AMD's Ryzen 7000 series of desktop processors based on the novel Zen 4 core architecture are scheduled to arrive in the second half of 2022. While we are not sure just how big the architectural differences will be going from Zen 3 (with or without 3D V-cache) to the new Zen 4 core, we have some leaked information that confirms the existence of two SKUs that reveal additional details about the processor configuration. In the MilkyWay@Home project, aiming to create a model of the Milky Way galaxy by utilizing countless PCs across the globe, we found two next-generation Ryzen 7000 SKUs. The MilkyWay@Home project isn't a benchmark. However, it is a valuable reference where the next generation processors appeared.

First in line is the 100-000000666-21_N CPU, a codename for an eight-core, sixteen-threaded design. This model should correspond to the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X CPU, a successor to the Ryzen 7 5800X model. Next in line is the 100-000000665-21_N CPU with 16 cores and 32 threads, a successor to the Ryzen 9 5950X named Ryzen 9 7950X. One important thing to note is that these new CPUs feature different level two (L2) cache configurations. With the previous generation 5000 series "Vermeer" processors, the L2 cache was locked at 512 KB per core. However, according to today's leak, the upgraded Zen 4 IP will bring 1024 KB of L2 cache per core, doubling the cache size at one of the fastest levels.

AMD already declared the CPU core counts of its EPYC "Genoa" and "Bergamo" processors to top out at 96 and 128, respectively, a core-count believed to have been facilitated by the larger fiberglass substrate of the next-gen SP5 CPU socket, letting AMD add more 8-core "Zen 4" chiplets, dubbed CPU complex dies (CCDs). Until now, AMD has used the chiplet as a common component between its EPYC enterprise and Ryzen desktop processors, to differentiate CPU core counts.

A fascinating theory that hit the rumor-mill, indicates that the company might leverage 5 nm (TSMC N5) carve out larger CCDs with up to 16 "Zen 4" CPU cores. Half of these cores are capped at a much lower power budget, essentially making them efficient-cores. This is a concept AMD appears to be carrying over from its 15-Watt class mobile processors, which see the CPU cores operate under an aggressive power-management. These cores still turn out a reasonable amount of performance, and are functionally identical to the ones on 105 W desktop processors with a relaxed power budget.

Although physically away from the 2022 International CES, AMD is hosting a virtual press event to announce many new consumer products. The year's biggest tech-show allows AMD to talk about its latest, and next-generation architectures, the products it has in store for 2022, as well as introduce new technology. We expect the company to unveil "Zen 4" from a consumer perspective, its next-generation mobile processors, and much more. Stay tuned as we live-blog the event as it unfolds.15:01 UTC: Straight away we see some big new model names:15:02 UTC: CEO Dr Lisa Su takes centrestage.

AMD's next-generation Ryzen "Raphael" processor could launch only in the second half of 2022, confirms a leaked company slide scored by VideoCardz. The slide points to a Ryzen 5000X3D series product-stack update within the 1H-2022. These are Socket AM4 processors that leverage the company's updated "Zen 3(+)" CPU core die (CCD), which features 64 MB of 3D Vertical cache memory in addition to 32 MB of L3. AMD claims that 3DV Cache technology significantly improves performance akin to a generational update (anywhere between 5% to 25% depending on the application). The company is targeting "Spring" 2022 for launch, which would put this around early-Q2.

The "Raphael" Socket AM5 processor is sure to catch much of the attention, as it's the company's true next-gen desktop product. It heralds Socket AM5, a new LGA-based socket; and next-generation connectivity that includes DDR5 memory and PCI-Express Gen 5. The CCDs of these processors are built on the TSMC N5 (5 nm) silicon fabrication node, and are based on the "Zen 4" microarchitecture. The leaked slide shows the first grainy picture of Socket AM5, with a retention mechanism not unlike what we're used to, on the Intel platform. We're hearing rumors that AM5 will somehow manage cooler-compatibility with AM4 despite the radical redesign to the socket. An H2-2022 launch would put "Raphael" close to Intel's 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" launch, as team blue hopes to return to an annual IPC-uplift cadence, with up to 8 "Raptor Cove" P-cores, and 16 "Gracemont" E-cores.

