Today, AMD announced it will showcase automotive innovation at CES 2024 and expand its portfolio with the introduction of two new devices, the Versal AI Edge XA adaptive SoC and Ryzen Embedded V2000A Series processor. The devices underscore AMD automotive technology leadership and are designed to serve key automotive focus segments including infotainment, advanced driver safety and autonomous driving. Working alongside a growing automotive partner ecosystem, AMD will demonstrate at CES 2024 the broad range of capabilities and applications for these new devices in automotive solutions available today and in the future.

Versal AI Edge XA adaptive SoCs add an advanced AI Engine, enabling the devices to be further optimized for numerous next-generation advanced automotive systems and applications including: forward cameras, in-cabin monitoring, LiDAR, 4D radar, surround-view, automated parking and autonomous driving. Versal AI Edge XA adaptive SoCs are also the first AMD 7 nm device to be auto-qualified, bringing hardened IP and added security to automotive applications where safety is paramount.

Sony is developing the PlayStation 5 Pro console that targets higher refresh-rate gaming at 4K Ultra HD, or higher in-game eye-candy, given its faster hardware. Details about the console are few and far between, given its late-2024 tentative release, but by now the company would have co-developed its semi-custom SoC, so it could spend the next year extensively testing and optimizing it, before mass production in the 2-3 quarters leading up to the launch. Kepler_L2 and Tom Henderson on Twitter are fairly reliable sources for PlayStation hardware leaks, and piecing their recent posts together, VideoCardz compiled the most probable specs of the SoC at the heart of the PlayStation 5 Pro.

The semi-custom SoC powering the PlayStation 5 Pro is co-developed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) and AMD; and is codenamed "Viola." The monolithic chip is built on the TSMC N4P foundry node (4 nm EUV), which is a big upgrade from the 7 nm DUV node on which the "Oberon" SoC powering the original PlayStation 5, and 6 nm DUV node powering the "Oberon Plus" SoC of the refreshed PS5, are based on. Sony is leaving the CPU component largely untouched, it is an 8-core/16-thread unit based on the "Zen 2" microarchitecture, spread across two 4-core CCXs. The CPU has a maximum boost frequency of 4.40 GHz, dialed up from the 3.50 GHz maximum boost of "Oberon." The iGPU is where all the magic happens.

Valve has announced an updated version of the Steam Deck and the headline feature is the new 7.4-inch OLED display. That's a mere 0.4-inches bigger than the original Steam Deck LCD display and it retains the same 1280 x 800 resolution. However, everything else related to the display has been improved and the refresh rate is now 90 Hz rather than 60 Hz. The display is also a lot brighter, with an SDR rating of 600 nits and an HDR rating of 1000 nits. Valve also claims a 110 percent P3 colour gamut, a one million to one contrast ratio and a sub 0.1 ms response time. On top of that, Valve has added what the company calls "high performance touch" which is said to improve the responsiveness of the display.

It's not just the display that has been improved, as Valve has moved to a 6 nm AMD Zen 2 based SoC which seems to allow the GPU to run at 1.6 GHz at all times, as Valve no longer lists a frequency range for the GPU. The power envelope remains the same though, with a range of 4-15 Watts. Paired with the new SoC is faster LPDDR5 memory at 6400 MT/s, up from 5500 MT/s, which should provide a small boost in gaming performance. An improved cooling solution is also part of the package, which is also likely a reason for the more constant GPU clocks. Gone are the entry level storage SKUs and the OLED version of the Steam Deck only comes with 512 GB or 1 TB of internal storage. The WiFi and Bluetooth module has also been overhauled and now supports WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. The battery has also been boosted from a 40 Whr pack to a 50 Whr pack and Valve now claims three to 12 hours of battery life during gaming, as well as faster charging times. Finally the weight has dropped by 29 grams, which might not be much, but still impressive considering the larger battery pack. The downside you ask? That would be the price, as Valve is asking for US$549/€569 for the 512 GB version, with the 1 TB coming at US$649/€679 when it becomes available on the 16th of November.

