AMD Zen 6 Powers "Medusa Point" Mobile and "Olympic Ridge" Desktop Processors

[john_]

Yes, that's possible. But whatever AMD has in its collective mind, I somehow expect them to start making an additional, smaller version of the 12-core CCD, one with 8 or 6 cores. Large cores, not "c", and without the 3D option. The smaller die could go into CPUs and APUs with 4-8 cores. The marginal cost of development, simulation, verification etc. should be low enough to make it worthwhile. It's what Intel did with the 6+0 Alder Lake chip.

They might be able to differentiate that 12 core CCD design and be able to replace those cores with c versions. A CCD with 4 standard cores and 8 c cores could go in laptops and also be the base for APUs. We wouldn't like it as much as a 12 standard cores CCD, but it makes sense considering Intel is selling 10 core CPUs with only 2 P cores. AMD needs to have financially viable alternatives against Intel's CPUs with a gazillion of little cores.

Why selling a perfectly working 8 core or 6 core chip as a 4 core ?

To cover more market segments. AMD was selling 4 core CPUs as triple cores or even dual cores back in the AM3 era, 6 cores as 4 cores, even dual cores as single cores. While we are 15 years latter, I guess this could be the case also today, with the only change to not be able to unlock those cores as we could do with AM3 CPUs. Free cores. What a nice era that was...

 

[Wirko]

That mean the margin on a low core count CPU aimed at the lower end will probably be very low or unprofitable.

That's a good point. However, if AMD behaves like AMD, they'll continue to sell the Zen 4 monolith for a few years more, so they have the lower end of the market covered.

 

[Zach_01]

They might be able to differentiate that 12 core CCD design and be able to replace those cores with c versions. A CCD with 4 standard cores and 8 c cores could go in laptops and also be the base for APUs. We wouldn't like it as much as a 12 standard cores CCD, but it makes sense considering Intel is selling 10 core CPUs with only 2 P cores. AMD needs to have financially viable alternatives against Intel's CPUs with a gazillion of little cores.


To cover more market segments. AMD was selling 4 core CPUs as triple cores or even dual cores back in the AM3 era, 6 cores as 4 cores, even dual cores as single cores. While we are 15 years latter, I guess this could be the case also today, with the only change to not be able to unlock those cores as we could do with AM3 CPUs. Free cores. What a nice era that was...

According to the rumors all desktop will be full Zen6 cores and for APUs there will be mixing with Zen6c cores. I don’t see the point of 6c cores on desktop. This not Intel fab with power consumption issues.
For mobile I can understand it to keep power low-er.

 

[R0H1T]

A CCD with 4 standard cores and 8 c cores could go in laptops and also be the base for APUs.

The (normal) laptop chips will almost certainly go up to 16(18?) cores. They're already at 12 with Strix point for now.

 

[john_]

I don’t see the point of 6c cores on desktop.

There shouldn't be any good reasons, other than excess quantities that can't be sold to OEMs.

 

[Punkenjoy]

To cover more market segments. AMD was selling 4 core CPUs as triple cores or even dual cores back in the AM3 era, 6 cores as 4 cores, even dual cores as single cores. While we are 15 years latter, I guess this could be the case also today, with the only change to not be able to unlock those cores as we could do with AM3 CPUs. Free cores. What a nice era that was...

AMD is a business that is there to make money. If Zen 6 low core counts doesn't make sense, they will just sell Zen 4/5 APU or CCD to cover the lower end. This is the strategy they almost always used for previous generation for cheaper part that were sold in volume.

 

[NDRE28]

I am using the Ryzen 9 9950X currently, and it's great.
I'll upgrade to the Zen 6 Ryzen 9 "10950X3D" CPU (or however they'll name it), when that will be out.

 

[RedBlackAka]

Oh God please no NPU

 

[john_]

AMD is a business that is there to make money. If Zen 6 low core counts doesn't make sense, they will just sell Zen 4/5 APU or CCD to cover the lower end. This is the strategy they almost always used for previous generation for cheaper part that were sold in volume.