As the year ends, one of the biggest consumer trade shows, CES, is on the horizon, and manufacturers are ready to present the work that will become real throughout the year. AMD will offer a keynote at the CES 2022 press conference, and we expect to hear more about the upcoming Zen3 processors with 3D V-cache stacked in them. However, what is interesting is that we may listen to more details about Zen4 core. In an exclusive interview conducted by Antony Leather, Forbes contributor and the person behind CrazyTechLab, AMD CTO Mark Papermaster started the hype machine by sharing that AMD will announce some Zen4 core details at the CES 2022 conference.

AMD CTO Mark PapermasterWith regards to the upcoming generation - I point to CES in January. We're excited to be revealing some additional details on our new product launches that will deliver phenomenal experiences and as we've said, later in the year as it progresses we'll share more detail on Zen 4 with some mentioned at CES and more announcements on it over the course of 2022. It will be a very exciting year for AMD.

Just yesterday, thanks to the Linux driver update, we found information stating that AMD's upcoming EPYC Genoa processor generation based on Zen 4 core IP will have a 12-channel memory controller. However, we didn't know how AMD engineered the memory controller of this processor generation and some of its maximum capabilities. However, there is an exciting discovery. According to the report from ComputerBase, with information exclusive to them, AMD will enable up to 12 TB of DDR5 memory spread across 12 memory channels. The processor supports DDR5-5200 memory, but when all 24 memory slots (two per channel) are populated, the DDR5 maximum speed drops to 4000 MT/s.

It is unclear why this is the case, and if any difficulties were designing the controller, so the maximum speed drops when every slot is used. One reassuring thing is that the bandwidth created by 12 memory channels should be sufficient to make up for the lost speed of DDR5 memory reduction.

Thanks to a Linux driver update, we now know that AMD's upcoming Zen 4 based EPYC CPUs will support up to 12 channels of DDR5 memory, an upgrade over the current eight. The EDAC driver, or Error Detection and Correction driver update from AMD contained details of the memory types supported by AMD's upcoming server and workstation CPUs and although this doesn't tell us much about what we'll see from the desktop platform, some of this might spill over to a future Ryzen Threadripper CPU.

The driver also reveals that there will be support for both RDDR5 and LRDDR5, which translates to Registered DDR5 and Load-Reduced DDR5 respectively. LRDDR5 is the replacement for LRDIMMs, which are used in current servers with very high memory densities. Although we don't know when AMD is planning to announce Zen 4, even less so the new EPYC processors, it's expected that it will be some time in the second half next year.

January 4, 2022 could be a date of major product announcements by both AMD and Intel as part of their International CES 2022 plans. Both companies will host virtual press-meets on that day, and are expected to unveil several product lines. AMD could shed more like on its Ryzen "Vermeer-S" Socket AM4 desktop processors, possible updates to its Ryzen 5000 mobile product stack; as well as put out some juicy nuggets of info on its future "Zen 4" processors; while Intel will significantly expand its 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake" family across both its desktop and mobile segments, along with more info on its Arc "Alchemist" gaming GPU. The AMD event is slated for 8 AM Pacific, while the Intel one goes up two hours later, at 10 AM Pacific. We will be live-blogging both.

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 later this month is preparing to address investors as part of a yet-unknown event. The company typically hosts Financial Analyst Day events around Q1-Q2, and goes to the investors with substantial material on the current state of the organization, the products on offer, what's on the horizon, and how it could impact the company's financials. An alleged presentation related to the November 2021 event was leaked to the web. The presentation provides a guided tour of the entire product portfolio of the company, spanning server processors, compute accelerators, consumer graphics, some client processors, and the semi-custom business.

The presentation outlines that the company has so far successfully executed its roadmaps for the client-CPU, server-CPU, graphics, and compute-accelerator segments. In the client CPU segment, it shows a successful execution up to 2021 with the "Zen 3" microarchitecture. In the server space, it mentions successful execution for its EPYC processors up to "Zen 3" with its "Milan" processors, and confirms that its next-generation "Zen 4" microarchitecture, and its sister-architecture, the "Zen 4c," will be built on the 5 nm silicon fabrication node (likely TSMC N5). The presentation also details the recently announced "Milan-X" processor for existing SP3 platforms, which debuts the 3D Vertical Cache technology, bringing up to 96 MB of L3 cache per CCD, and up to 768 MB of L3 cache (804 MB L1+L2+L3 cache) per socket.Update 10:54 UTC: The presentation can now be found on the AMD Investor Relations website.