Acer today launched the company's first Chromebook Plus laptops, the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 and Acer Chromebook Plus 514, debuting with Google's Chromebook Plus initiative that offers a new tier of Chromebook performance, emphasizing better hardware designs with upgraded displays and cameras, and paired with new productivity, creativity, and multimedia capabilities.

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 and Acer Chromebook Plus 514 both have the hardware and technology features customers need to stay productive, entertained and connected. These new models are powered by modern high-performance processors, and high-resolution IPS displays and 1080p crystal clear cameras flanked by narrow bezels to keep the focus on the vibrant visuals.

A couple of slides from AMD's internal presentation were leaked to the web by Moore's Law is Dead, referencing what's allegedly the next-generation "Zen 5" microarchitecture. Internally, the performance variant of the "Zen 5" core is referred to as "Nirvana," and the CCD chiplet (CPU core die) based on "Nirvana" cores, is codenamed "Eldora." These CCDs will make up either the company's Ryzen "Granite Ridge" desktop processors, or EPYC "Turin" server processors. The cores themselves could also be part of the company's next-generation mobile processors, as part of heterogenous CCXs (CPU core complex), next to "Zen 5c" low-power cores.

In broad strokes, AMD describes "Zen 5" as introducing a 10% to 15% IPC increase over the current "Zen 4." The core will feature a larger 48 KB L1D cache, compared to the current 32 KB. As for the core itself, it features an 8-wide dispatch from the micro-op queue, compared to the 6-wide dispatch of "Zen 4." The integer execution stage gets 6 ALUs, compared to the current 4. The floating point unit gets FP-512 capabilities. Perhaps the biggest announcement is that AMD has increased the maximum cores per CCX from 8 to 16. At this point we don't know if it means that "Eldora" CCD will have 16 cores, or whether it means that the cloud-specific CCD with 16 "Zen 5c" cores will have 16 cores within a single CCX, rather than spread across two CCXs with smaller L3 caches. AMD is leveraging the TSMC 4 nm EUV node for "Eldora," the mobile processor based on "Zen 5" could be based on the more advanced TSMC 3 nm EUV node.

A new vulnerability has been discovered in AMD Zen 2 based CPUs by Tavis Ormandy, a Google Information Security researcher. Ormandy has named the new vulnerability Zenbleed—also known as CVE-2023-20593—and it's said to affect all Zen 2 based AMD processors, which means Ryzen 3000, 4000 and 5000-series CPUs and APUs, as well as EPYC server chips. The reason why Zenbleed is of concern is because it doesn't require a potential attacker to have physical access to the computer or server in question and it's said to be possible to trigger the vulnerability via executing a javascript on a webpage. This means that the attack vector ends up being massive, at least when we're talking about something like a webhosting company.

Zenbleed is said to allow a potential attacker to gain access to things like encryption keys and user logins via triggering something called "the XMM Register Merge Optimization2, followed by a register rename and a mispredicted vzeroupper." Apparently this requires some precision for the vulnerability to work, but due to these registers being used system wide, even a sandboxed attacker can gain access to them. AMD has already issued a patch for its EPYC server CPUs, which obviously are the most vulnerable systems in question and the company is planning to release patches for all of its Zen 2 based CPUs before the end of the year. Hit up the source links for more details about Zenbleed.

Today, AMD announced the new lineup of AMD Ryzen and Athlon 7020 C-Series processors, bringing modern performance and technologies to everyday Chromebooks. With speeds of up to 4.3 GHz, up to four cores and eight threads built on proven "Zen 2" architecture, and powerful AMD RDNA 2 integrated graphics, these processors are engineered to deliver fast and responsive performance for modern productivity, video conferencing, learning apps, and streaming applications.

