AMD reveals Zen, wants back into CPU race

Intel’s run of almost uninterrupted reign at the top of the PC processor market could be in for a serious challenge.

After years languishing at the budget end of the sector with its multicore FX CPU lineup, Engadget reports that AMD has lifted the lid on its long-awaited next generation of processor, codenamed Zen.

Zen chips will use a 14nm architecture, and better the performance of its predecessors by around 40 per cent while offering around five times the bandwidth. They will also support Simultaneous Multithreading, which is basically a version of Intel’s own HyperThreading, that allows cores to perform multiple tasks at the same time.

Not yet revealed are the actual chips that will debut the Zen design at retail, or their prospective pricing. We do know, however, that the first Zen chip will be an 8-core, 16-thread desktop model called Summit Ridge. That’s due out in Q1 2017 and will supposedly outperform Intel’s $1,000+ range-leading Core i7-6900K

Also confirmed is that work has already begun on its successor, the Zen+. Note, too, that Intel will be showing off its 7th generation iCore chips some time this autumn.

AMD may have lost serious ground in the PC space, but it has been busy making the innards of not only the PS4 and Xbox One, but also the upcoming PS4 Neo and Xbox Scorpio.