According to YouTuber RedGamingTech, AMD might have cancelled this year’s expected new Ryzen CPU, after citing unnamed by reliable sources. Reportedly code-named Warhol, the Zen 3+ refresh has apparently been dropped off from some roadmaps.
The main reason given has been the current supply problems affecting the entire industry. This makes sense, but it could also be that the refresh may have been left off of some roadmaps just due to an error.
One of the most interesting aspects of the Zen 3+ was that it was to use TSMC’s 6nm production process. This is according to some slides, however older slides stated that it would utilize the same 7nm process which Zen 3 used.
This is a bit of an old process of AMD to use, since the node doesn’t really offer much of a performance boost, and Zen 4 is still planned to use TSMC’s 5nm production process. The newer node, titled 6N by TSMC, is just a tweaked version of the 7N process which AMD currently uses, but is design-compatible with the previous designs. It’s not like it was a node which AMD felt it would need to try before its big launch, but AMD has shifted from 14nm to 12nm for its Zen+ refresh, so it’s par for the course.
We weren’t expecting some major architectural changes with the Zen 3+ refresh. It was more so some single-digit IPC improvements to keep AMD’s chips competitive with what Intel has in the market.
AMD doesn’t have much when it comes to going up against Intel, at least in terms of gaming. If anything, it is the current supply situation which is giving Intel a lead when it comes to sales.
Intel has a lot planned for this year. It has planned the launch of one of the biggest gambles in processor design in recent times with Alder Lake. These would be the CPUs which have the big.LITTLE hybrid design and also support DDR5 and PCI Express 5.0
Zen 4 also offers the same PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support, but isn’t due until next year. This means Intel has a year-long head-start when it comes to next generation technologies. Intel has also made some big promises for Alder Lake in terms of performance.
It’s still too early to say whether this potential – and also unofficial – Zen 3+ refresh has been cancelled. However, this may give AMD the time it needs to focus on its current Zen 3 lineup and getting them into the market.
About Advanced Micro Devices
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) is an American multinational semiconductor company headquartered in Santa Clara, California.
AMD develops computer processors and related technologies for business and consumer markets. AMD’s main products include microprocessors, motherboard chipsets, embedded processors and graphics processors for servers, workstations, personal computers and embedded system applications.
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