Built on advanced 6 nm technology, AMD Ryzen and Athlon 7020 C-Series processors enable excellent power efficiency with up to 19.5 hours of expected battery life on Athlon Silver 7120C processors and up to 17 hours of expected battery life on Ryzen 3 7320C processors so Chromebook users can browse, work, and learn unplugged. Meant for productivity and multitasking workloads common to educational and front-line workloads, AMD Ryzen and Athlon 7020 C-Series processors are designed to run faster and longer than previous ChromeOS processors.

Researchers at the Technical University of Berlin have published a paper called "faulTPM: Exposing AMD fTPMs' Deepest Secrets," highlighting AMD's firmware-based Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is susceptible to the new exploit targeting Zen 2 and Zen 3 processors. The faulTPM attack against AMD fTPMs involves utilizing the AMD secure processor's (SP) vulnerability to voltage fault injection attacks. This allows the attacker to extract a chip-unique secret from the targeted CPU, which is then used to derive the storage and integrity keys protecting the fTPM's non-volatile data stored on the BIOS flash chip. The attack consists of a manual parameter determination phase and a brute-force search for a final delay parameter. The first step requires around 30 minutes of manual attention, but it can potentially be automated. The second phase consists of repeated attack attempts to search for the last-to-be-determined parameter and execute the attack's payload.

Once these steps are completed, the attacker can extract any cryptographic material stored or sealed by the fTPM regardless of authentication mechanisms, such as Platform Configuration Register (PCR) validation or passphrases with anti-hammering protection. Interestingly, BitLocker uses TPM as a security measure, and faulTPM compromises the system. Researchers suggested that Zen 2 and Zen 3 CPUs are vulnerable, while Zen 4 wasn't mentioned. The attack requires several hours of physical access, so remote vulnerabilities are not a problem. Below, you can see the $200 system used for this attack and an illustration of the physical connections necessary.

AMD today launched the Ryzen 7020 and Athlon 7020 lines of entry-level mobile processors that pack a unique combination of AMD processor, graphics, and I/O technologies that promise a superior experience and battery-life in the entry-level notebook segment that's usually forsaken by processor manufacturers. Based on the 6 nm "Mendocino" monolithic silicon, these SoC pack a 4-core/8-thread CPU based on an enhanced version of the "Zen 2" microarchitecture; an entry-level iGPU based on the latest RDNA2 graphics architecture, with modern display I/O and media-acceleration features; and a modern I/O that includes support for LPDDR5 memory. Processors in the series offer TDP in the range of 8 to 15 W, making them "U-segment" chips but in "H-segment" form-factors. AMD is promising battery-life of up to 12 hours on the full charge.

The 6 nm "Mendocino" silicon packs a single "Zen 2" CCX with four CPU cores, each with 512 KB of dedicated L2 cache, and 4 MB of shared L3 cache. Infinity Fabric connects it with the iGPU, which AMD markets as Radeon 610M. This iGPU packs two RDNA2 compute units (128 stream processors). AMD feels this is enough for everyday computing, web-browsing, and online videos. Its display engine is contemporary, with support for modern notebook display types; while the media engine offers hardware-accelerated decode for H.265 (HEVC), H.264, and AV1, among several older video formats. There are several platform features that Windows 11 can take advantage of, including modern standby, wake-on-voice, including Cortana and Alexa support; Microsoft Ink, and Microsoft Modern Device power-management. Its hardware security features include Pluton, and secure bio channel, making the chips fully capable of running Windows 11 in a commercial environment.

AMD is readying a handful new Ryzen PRO 5000 series desktop processor models, according to a leaked Lenovo datasheet for commercial desktops. These Socket AM4 processors are based on either the 7 nm "Renoir" monolithic silicon with "Zen 2" CPU cores; or the "Vermeer" MCM with "Zen 3" cores; all feature 65 W TDP, and the AMD PRO feature-set that rivals Intel vPro, including a framework for remote management, AMD PRO Security, PRO Manageability, and PRO Business (a priority tech-support channel).

