AMD may finally launch what we’ve all been waiting for later this year

By Kunal Khullar Published January 16, 2024

AMD CEO holding a Ryzen 7000 processor. — AMD

AMD’s big CES 2024 reveals left some fans wanting more. The company announced the expansion of its existing Ryzen 7000X3D desktop CPUs, Ryzen 7000 mobile CPUs, and new RX 7000 mobile GPUs. Team Red also revealed the Ryzen 8000G series lineup of desktop APUs with built-in graphics. It sounds like a lot, but the anticipated Zen 5 architecture was missing.

The good news is that the first wave of AMD’s new Zen 5 CPUs sounds like it’s being prepared for a possible launch later this year. The rumor was posted by @Kepler_L2 on X (formerly Twitter), who answered a query regarding mass production of the upcoming Granite Ridge desktop chips.

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While this information is yet to be officially confirmed, it aligns with the trajectory of previous CPU launches. If we draw parallels to the Ryzen 7000 CPUs, where rumors of mass production surfaced approximately six months ahead of the official release, a potential launch window for Zen 5 could be in July or shortly after.

Zen 5 being in mass production is an exciting prospect, but it doesn’t necessarily indicate an immediate release. Historically, AMD tends to take its time between production initiation and the actual release. With the rumored late arrival of Intel’s Arrow Lake processors in 2024, AMD has enough time on its hands to strategize the Zen 5 launch without being pressured. This approach would also ensure sufficient production and stock availability, minimizing the risk of inventory shortages.

Leaked slide showing AMD's Ryzen 8000 roadmap. — Moore's Law Is Dead

According to alleged benchmark scores of early sample Zen 5 CPUs leaked last year, it could be one of the largest gen-to-gen boosts from AMD. According to sources cited by RedGamingTech, the flagship 16-core model will average around 49,000 points in the multi-threaded Cinebench R23 test. This is a huge jump compared to the 38,000 points achieved by the Ryzen 9 7950X. Similarly, the 12-core CPU reached 36,000 points, which is slightly above the Ryzen 9 7950X3D.

While the launch strategy for AMD’s next-gen Zen 5 architecture remains uncertain, there’s a bit of hope that it might bear the Ryzen 9000 branding — a move that would undoubtedly make a lot of sense. The realm of chipset nomenclature has been plagued by poor naming conventions, and here’s a golden opportunity for AMD to break the trend and do things right.

Computing Writer

Kunal Khullar is a computing writer at Digital Trends who contributes to various topics, including CPUs, GPUs, monitors, and…

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