TSMC will commercialize its N3 (3 nm) EUV silicon fabrication node in 2022, with volume production set to commence in the second half of the year. The company is looking to maximize capacity on its current N5 (5 nm) node, which already serves major customers such as Apple. AMD is expected to utilize N5 allocation going into 2022 as its next-generation "Zen 4" processors are expected to leverage the node to drive up CPU core counts and caches. The company is also utilizing N6 (6 nm) for its CDNA2 compute accelerator logic dies. N5 could also power mobile application processors from several manufacturers.

As we await the update of AMD's highly anticipated 6000 series Rembrandt APUs based on Zen 3 cores and RDNA2 graphics, we are in for a surprise with information about the next generation, more than a year away, of Ryzen 7000 series mobile processors based on Zen 4 architecture. Codenamed Raphael-H, it co-exists with the upcoming lineup of Phoenix APUs, which come after the 6000 series Rembrandt APU lineup. This mobile variant of the forthcoming desktop Raphael processors features as many as 16 cores based on Zen 4 architecture. What is so special about the Raphael-H is that it represents a mobile adaptation of desktop processors, and we are not sure how it will be different from the Phoenix APUs. However, we assume that Phoenix is going to feature a more powerful graphics solution.

The confusing thing is the timeline of these processors. First comes the Rembrandt APUs (6000 series) and then both the Raphael-H and Phoenix mobile processors. AMD could disable iGPU on mobile Raphael-H designs. However, that is just a guess. We have to wait to find out more in the upcoming months.

Intel's upcoming Core i5-12400 "Alder Lake-S" processor could be an interesting piece of silicon. Apparently, not all 12th Gen Core i5 desktop chips have the same core-configuration. While the top Core i5-12600K is expected to have six "Golden Cove" P cores and four "Gracemont" E-cores, some of the lower variants, such as the i5-12400, will lack E cores, and be pure P core chips. In this case, the chip is 6-core/12-thread with just P cores; 1.25 MB of dedicated L2 cache per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. You'll probably get all the next-gen I/O, including PCI-Express Gen 5 (PEG slot), a PCI-Express Gen 4 CPU-attached NVMe slot, and DDR5+DDR4 memory.

Given that the Core i5-11400 is a $190 part, even with a 10-15% price hike, the i5-12400 is expected to be under $220. The only drawbacks here are expected to be locked BClk multiplier, and rather low clock speeds of 4.00 GHz. A user on Chinese social media posted alleged Cinebench R20 results of the i5-12400. It scores 659 points in the single-threaded test, and 4784 points in the multi-threaded test. Wccftech tabulated this against known performance numbers of popular chips, and found that the i5-12400 might end up slightly ahead of the Ryzen 5 5600X, a currently-$300 part. The table also puts out leaked i9-12900K numbers, which indicate why AMD is rushing with "Zen 3+" with 3D Vertical Cache, instead of next-gen "Zen 4."

Chinese cooler manufacturer Cool Server have recently listed several upcoming coolers for the AMD Zen 4 AM5 & SP5 sockets. The manufacturer has listed 5 AM5 coolers, and 4 SP5 coolers all targeted towards the enterprise sector. The lineup includes several passive coolers which rely on case airflow while the others feature high-performance fans which can get quite noisy. The AM5 socket will be introduced with the next-generation Zen 4 Ryzen processors while the SP5 (LGA6096) socket has been prepared for the Zen 4 EPYC processors. The complete list of coolers can be found below.

AMD is slowly preparing the launch of the latest and greatest Ryzen processor family based on the Zen 4 CPU core design. Among various things that are getting an overhaul, the Raphael processor generation is now getting revamped temperature reading and better power management circuitry. According to an Igor's Lab report, AMD has prepared a few new improvements that will make temperature reading and power management easier for PC enthusiasts. Currently, the reported CPU temperature is called Tcontrol (Tctl), which is what the cooling solution sees. If Tctl is high, the fans spin up and cool the system. If Tctl is low, the fans slow down to reduce noise.

With Raphael, the CUR_TEMP (current temperature) output part of Tctl has been upgraded to reflect a much smoother curve, and avoid jittering with fans as they are not spiking so suddenly anymore. This is helping contribute to the noise output and has made it run at a consistent fan speed in the system. Another note about Raphael is a new power management technique. AMD has designed the AM5 platform to avoid sudden power spikes, to maintain maximum efficiency over time. It is a design decision made from the very start, and the CPU will try to constrain itself in the TDP range that it is configured for. For more details about the circuitry, please head over to the Igor's Lab article.

