The architecture of the Zen 6 is in the concept stage, which means that it could enter the final design stage shortly, and this could be completed by the end of 2024. There has been much speculation about possible increase in the number of cores and threads with the introduction of the Zen 5 architecture, but in the end it seems that AMD will reserve that important move for its successor.

This means that if confirmed, the Zen 5 will keep the settings two CCD units, also known as chiplets, in its version for desktop processors, which leaves us with a total of 16 cores and 32 threads. With this new architecture, there will be no increase in the number of cores compared to the current generation, and we will have to wait for Zen 6 for this important change.

Zen 6 doubles the number of cores

And it will be available in three basic configurations: one of 8 cores, another with 16 cores and a third with 32 cores. The first will have one CCD unit, the second two CCD units and the third three CCD units. Each version can be modified by deactivating the cores to create different configurations, such as one with 12 active cores and another with 24 active cores.

Each CCD unit will have the classic chiplet design we’re already familiar with, meaning AMD will use four CCD units interconnected and also connected to an I/O chiplet. So each CCD will only have access to its L3 buffer and will continue to have the limitations we’ve already seen with previous generations.

From Zen 6 we can also expect a jump to TSMC’s 2nm node, double-digit increase in CPI, i.e. by at least 10% compared to Zen 5, and an increase in operating frequencies. All of this would represent an important generational evolution, as we would be facing an architecture that would double the multi-threaded capacity compared to Zen 5, and which would also bring significant improvements in single-threaded performance.

The architecture of Zen 6 will the last to be supported on current motherboards equipped with an AM5 socket, which means that it will close the generation and leave open the way for the next AMD socket, which logically should eventually be called AM6, as a reference to the numerical order that the company follows (AM4 and AM5).

With all that It does not mean that it will be an abrupt end from AM5 motherboards, seeing what happened with AM4, I think the opposite will happen and that this generation will have a long life as it will eventually become an economical alternative to AMD’s future platform.

Zen6 has three CCDs, 8C/16C/32C.

— Kepler (@Kepler_L2) May 18, 2024

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