Socket SP5: AMD's "Big Boy" with Zen 4

Pictures of the SP5 socket are making the rounds on the Internet, and they are quite large. You might have guessed it based on images of the comparable CPU, Genoa (Zen 4). The 6,096 are attributable, in part, to the massive memory interface and the numerous PCI Express 5.0 lanes.

The number of contacts on Socket SP5 offers an idea of its size. There are 6,096 of them, grouped as a Land Grid Array (LGA). It measures 7.5 x 7.2 cm.

And now we have images of it. The socket is designed for CPUs codenamed Genoa and Bergamo, as well as maybe future products. Genoa (Zen 4) is planned to support 96 cores, whereas Bergamo will support 128 cores.

Furthermore, there is a large memory interface that can address 12 channels of DDR5 memory, which is one of the reasons for the multiple socket connectors.

The SP5 socket has 2,002 more contacts than AMD's current SP3 server socket. This is owing, in part, to the increased demand for DDR5 and PCI-Express 5.0, which will be mirrored in the end-user area with the future AM5 desktop socket, which will be moved to LGA but will not quite approach the physical proportions of AMD's "Big Boy."

AMD had already announced that the CPUs would be sold as the Epyc 7004 series. Genoa, like Bergamo (which will begin a bit later), is based on the Zen 4 architecture, which is manufactured at TSMC at 5 nm. Genoa processors have up to 96 cores, which are grouped in up to 12 CCDs per package.

DDR5 is supported at 5,200 MT/s on 12 channels, therefore 12 terabytes should be possible if 512 bars are employed - although probably only at 4,000 MT/s in the entire configuration.

Meanwhile, PCI Express 5.0 with 128 lanes is on board. The TDP will be roughly 400 watts at its max. More information, such as clock rates, is, of course, unavailable at this time. The AMD Epyc 7005 (Turin series) processor is also planned to be supported by the SP5 socket between 2023 and 2024.