3 GHz / 3.8 GHz | 4MB / 16MB |
| V3C44 | 35 – 54W | 4 / 8 | 3.5 GHz / 3.8 GHz | 2MB / 8MB |
| V3C18I | 10 – 25W | 8 / 16 | 1.9 GHz / 3.8 GHz | 4MB / 16MB |
| V3C16 | 10 – 25W | 6 / 12 | 2 GHz / 3.8 GHz | 3MB / 16MB |
| V3C14 | 10 – 25W | 4 / 8 | 2.3 GHz / 3.8 GHz | 2MB / 8MB |
AMD says the new chips should bring a pretty significant speed boost over previous-gen Ryzen Embedded chips. The Ryzen Embedded V3C18I, for instance, is said to be up to 124% faster than a 25-watt Ryzen Embedded V1500 chip (although it’s interesting that AMD is comparing it to a 1st-gen Ryzen Embedded chip rather than a 2nd-gen V2000 series processor).
Other features of the new chips include support for up to two SATA 3 storage devices, up to two NVMe SSDs, up to two USB4/40Gbps ports, up to two USB 3.2 Gen 2/10 Gbps ports, and up to 4 USB 2.0 ports.
One thing the new chips don’t have? Integrated GPUs. That’s one of the reasons AMD is positioning these as solutions for networking and storage rather than kiosks, digital signage, or other embedded applications that typically involve graphics.
AMD says the Ryzen Embedded V3000 chips support Linux-based operating systems, and that drivers for Ubuntu and Yocto have been upstreamed.
via CNX Software
While the likes of R-Pi and Odroid have made for good SBC, there was something to be said about an x86 alternative. The Intel Atom versions were cheap, cool, and silent, but lacked any real power.
The LattePanda Alpha was the first to bring something more to the table. But the best option was the Udoo Bolt V8, which was powered by 16nm, AMD’s Zen1 and Vega. And we haven’t had an upgrade since then.
Meanwhile, the ARM side has been getting some new models, from the new RockChip RK3588, to the various boutique Nvidia devices.