They are business and if they have enough problematic dies with only 6, 8 or 10 cores working they will create products with only 6, 8 or 10 cores. But if Dell comes to them and ask a huge quantity of 6, 8 and 10 core Zen 6 CPUs, AMD will not say "Sorry, we can't cover your needs, because we only have part of the quantity you ask from us. Do you want some Zen 5 or Zen 4 instead?". That's how they will lose Dell. So they will repurpose even perfectly fine dies to cove Dell's needs. Low core count Zen 6 models make perfect sense when the order comes from an OEM and it is a huge order. Yes, your profit margins will go down in the quarter and share holders and analysts will not like it, but a huge order at lower profit margin is better than no order. That's one reason why AMD got consoles. They where willing to fulfill huge orders at probably ridiculously low profit margins.

 

[Denver]

If AMD releases a Ryzen 3 or something similar for under $200 in the next gen, it will likely be based on Zen5 APUs, probably using the Kraken architecture.

 

[Rungar]

what kind of gfx card will you need to make the most of this? Graphics card will need to be in its own box with its own power supply and dedicated 15a circuit. Good replacement for a baseboard heater..

 

[TristanX]

This is wrong speculation. AMD won't skip N3 and go straight to N2 for compute tile. I think that Zen 6 CCD will have classical 8 cores built on N3, and be released this year or early next. For packaging it is correct, they will use base die to move tiles closer and decrease latencies and power consumption, that high now for idle state.
As for N2 tile, I think it is for Zen 7 to be relaased somwhere in 2027, as demand for N2 wafers will be high (Apple, QLC, Intel), so price and availability will be difficult for AMD throughout 2026.

 

[Gameslove]

So, X3D is standard for the Zen 6?

 

[kapone32]

What is funny is that AMD sells every chip it makes in all it's markets, with the exception of DIY. The 8700G is not as expensive as it is because AMD is being greedy but due to the fact that Handhelds have dropped a Nuclear Bomb in the PC form factor due to how well AMD APUs perform as single Gaming solutions. I will enjoy my Ally when I travel. For now my 8600G is pure fun as a HTPC. 5 GHz is sweet as f. Make sure you get an As Rock board though as 120hz support via Freesync makes Gaming a treat.

Now we get this. This will make all the people that believed the narrative about the 7900X3D and 20 nano seconds being a killer. It also seems that X3D has been a greater success than even AMD expected. It has killed the sales of the rest of them but the 7900 is still a great buy.

I also appreciate that my MB and RAM will be just fine for Zen 6. You can call me a fan boy all you want but in the CPU space AMD earns it's position with real innovation in the Space.

 

[mashie]

Let's hope they do a 24 core version, it would be a perfect upgrade from my current 5900X.

If nothing else, Conky will look sweet with 48 CPU utilisation graphs.

 

[Squared]

This is wrong speculation. AMD won't skip N3 and go straight to N2 for compute tile. I think that Zen 6 CCD will have classical 8 cores built on N3, and be released this year or early next. For packaging it is correct, they will use base die to move tiles closer and decrease latencies and power consumption, that high now for idle state.
As for N2 tile, I think it is for Zen 7 to be relaased somwhere in 2027, as demand for N2 wafers will be high (Apple, QLC, Intel), so price and availability will be difficult for AMD throughout 2026.

If AMD's standard mobile offering really does use chiplets, then 12 cores makes more sense. The alternatives are two chiplets or reducing the core count from what's currently offered. Qualcomm offers 12 cores too and on paper Intel has 14.

I've also heard that Apple might not pay for exclusive early access to N2. And I've heard that N2 is a bigger leap over N3 than N3 is over N5/N4, and that companies are considering skipping from N5/N4 to N2.

 

[Tek-Check]

As for N2 tile, I think it is for Zen 7 to be relaased somwhere in 2027, as demand for N2 wafers will be high (Apple, QLC, Intel), so price and availability will be difficult for AMD throughout 2026.

There is already 192-core EPYC on N3. The same will happen with Zen6 EPYC. Compact core top SKUs will be the first ones to move to N2, as those bring the highest revenues from hyperscalers. Do not forget that AMD designs chiplets in the same generation for more than one node.