How AMD is re-thinking Chiplet Design

 

AMD Zen 6: Insider speculates about delay due to 7 GHz

AMD's next-generation Ryzen X series processors, codenamed "Olympic Ridge," based on the upcoming Zen 6 ("Morpheus") and Zen 6c ("Monarch") CPU microarchitectures, could be delayed, which is why the manufacturer is releasing the AMD Ryzen 9950X3D2 as a stopgap. At least, that's how insider Moore's Law Is Dead sees the current situation regarding AMD's upcoming desktop processors.

AMD Zen 6: AM5 motherboards broadly support Ryzen X

While it was generally assumed that the Ryzen X/10000 series would be released in summer or fall 2026, an insider now claims to have learned from their own sources that this timeframe cannot be met due to delays with TSMC's N2X node. Since the clock speeds are expected to be very high, reaching up to ~7 GHz, the node's completion is not yet fully finished.

AMD Zen 6: Ryzen X processors rely on a mix of 2nm and 3nm processes

The team at 3DCenter.org assesses the rumor and is also unsure of its veracity.

In the context of the rumor, this all makes sense – but the question remains whether the entire approach is even correct. Firstly, clock speeds of this magnitude are simply unrealistic from today's perspective, and a new manufacturing process won't easily change that. - Leonidas via 3DCenter.org -

Other insiders, such as the highly reliable Kepler L2, have consistently referred to TSMC's N2 node in the past, but have never mentioned the use of N2X. The Ryzen X processors could therefore also be based on the N2P node. MLID is the first insider to bring N2X into the discussion and speculation.

Zen 6 not expected before 2026

The Zen 6 architecture is not expected before 2026/27 and will be launched in, among other things, the AMD Ryzen X/10000 ("Olympic Ridge/Medusa Ridge"), Ryzen AI 500 ("Medusa Point"), Ryzen AI Max(+) 500 ("Medusa Halo"), and Epyc 9006 ("Venice"). AMD and its contract manufacturer TSMC have already officially announced the tape-out of the upcoming Epyc 9006 series server processors.

While the CCD for Epyc 9006 ("Venice") is said to offer up to 32 Zen 6 processors and is manufactured on TSMC's N2 process, the Core Complex Die for Ryzen X/10000, also known as Medusa Ridge or Olympic Ridge, is rumored to offer up to 12 Zen 6 processor cores and be manufactured on a 3nm node at TSMC.

AMD Zen 6 and Zen 6c: Next-Gen Ryzen is making the rounds

With the upcoming Ryzen CPUs, AMD will also be improving the L3 cache, which is reportedly increasing from 32 to 48 MB per CCD. Further information can be found in the editorial team's detailed premium article.

Source German: www.pcgameshardware.de/CPU-CPU-154106/News/AMD-Zen-6-potenzielle-verschiebung-1485077/

 

Gonna be a couple interesting years.

Focusing on better iGPUs/APUs for the ~mid-range would mesh well with rumours saying that the industry (chip makers and AIB partners) is considering winding down production of low-end - mid-range graphics cards entirely because of exploding memory costs (prices tripled since July).

Taking cues from Intel's chiplet/tile design would make sense too. The latest leaks say Intel's upcoming Panther Lake B390 iGPU is twice as fast as AMD's Strix Point (Radeon 890M). Which would make it a solid combo for mid-range mobile gaming, if priced accordingly.