Models in the lineup include the Ryzen 3 PRO 4350G, a "Renoir" based APU with a 4-core/8-thread "Zen 2" CPU clocked up to 4.00 GHz, and Radeon Vega 6 integrated graphics. The Ryzen 5 PRO 5645 is based on "Vermeer," and is a 6-core/12-thread "Zen 3" processor with 32 MB of L3 cache, and up to 4.60 GHz clock speeds. The Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 is the 8-core/16-thread model in the lineup, clocked up to 4.60 GHz. Leading the pack is the Ryzen 9 5945, a 12-core/24-thread chip clocked up to 4.70 GHz. From the looks of it, these processors will be exclusively available in the OEM channel, but AMD's OEM-only chips inevitably end up in the retail channel where they're sold loose from trays.

AYANEO have recently announced the Air Plus handheld gaming console featuring the new Mendocino processor from AMD with an expected retail price of 289 USD. The Mendocino processor features the same Zen 2 and RDNA 2 cores found in the Steam Deck however the exact configuration and performance figures are currently unknown with rumors suggested that the processor will only include 2 Compute Units. The AYANEO Air Plus can run the Linux-based AYA Neo OS, Windows, or Steam OS and features a 6" 1080p display in addition to a M.2 2280 expansion slot. The console will retail for 289 USD undercutting the Steam Deck by 60 USD while a limited early run of units will be available for 200 USD later this year.

Magic Leap's next-generation augmented reality (AR) headset could be AMD-powered according to a Basemark benchmark listing seen by _Rogame. The chip driving this headset is codenamed "Mero," and is a semi-custom SoC made by AMD. The SoC combines a CPU based on the "Zen 2" microarchitecture, with an iGPU based on RDNA2. Basemark reads this as 8 CPU cores, although it's possible this is 4-core/8-thread.

At this point, the RDNA2 compute unit (CU) count is unknown. Magic Leap uses an Android 10-derived OS for the x86-64 machine architecture, and the system name reads as "Magic Leap Demophon" to Basemark (which could just be the prototype's network machine name). The AR display-head is 720 x 920 pixels, and the memory available to the OS is 1 GB (not counting the memory shared to the iGPU).

AMD's Spring 2022 desktop processor product-stack went live (for the most part). AMD had announced as many as seven new Socket AM4 processor models on March 15. Six of these go on sale today, while the Ryzen 7 5800X3D hits the shelves on April 20. Among the models going on sale today are the Ryzen 7 5700X, an 8-core/16-thread part positioned a notch below the 5800X, and priced at $299; the Ryzen 5 5600 (non-X), a 6-core/12-thread part that's slightly a down-clocked 5600X priced at $199; the Ryzen 5 5500, which is essentially a 5600G "Cezanne" 6-core/12-thread APU with its iGPU disabled and clocked lower; at $159; and a trio of cost-effective Ryzen 4000 series parts based on the Renoir silicon and "Zen 2" architecture, priced under the $150-mark. As of this writing, we see most of these SKUs on sale with US retailer Newegg.

AMD recently announced the latest "Zen 3" and "Zen 2" new processors are coming to the market very soon for DIY users, which includes the ground-breaking AMD 3D V-Cache technology processor, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D. Moreover, the mainstream Ryzen 7 5700X, Ryzen 5 5600, Ryzen 5 5500, Ryzen 5 4600G, Ryzen 5 4500, and Ryzen 3 4100 are all here for different levels of system builds.

MSI is committed to deliver gamers and creators the best experiences. This is why BIOS update is always great for most users. The latest AMD AGESA COMBO PI V2 1.2.0.6c BIOS was released for some MSI 500- and 400-series motherboards. The purpose of AGESA 1.2.0.6c is not only for better compatibility but also for maximizing AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D performance. For the older 300-series motherboards, we will release the AGESA COMBO PI V2 1.2.0.6c beta BIOS by the end of April. Please refer to the following chart for more information.

