Zen 6 to break through the Ryzen 16-core ceiling
It feels like the competitive battle between AMD and Intel has somewhat extended into the “future dimension” of internet leaks talking about hardware that doesn’t yet exist. Recently we’ve seen news of the upcoming Nova Lake processors said to have up to 52 cores, and then about the Core Ultra 300 slated for this year. And as if on cue, “counter” leak about AMD Zen 6 processors that will face these future Intel CPUs has surfaced.
Zen 6 to bring 24 Cores to Desktop
This information was shared by the YouTuber Moore’s Law is Dead. He claims to have received confirmation from an alleged source at AMD that the company plans to finally increase core counts with its Zen 6-based processor generation. From Zen 2 (Ryzen 3000X) up to Zen 5 (Ryzen 9000X), a single CPU chiplet – the basic building block of desktop processors – has consistently featured only 8 cores with 16 threads, which is why the most powerful desktop processors for the AM4 and AM5 sockets have capped out at 16 cores.
With Zen 6, AMD is finally set to increase core counts, with each chiplet reportedly featuring 12 cores (still likely with two-way SMT, totalling 24 threads). All 12 cores are expected to feature the standard high-clock-speed architecture, not a compact Zen 6c variant. However, AMD still seems to plan for a maximum of two CPU chiplets per desktop processor. This means that the successor to today’s Ryzen 9000 series will top out at 24 Zen 6 cores and 48 threads – unless AMD adds some LP cores in the IO die, similar to Intel’s approach (which would be a good move for idle power consumption and battery life in notebooks). However, these low power cores might not be fully equivalent to the standard ones in multi-threaded workloads.
Recently, a leak from Kepler_L2 surfaced online, suggesting that this CPU chiplet could use a 2nm process node (TSMC N2). However, according to Moore’s Law is Dead, it could still be using 3nm manufacturing, though he adds that he’s not entirely sure either. It’s hard to say which source is more credible, but it’s probable safer to assume the less optimistic variant for now.
Only 24 AMD cores versus 48 from Intel?
It will be quite interesting to see how the resulting processors will stack up against Intel’s Nova Lake, which is rumored to feature a total of 48 threads without SMT – 16 large cores (P-Core) and 32 efficiency cores (E-Core). This very likely means that Intel could gain a significant lead in multi-threaded performance. After all, even the current Arrow Lake, with its 8+16 core configuration, is capable of competing with the 16-core Zen 5 in multi-threaded applications. According to these rumors, Zen 6 will only increase core counts by 50%, while Intel will double theirs, potentially giving Intel a very comfortable lead. However, this will likely come at the cost of significantly higher power consumption.
- Tip: Intel Nova Lake has 52 cores. V-Cache and CPUs without E-Cores also planned
- Tip: LGA 1851 gets new CPUs. Intel cancels cancellation of Arrow Lake Refresh
Chiplet APUs
Moore’s Law is Dead also claims another interesting detail. The same 12-core chiplet is reportedly set to be used across an entire Ryzen processor lineup for PCs (likely with the exception of some of the cheapest SoCs, which will feature fewer cores on a monolithic chip). This includes high-end laptop processors codenamed Medusa Halo, the successors to the recently unveiled Strix Halo (Ryzen AI Max 300) with 256-bit memory interfaces and powerful integrated GPUs. Medusa Halo is expected to feature two of these chiplets, meaning 24 cores – just like in the desktop variants.
Even standard APUs are expected to adopt a chiplet design, with an upcoming model reportedly named Medusa Point. This will be the successor to the current Ryzen AI 300 “Strix Point”, featuring 12 Zen 5 cores (4 Zen 5 + 8 Zen 5c). This APU will include a larger I/O chiplet that, in addition to connectivity, an NPU, a chipset functionalty, and a memory controller, will also include the integrated GPU. Adjacent to it will be a CPU chiplet, likely connected using the same advanced packaging technology as used in Strix Halo.
The use of a desktop chiplet likely means that Medusa Point won’t increase the core count but will instead feature 12 high-performance cores running at higher clock speeds, abandoning the hybrid architecture od Strix Point (which has 4 Zen 5 and 8 Zen 5c cores). The desktop version might carry the codename Medusa Ridge (since Ryzen 9000 is Granite Ridge), but this is not yet certain.
32-core chiplets, only for servers?
According to Moore’s Law is Dead, AMD is reportedly not planning just one CPU chiplet (the one with 12 high-performance Zen 6 cores). There is also said to be a 32-core chiplet, which is allegedly confirmed to be built on a 2nm process node. If we look at the Zen 5 generation as a parallel, this 32-core chiplet will likely be based on the compact Zen 6c cores with lower clock speeds and may be used exclusively in server processors.
However, looking at the mention of the Zen 6c CCD, we are probably not the only ones asking whether AMD could counter Intel’s many-core Nova Lake processors by designing Medusa Ridge (desktop) and Medusa Halo (high-end laptops) processors with a heterogenous chiplet configuration. Instead of two 12-core chiplet slots, they could feature one spot on the substrate for the high-performance core chiplet and another spot compatible with the server-bound 32-core Zen 6c chiplet. Lower-tier models would populate only the 12-core chiplet spot.
This configuration would allow for desktop processors with 44 cores (12 Zen 6 + 32 Zen 6c) and 88 threads, which could likely compete strongly against Nova Lake with its 52 threads – though these CPUs too might also incur a higher power consumption as a cost. However, there is a potential pitfall: if the second spot on the substrate cannot accommodate a chiplet with large cores, it would not be possible to produce 24-core processors featuring 3D V-Cache while also maintaining maximum Zen 6 core clock speeds on the second, non-X3D chiplet, as AMD currently does. Moore’s Law is Dead only mentions a homogeneous 24-core design, so he doesn’t seem to have any information that would suggest such plans exist.
Will Zen 6 work on AM5 motherboards?
You’re probably wondering whether these processors will be compatible with current AM5 motherboards (including older 600-series boards from the Zen 4 era) as an upgrade option. According to Kepler_L2, this generation will reportedly continue using the AM5 socket, and Moore’s Law is Dead has also explicitly mentioned a Medusa Ridge version for AM5 – explicitly for AM5. So, there may be hope.
Of course, there’s always a chance that this information is inaccurate. Leaked details like these should generally be taken with caution, and Moore’s Law is Dead’s information has not been 100% reliable historically. While the increased core count in Zen 6 seems likely to be something that will ultimately be confirmed, not all other details may turn out to be accurate.
Sources: Moore’s Law is Dead, Kepler_L2 (1, 2)
English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš
⠀