The first desktop processors to implement AMD's "Zen 4" microarchitecture will feature integrated graphics as standard across the lineup, according to a Chips and Cheese report citing leaked AMD design documents. Currently, most of the Socket AM4 desktop processor lineup lacks integrated graphics, and specialized "G" SKUs with integrated graphics dot it. These SKUs almost always come with compromises in CPU performance or PCIe I/O. With its 5 nm "Raphael" Socket AM5 desktop processor, AMD is planning to change this, in a bid to match up to Intel on the universality of integrated graphics.

Built in the 5 nm silicon fabrication process, the "Raphael" silicon combines "Zen 4" CPU cores along with an iGPU based on the RDNA2 graphics architecture. This would be the first time AMD updated the SIMD architecture of its Ryzen iGPUs since 2017. The RDNA2-based iGPU will come with a more advanced DCN (Display CoreNext) component than current RDNA2-based discrete GPUs, with some SKUs even featuring DisplayPort 2.0 support, besides HDMI 2.1. By the time "Raphael" is out (2022-23), it is expected that USB4 type-C would gain popularity, and mainstream motherboards as well as pre-built desktops could ship with USB4 with DisplayPort 2.0 passthrough. AMD relies on a discrete USB4 controller with PCI-Express 4.0 x4 wiring, for its first Socket AM5 platform.

Corsair DIY Marketing Director, George Makris recently confirmed in a recent video that DDR5 memory could "conceivably could run much hotter than DDR4" due to voltage regulation being moved to the memory modules from the motherboard. This was reiterated by Corsair Memory Product Manager, Matt Woithe, who notes that they are prepared to handle this increased heat in Corsair DDR5 modules using their Dual-path Heat Xchange (DHX) technology. The next generation of memory also mandates the inclusion of on-die EEC which while not confirmed by Corsair will also add to the power budget of the modules. Corsair is expecting to release their first DDR5 memory modules towards the end of this year which will coincide with the launch of Intel's 12th Generation Alder Lake processors. AMD fans will need to wait until 2022 with the launch of Zen 4 to take advantage of the new DDR5 memory modules.

AMD is slowly preparing to launch its next-generation processors based on the new AM5 socket. The new lineup of processors will be based on the upgraded Zen 4 architecture that is said to bring multiple microarchitecture improvements and enhancements, equaling to a possible high-performance increase. Today, according to ExecutableFix, the person who provided us with renders of AMD's upcoming AM5 socket designed for next-generation Raphael processors. As we previously reported, AM5 is doing away from PGA and switching to LGA type instead, where pins are delivered on the socket, not the CPU like we used to see with AMD processors.

The LGA-1718 socket, pictured in the renders below, looks like a simple retention mechanism, where there is one metal arm to hold the lid down under pressure. If it turns out to be true, this implementation will be a very positive upgrade over the past PGA socket found on AM4 and before. We can look forward to seeing what AMD will deliver once the launch of Raphael processors gets closer.

As of 16:11 UTC today (29/07), the AMD stock has broken through the $100 stock-price glass ceiling, and is at $103.91, up 1384% from the $7 stock price in late-2016, prior to the company's competitive breakthrough with the "Zen" architecture. The latest rally comes in the wake of AMD's latest Q2-2021 financial results, where it clocked a 99% growth in YoY revenue. In the call, AMD mentioned that it is on track to maintaining its performance leadership, on the backs of the new "Zen 4" CPU architecture, RDNA3 graphics-, and CDNA2 compute architecture.

AMD CEO Dr Lisa Su, in the company's Q2-2021 financial results call, confirmed that the company is on-track to launch the Zen 4 CPU microarchitecture and RDNA3 graphics architecture, in 2022. Zen 4 would herald the first major desktop platform change since the original Zen architecture, with the introduction of a new CPU socket, and support for DDR5 memory. The RDNA3 graphics architecture, meanwhile, is expected to nearly triple SIMD resources over the previous generation, and introduce even more fixed-function hardware for raytracing.

In the meantime, AMD is preparing a counter to Intel's 12th Gen Core "Alder Lake-S" processor, in the form of Zen 3 with 3D Vertical Cache, which is also being referred to as the Zen 3+ architecture. These processors feature additional last-level cache, and the company claims a 15% gaming performance uplift, which should help it close the gaming performance gap with Intel, and win on sheer core-count of its big cores. It remains to be seen if Zen 3+ remains on Socket AM4 or if it debuts AM5, as AMD will be under pressure to match "Alder Lake" in platform I/O, which includes DDR5. Dr Su also confirmed that AMD has started shipping the Instinct MI200 "Aldebaran" compute accelerator based on the CDNA2 architecture. AMD's first MCM GPU with two logic dies, "Aldebaran" takes the fight to NVIDIA's top A100 series compute accelerators, and has already scored wins with ongoing HPC/supercomputing projects.