In addition to the Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which AMD claims to be the world's fastest gaming processor, AMD gave its desktop processor product-stack a major update, with as many as six other processor models spanning a wide range of price-points that help the company better compete with the bulk of the 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" processor lineup. The new lineup sees the introduction of the Ryzen 7 5700X (not to be confused with the Ryzen 7 5700G). The 5700X is based on the same "Vermeer" multi-chip module (MCM) as the Ryzen 7 5800X, unlike the 5700G, which is a desktop APU based on the "Cezanne" monolithic silicon. Both "Vermeer" and "Cezanne" are based on the "Zen 3" microarchitecture.

The Ryzen 7 5700X is an 8-core/16-thread processor clocked at 3.40 GHz base and 4.60 GHz boost, compared to the 3.80 GHz base and 4.80 GHz boost frequency of the 5800X. Another key difference is its 65 W TDP, compared to 105 W of the 5800X, which could differentiate its boosting behavior and overclocking headroom compared to the 5800X. AMD is pricing the 5700X at USD $299 (MSRP), making it a competitor to the Intel Core i5-12600KF. Interestingly, the retail PIB (processor-in-box) package of the 5700X does not include a stock cooler despite its 65 W TDP. A 95 W-capable Wraith Spire wouldn't have hurt.

AMD announced that it is bringing official Ryzen 5000 "Zen 3" desktop processor support to the oldest of Socket AM4 motherboards out there, which are based on AMD 300-series chipset models—the X370, B350, and A320. The company is working with motherboard and pre-built gaming desktop OEMs to push UEFI firmware updates with support. In addition to Ryzen 5000, this would also add Ryzen 3000 and Ryzen 4000 "Zen 2" support across the board. Motherboard firmware updates that add Ryzen 5000 support will encapsulate AGESA V2 PI 1.2.0.7 microcode, so look for this AGESA version in the change-log of the firmware update. AMD expects that motherboard and pre-built vendors will start pushing these updates from May 2022.

Earlier this week, we learned about AMD making several additions to its Ryzen 5000 Socket AM4 desktop processor lineup, to better compete against the bulk of the 12th Gen Intel Core "Alder Lake" processors. It turns out that there are three more additions to the lineup that we missed, because they're slated for a slightly later availability from the other chips (later by weeks).

The first of these three is the Ryzen 7 5700 (non-X). This chip is uniquely different from the Ryzen 7 5700X and the Ryzen 7 5600G. It is an 8-core/16-thread processor that's based on the 7 nm "Cezanne" silicon, with its iGPU disabled. This means you still get eight "Zen 3" CPU cores, but no iGPU, just 16 MB of L3 cache, and the PCI-Express interface of the chip is limited Gen 3. The Ryzen 3 5100 is the spiritual successor to the very interesting Ryzen 3 3100. It is a 4-core/8-thread processor based on the same "Cezanne" silicon with "Zen 3" cores, but with only 8 MB of L3 cache, and the iGPU remaining disabled. The third chip on the anvil is the Ryzen 7 4700, an interesting 8-core/16-thread offering based on the older "Renoir" silicon with "Zen 2" CPU cores.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, the company's ambitious new 8-core/16-thread Socket AM4 processor that claims to match the Core i9-12900K "Alder Lake" in gaming performance, will launch at an MSRP of USD $449, according to prices of several upcoming AMD Ryzen processors leaked to the web. The 5800X3D is clocked lower than the 5800X, with 3.40 GHz base and 4.50 GHz boost frequencies, but the large 96 MB L3 cache from the 3D Vertical Cache memory, overcomes this.

The Ryzen 7 5700X is an interesting new 8-core/16-thread part. It's based on the "Vermeer" MCM just like the 5800X, and unlike the 5700G that's based on the "Cezanne" monolithic silicon. The 5700X is clocked at 3.40 GHz base, with 4.60 GHz boost, compared to the 3.80 GHz base and 4.70 GHz boost frequency of the 5800X. The Ryzen 7 5700X is launching at $299 MSRP, which implies that the company is cutting the MSRP of the Ryzen 5 5600X that originally occupied this price-point.Update Mar 9th: Correction: the Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core/12-thread part.

