Introduction
I totally missed this release for some reason, I don’t know why. So I saw an OVH ad on Stack Exchange for new AMD Epyc servers. I thought, hrm…new?
AMD released socket AM5 (Desktop Socket) Epyc processors that are using Zen4 cores, basically Ryzen 7000 desktop processors badge as Epyc’s.
Here is the product overview
A Perfect Match for Small Business and Dedicated Hosting
Large enterprises and the most demanding data centers, supercomputers and hyperscalers rely on the high-performance and scalability offered by AMD EPYC™ 9000, 8000 and 7000 series processors. For small businesses, entry-level server workloads can be addressed with a smaller, cost-efficient infrastructure. AMD EPYC™ 4004 Processors complement the broad 4th Generation AMD EPYC processor family, extending the established high performance, highly efficient “Zen4” core architecture into an expanded range of new entry level system designs.
What are the AMD 4004 Processors?
The AMD 4004 processors as quoted above are entry level server processors, essentially running less cores and requiring less power. Compared to the AMD Epyc 7000/8000/9000, they’re a great solution for various workloads that don’t require a massive processor that eats electricity. The AMD Epyc 4004 series is essentially a Ryzen 7000 series processor, but badged as an Epyc
This is important because of a number of reasons.This processor is now seen as a “server” processor and will have more support from hardware and software manufacturers which in-turn means no more “that’s a desktop processor..blah”. No, this processor is a real server processor, and support will have to be available as this processor will have needs in many industries. This also means more hardware support such as motherboards, which is huge for hosting providers that offer bare-metal. As there will be more options to purchase AM5 server motherboards and blade systems.
There are some great reviews out there on the performance, as well as going deeper into what the specifications are. Overall, it looks to be a Ryzen 7000 series processor with a new label.
Why are the AMD Epyc 4004 Series Processors Important?
Right now if you want the best performance for your buck when it comes to hosting WordPress websites, going bare-metal is at the top of the list for a couple of reasons.
- Wide selection of desktop CPU’s Intel Core/AMD Ryzen
- Low cost providers such as OVH and Hetzner
- You’re not sharing resources with a neighbour.
With such a low cost, and raw performance, it’s a no brainer. You can deploy a WordPress site right on a bare-metal instance or set up something like Proxmox and carve out virtual machines.
The bare-metal offers right now are great, you can get a great Ryzen desktop processor from OVH or Hetzner for an amazing price. The Intel server processors, there’s only a couple SKU’s that can compete with the Ryzen desktop processors, otherwise they’re priced higher alongside the AMD Epyc processors.
The AMD Epyc 4004 processor is a Ryzen desktop processor, but now with all the software and hardware support of a server processor. This is going to make it easier for providers like OVH and Hetzner to deploy more of these processors into their data centers and into our hands.
How fast are these processors?
They’re fast, again they’re Ryzen 7000 processors, so comparing them to Ryzen 9000 CPU’s isn’t going to make sense. Really these processors are the best you can get your hands on.
I’ve added the AMD Epyc 4004 processors to the WP Moar Speed CPU Comparison Airtable. So go check it out!