We have recently seen several reputable rumors confirming that AMD's Zen 4 Raphael desktop processors will be limited to 16 cores with 2 compute units. There were previous rumors of a 24 core model with 3 compute units however that now seems unlikely. While the core counts won't increase some skews may see a TDP increase up to 170 W which should offer some performance uplift. AMD is expected to debut their 5 nm Zen 4 Raphael desktop processors in 2022 which will come with support for PCIe 5.0 and DDR5. The processors will switch to a new AM5 LGA1718 socket and will compete with Intel's Alder Lake-S successor Raptor Lake which could feature 24 cores.

The release notes for the latest version of famous system utility HWiNFO have spilled the beans on an update to Intel's XMP. Currently at version 2.0, XMP (eXtreme Memory Profile) is a technology that allows the system-level BIOS to run DDR memory at speeds higher than those allowed by JEDEC, the governing specifications body for all things memory. It extends the performance profiles usually made available via SPD (Serial Presence Detect). An update to Intel's XMP (XMP 3.0) for DDR5 memory is referred to in the release notes for version 7.05 of the software. Not much more to look at here - it remains to be seen what changes are actually a part of XMP 3.0, and if any increased utility will be added to these profiles. Remember, however, that nor Intel nor AMD (via its A-XMP implementation) enable warranty coverage should XMP be enabled in your system.

Other relevant updates for the application include advanced early support for Zen 4 systems (looking at you, AMD), as well as per-core temperature monitoring for Zen-based CPUs. There are other additions to the supported hardware, which you can find in the screenshot below.

AMD's Zen 4 based systems are still in development, however, the company is already distributing firmware to give the new core design proper support once it arrives. By doing this, software providers are already able to distribute software with support for Zen 4 architecture. One of those examples is HWiNFO, popular monitoring, and diagnostics tool. In the pre-release of its upcoming version 7.05, which you can already download, the tool lists "Enhanced early support of some Zen4-based systems". This means that the software would likely be capable of monitoring a few components of the Zen 4 system, as the temperature for example. While we are not sure what the "enhanced" really means, only time will tell, as we await the launch of AMD's next-generation systems. You can download the pre-release 7.05 version of HWiNFO here, and you can check out the changelog below.

Intel's strategy toward increasing CPU core counts could be to dial up the counts of smaller low-power CPU cores, according to a "Moore's Law is Dead" leak about the next-generation "Raptor Lake" mainstream processor. The chip is said to have 8 larger high-performance cores, and a whopping 16 low-power cores. The eight bigger performance cores will be "Raptor Cove," the successor to "Golden Cove," featuring higher IPC and more instruction sets, although the report only references this as an enhancement to "Golden Cove." The sixteen smaller low-power cores, however, are expected to remain "Gracemont," carried over from "Alder Lake-S." The "Raptor Lake-S" processor is slated for a Holiday 2022 release, and being touted as a competitor to AMD's "Zen 4" based desktop processor.

AMD is expected to debut its next-generation "Zen 4" microarchitecture and RDNA3 graphics architectures around the same time, in 2022, according to internal company roadmaps seen by Broly_X1 on Twitter, who has leaked AMD roadmaps before. The "Zen 4" microarchitecture in particular sees AMD debut processors based on the 5 nm silicon fabrication process, and the company's first implementation of an EUV node. With "Zen 4" in 2022, the company could target a so-called "Zen 3+" microarchitecture launch later in 2021, which combines the "Zen 3" CCD with 64 MB of 3D Vertical Cache, a feature that enables a 15% gaming performance uplift, the company claims.

The RDNA3 graphics architecture could see a greater deal of effort toward improving real-time raytracing performance, with more fixed-function hardware dedicated to raytracing. The architecture could see an even bigger generational performance uplift than the one seen between RDNA and RDNA2, according to a PCGamesN report. Across the fence, "Zen 4" and RDNA3 will be squaring off against Intel's "Meteor Lake" and NVIDIA's "ADA Lovelace" architectures, respectively. RDNA3 finishes tape-out toward the end of 2021, as the 5 nm EUV node is already available to AMD for prototyping.