Skip to main content

AMD Ryzen 7000 Raphael CPUs may release sooner than expected

AMD is due to release its next generation of processors, dubbed Zen 4 Raphael, in 2022. Previous leaks pointed to a release near the end of the year, but a new rumor suggests that we may see the processors much sooner than that.

Releasing the next-gen of CPUs ahead of time could give AMD an edge over Intel, which is most likely set to release its Raptor Lake processors in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Recommended Videos

https://twitter.com/greymon55/status/1491981119905931273

The news comes from Greymon55 on Twitter, a known leaker who often talks about upcoming PC hardware releases. Greymon55 opened with a cryptic tweet indicating that Zen 4 CPUs will not be launching in the fourth quarter. This could mean bad news, too, but the leaker clarified that the CPUs are actually set to release a lot sooner than expected.

In a series of tweets, Greymon55 revealed all kinds of information, so there’s a lot to unpack. Some users took to guessing the new expected release date for Zen 4 processors, with Hassan Mujtaba of Wccftech suggesting September 22. Greymon55 clarified that the CPUs would launch even sooner than that, and in response to another user, followed up by confirming that it would be earlier than August. This puts the possible launch of the Ryzen 7000 Raphael processors far ahead of the previous timeline.

The upcoming next-generation AMD processors will feature DDR5 memory, PCIe 5.0, and the new AM5 LGA1718 socket. To that end, Greymon55 has also said that AM5 motherboards are soon going to be ready for sampling, and this could happen as early as this month. That adds credibility to the claim that Raphael processors are just around the corner.

https://twitter.com/greymon55/status/1491982430709764101

Greymon55 also mentions that plans seem to have changed where AMD’s new RDNA 3 graphics cards are concerned. These next-gen GPUs are also set to release in 2022, but Greymon55 seems doubtful as to the previously expected timeline, stating: “I’m just not sure about the release date, but I’m very optimistic about the performance.” This could mean good or bad news for RDNA 3 GPUs, but the information is too vague to really judge.

AMD has got a lot in store for 2022, and apparently, Ryzen 7000 CPUs may not be the only product with an accelerated release date. Just a few days ago, YouTuber coreteks said that the new AMD flagship based on RDNA 2 architecture, the Radeon RX 6950XT, could be launching as early as mid-April. We’re also due for news about the upcoming Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor, and if AMD is launching Zen 4 sooner, it really won’t give that model much time to shine.

It’s not a bad idea for AMD to accelerate the launch of the Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 Raphael processors, provided everything is working as intended. Technically speaking, AMD is currently one generation behind Intel, with Zen 3 not providing access to the latest technologies, such as DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen 5.0. These features will become available to AMD users only with the release of Zen 4, while Intel Alder Lake already provides them.

Intel is also planning to release the next generation of processors, dubbed Raptor Lake, later this year. If AMD can beat it to the punch and unveil its CPUs sooner, it certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Monica J. White
Monica is a computing writer at Digital Trends, focusing on PC hardware. Since joining the team in 2021, Monica has written…
AMD confirms 9000X3D release date — but questions remain
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D installed in a motherboard.

AMD just made a surprise announcement regarding its upcoming processors, but it leaves us with two major questions: What's coming, and how much will it cost? The release date was announced to be November 7, but we're unsure which chips are coming on that date. While details are very scarce, the first listings of the CPU emerged, giving us an idea of the kind of pricing we could expect. We're also seeing more and more benchmarks of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.

We knew this was coming, but AMD still surprised us. Various reports claimed that AMD would unveil the Ryzen 7 9800X3D on October 25, meaning one day after Intel launches Core Ultra 200-S processors. However, AMD broke the news today (as spotted by Tom's Hardware), but the announcement is more vague than ever. It's unclear which CPUs are coming in particular, as AMD hasn't specified which X3D model will hit the shelves on November 7. The company may still say more on the matter on October 25.

Read more
AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D may not give Intel any breathing room
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D installed in a motherboard.

The competition between Intel Arrow Lake and AMD Zen 5 hasn't been as fierce as usual, with both lineups delivering small gen-to-gen improvements. However, it seems that AMD may soon add a staple to its list of the best processors, and the CPU might be announced at the worst possible time for Intel. I'm talking about the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which now has a rumored release date alongside some performance benchmarks.

The release date speculation was initially shared on Bilibili, but the user has since deleted their post. However, the discussion continued on Chiphell forums, spilling the beans on both the official announcement date and the possible release date.

Read more
AMD’s Ryzen 9000 CPUs just got a lot faster
The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X installed in a motherboard.

AMD just announced that some of its best processors are about to become even better. The company unveiled a number of Ryzen 9000 improvements, ranging from a much higher TDP for some of the CPUs to the core-to-core latency improvements we've already heard about. AMD is also now supporting higher-clocked DDR5 RAM, and that's not even all of today's announcements.

The latest BIOS update, named AGESA PI 1.2.0.2, brings a few things, but if you ask me, the biggest change is that AMD is increasing the thermal design power (TDP) of two of its CPUs.

Read more