Zen 5 is set to be the next generation of Ryzen processors (CPU) offered by AMD, running on the same AM5 socket as Zen 4 chips that made their debut in 2022.
Although we really do not have any official confirmations from AMD about its new architecture and chip lineup, there have been plenty of leaks and rumors swirling for months. We can get a good idea of what to expect when the CPUs are officially announced.
What is AMD Zen 5?
Zen 5 represents AMD’s next-generation desktop and mobile processors. Although there’s no official naming yet set, they’ll likely be released as Ryzen 9000 if AMD’s naming history is anything to go by. It’s been two years since AMD unveiled its Ryzen 7000 hardware, and it’s due for a refresh to keep up with the competition.
A bunch of leaks that I’ve collected below signal that AMD will stick with a 16-core maximum in Zen 5, which is the same ceiling in the Zen 4 CPUs available now. That likely means that AMD will be leaning into architectural changes and improved efficiency, improvements to instructions-per-clock (IPC), and cache increases to boost performance in its Zen 5 hardware.
It also appears that AMD will use new RDNA 3.5 CUs to handle graphics in its chips, and local AI acceleration will be a focus in Strix and Strix Halo APUs.
Those already working with an AM5 motherboard socket shouldn’t feel worried; we know that AMD plans on working with the same socket for the foreseeable future, prompting at most a BIOS update to work with Zen 5 if you already have a PC with Zen 4. That’s always great news for PC enthusiasts and builders who have more options and a wider price range with which to work.
Leaks and rumors about AMD Zen 5
One of the biggest info drops we’ve seen so far surrounding Zen 5 comes from a leaked shipping manifest, reported by Tom’s Hardware. X (formerly Twitter) users momomo_us and harukaze5719 teamed up to deliver information about a Zen 5 Granite Ridge desktop CPU running at 170W, a Strix Point APU running at 128W, and a mobile Fire Range lineup for laptops running at 55W.
While these are likely pre-production sample chips, we can still get an idea of what to expect when AMD does officially unveil Zen 5. The manifest includes mention of Granite Ridge desktop chip with six cores running at 105W, as well as a couple of eight-core chips — without the specific Granite Ridge codename — running at 170W.
As for the APUs, the manifest has three 128W Strix Point listings accompanied by two 55W listings from Fire Range with eight and 16 cores.
This info was backed up by another substantial leak by Golden Pig Upgrade Pack on bilibili, also reported via Tom’s Hardware. The leaked slide in question lays out a four-pronged approach for AMD’s Zen 5, with Granite Ridge and Fire Range, Strix, Strix Halo, and “Krackan” (which should be called Kraken) all listed.
Granite Ridge and Fire Range chips are listed as having up to two Zen 5 Core Chiplet Dies (CCD), up to 16 Zen 5 cores, and two RDNA 3 compute units (CU). The Strix Point APUs are listed as having four Zen 5 or eight Zen 5c cores, up to 16 RDNA 3.5 CUs for graphics, and a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) with more than 40 TOPS for local AI acceleration.
Ryzen AI 9 HX 170 and Ryzen AI 165 chips are listed in the Strix column, signaling a name change. With Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips for Windows on Arm expected to bring strong AI performance and Intel’s Lunar Lake reportedly having 45 TOPS, it’s no surprise that AMD aims to keep up.
The Strix Halo listing shows dual Zen 5 CCDs, up to 16 Zen 5 cores, and up to 40 RDNA 3.5 CUs, as well as an NPU with more than 70 TOPs. These APUs designed for laptops are looking mighty impressive and will likely be reserved for high-end workstations.
The Kraken listing, which should succeed AMD’s Hawk Point Ryzen 8000 mobile CPUs, shows up to four Zen 5 and four Zen 5c cores, up to eight RDNA 3.5 CUs, and more than 40 TOPS of AI acceleration performance from its NPU.
As with any leaks, you should approach all of this information with caution. We’re expecting to know more about AMD’s Zen 5 hardware very soon, at which time we’ll be able to give a full picture of what Team Red has in store.
AMD Zen 5 release date speculation
AMD is expected to officially reveal its next-gen Zen 5 processors at Computex 2024, which kicks off June 3 and runs through June 7. AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su is expected to be present for AMD’s keynote address, which will open the event on June 3.
Computex has traditionally been a hot point for AMD. At the 2022 event, AMD unveiled its Ryzen 7000 desktop CPUs, Zen 4 architecture, and AM5 socket motherboards. It’s not a stretch to assume that AMD will be doing something similar at Computex 2024 with its Zen 5 architecture and new range of desktop and mobile CPUs.