Valve's highly anticipated handheld gaming console, Steam Deck, officially arrives on February 25th. According to the newest information from Valve, the company plans to start sending our Steam Deck units to customers who first pre-ordered their units on February 25th, and the arrival time should be three days. That means that on February 28th, customers will have Steam Deck in their hands. Regarding press units for reviewers, the company has already started shipping review units to select media partners. The review embargo for Steam Deck is also set to February 25th, so that marks the date when we can see the full potential of AMD's custom Van Gogh SoC.

As a general reminder, the Van Gogh SoC features four Zen 2 cores with eight threads, running at a 3.5 GHz frequency. The graphics side is powered by eight RDNA2 CUs clocked at 1.6 GHz, meaning that the chip can support some decent handheld gaming. The base model starts at $399, while the top-end configuration costs up to $649, carrying more extensive memory/storage options.

Since the introduction of the NUC by Intel some years ago, the mini PC space has taken off and one of the more popular NUC alternatives has been the BRIX series from Gigabyte and the company has just announced the BRIX Extreme. This is Gigabyte's first BRIX series based on the AMD Ryzen 5000U series of APUs and three different options will be available, in the shape of the R3-5300U, R5-5500U and the R7-5700U. This translates to four, six and eight core CPUs with a 15 W TDP, although these are all Zen 2 based, rather than Zen 3, which is slightly disappointing.

This is also one of the first device we've seen that uses the new AMD RZ608 WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 module which was announced a little while back. Other features include 2.5 Gbps Ethernet, an M.2 PCIe 3.0 NVMe slot for an SSD, two HDMI 2.0a ports, a mini DP port port and a USB-C port with DP Alt mode, both supporting DP 1.4 and all display outputs can be used concurrently with four 4K displays. Gigabyte will offer the BRIX Extreme in a low profile chassis as well as a slightly bigger chassis that can either house a 2.5-inch SATA drive, or an optional expansion module.

The AMD 4800S desktop kit appears to be a successor to the 4700S which featured a repurposed Ariel SoC from the PlayStation 5 with the integrated RDNA2 graphics disabled. The 4700S Mini-ITX kit featured a single PCIe x4 Gen 2.0 slot which limited compatibility to lower-end graphics cards and restricted the availability of high-speed storage or connectivity. The upcoming 4800S Micro-ATX kit appears to remedy these issues by upgrading to a different Zen 2 chip possibly the one used by Microsoft in the Xbox Series X/S consoles with a PCIe Gen 4.0 link. The desktop system will support AM4 coolers and includes an M.2 slot for SSD storage or WiFi connectivity. AMD is planning to release the 4800S desktop kit in Q1 2022 with the board being manufactured by MSI and bundled with a TUL (PowerColor) Radeon RX 6600 graphics card.

Valve has recently completed the final Design Validation (DV) prototype for the Steam Deck incorporating improvements from the previous EV2 builds. This latest design revision also sees the confirmation of retail packaging for the device which consists of a simple cardboard box with a region-specific power supply, Steam Deck, carry case, and setup instructions. The portable carrying case for the 64 GB and 256 GB models was also shown with the 512 GB version set to receive a unique version. The Valve Steam Deck features an AMD Zen 2 processor with integrated RDNA 2 graphics and is available to pre-order at 399 USD for the 64 GB base model with new orders not expected to ship until Q2 2022. Valve will begin shipping these DV kits to game developers shortly allowing them to optimize their titles for the device before it begins shipping in February 2022.

Intel's next entry-level processor for the Socket LGA1700 platform is the Core i3-12100. Carved out of the "Alder Lake-S" H0 silicon, this processor features 4 "Golden Cove" performance cores with HyperThreading enabling 8 logical processors, and no E-cores. The processor ticks at 3.30 GHz, with 4.30 GHz Turbo Boost 2.0 frequency. Each of the four cores has 1.25 MB of L2 cache, and they share 12 MB of L3 cache. The i3-12100 gets a Gen12 Xe LP-based iGPU, while a variant of the processor, the i3-12100F, lacks integrated graphics. Intel is rating the processor base power value at 60 W, with 77 W maximum turbo power.

XFastest scored an i3-12100 engineering sample, and wasted no time in comparing it with the Ryzen 3 3300X. The i3-12100 was tested on an ASRock Z690 Steel Legend motherboard that has DDR4 memory slots. 16 GB of dual-channel DDR4-3600 memory and RTX 3060 Ti were used on both the Intel and AMD test-beds. A Ryzen 3 3100 was also used on the AMD side. Right off the bat, we see the i3-12100 take a significant lead over the AMD chips at PCMark, posting a roughly 15% performance lead. Cinebench R23 is another test where the little "Alder Lake" scores big, posting a roughly 26% performance lead in the multi-threaded test, and 27% in the single-threaded test. This is mainly because the 3300X is based on "Zen 2" while the i3-12100 uses the cutting-edge "Golden Cove" cores. AMD hasn't bothered with "Zen 3" based Ryzen 3 desktop processors in the retail market.

AMD apparently finds itself with quite a bit of undigested 7 nm "Renoir" silicon, which it plans to repackage as Socket AM4 processors, reports VideoCardz, citing sources on ChipHell forums. The most interesting aspect of this leak is that the silicon variant, codenamed "Renoir X," comes with a disabled iGPU. This is hence a case of AMD harvesting enough "Renoir" dies with faulty iGPU components, to sell them off as desktop processors. It is also learned that these chips don't feature all of the 8 "Zen 2" CPU cores present on the silicon, but rather AMD is looking to carve out entry-level SKUs, such as the Ryzen 3 or Athlon. The company lacks Athlon desktop SKUs based on "Zen 2" or later, although traditionally the company sought to include some basic iGPU solution with its Athlon SKUs.

In related news, the source reports that AMD will refresh its Ryzen desktop processor family with the new "Vermeer S" Ryzen processors. Built on the existing Socket AM4 package, these use AMD's "Zen 3" CCDs that feature 3D Vertical Cache (3DV Cache), much like the recently announced EPYC "Milan X" server processors. AMD claimed that the 3DV Cache technology has a significant performance uplift on performance akin to a generational update. These could be the company's first response to Intel Core "Alder Lake," although since they're based on the older AM4 platform, could only feature DDR4 and PCIe Gen 4. Much like the Ryzen 3000XT series, these appear to be a stopgap product lineup, with AMD targeting late-Q2/early-Q3 for next-generation "Raphael" Socket AM5 processors based on the "Zen 4" architecture, with DDR5 and PCIe Gen 5.

AMD disrupted a decade of $350 quad-core from Intel with its path-breaking Ryzen processor and the "Zen" microarchitecture, which enters 5th year in the market (5 years since tapeout). AMD went into the Ryzen processor launch as a company that had been written off in the CPU space by PC enthusiasts, and "Zen" was at best expected to give AMD another round of processors to sell around $250. Boy was everyone wrong. The Ryzen 7 1800X eight-core processor brought HEDT-levels of performance to the mainstream desktop form-factor, and its HEDT counterpart, the Threadripper, dominated Intel's Core X series ever since.

Intel's first response to the 1800X was a 50% increase in CPU core counts calculating that AMD would only see marginal IPC increases going forward, and the superior IPC of "Skylake" cores, along with a 6-core/12-thread setup in the Core i7-8700K would see things through. This is roughly when Intel faced severe supply shortages that spiraled prices out of control, giving AMD space to come out with the Ryzen 7 2700X with a 4% IPC increase, and improved multi-threaded performance, but more importantly, predictable pricing at around $330. Months later, Intel refreshed its lineup with the 9th Gen, and finally attained parity with AMD in core counts, with the Core i9-9900K.