• Competitor rules

    Please remember that any mention of competitors, hinting at competitors or offering to provide details of competitors will result in an account suspension. The full rules can be found under the 'Terms and Rules' link in the bottom right corner of your screen. Just don't mention competitors in any way, shape or form and you'll be OK.

Zen 4 server CPUs to launch end of 2022, Zen 4 desktop CPUs Q1/Q2 2023?

g67575

g67575

g67575

Soldato
Joined
30 Jun 2019
Posts
8,110
AMD released the server (EPYC) counterparts of each Zen generation, before the full line up of the respective Ryzen CPUs generations were released, which you can see here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epyc
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_(first_generation_microarchitecture)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_3#Vermeer - Edit not for Zen 3 EPYC CPUs, which were reportedly delayed.

A recent AMD roadmap indicates server (codename Genoa) and cloud Zen 4 CPUs will launch at the end of 2022, link here:
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VyxE2xAMvdjFYNstAgucCY-1024-80.jpg.webp

But no mention of desktop Zen 4 (5nm EUV), so it looks likely that these CPUs won't launch until the 1st half of 2023, based on past launches.

If this is true, it would certainly take the pressure off Intel in 2022, until they can release 7nm Meteor Lake CPUs the following year. We will have to wait to see if AMD confirms the launch date of Zen 4 desktop CPUs in the coming months.

AMD also has new Zen 3 CPUs launching with additional cache (V-Cache) launching in Q1 2022, which seems likely to be called the Ryzen 6000 series (new CPU generations are usually launched every 12-18 months). Looking at AMD's past launches, they don't tend to launch two generations in a single year.

It's just a theory, so don't bite my head off please :)
 
Last edited:
Well going by the dates on Wikipedia, I think what I wrote was true for Zen 1 and Zen 2, some desktop CPUs did release after the EPYC counterparts. But you're correct, Zen 3 desktop CPUs released before the counterpart EPYC CPUs, an oversight on my part.

As you say though Zen 3 EPYC CPUs, were available to some customers earlier (e.g. for super computers), but a full release wasn't possible until later on, reportedly due to supply issues, according to this article:
https://www.heise.de/news/AMD-Zen-3-Vorstellung-neuer-Epyc-Prozessoren-Anfang-2021-4962007.html

With Zen 1 and 2, it's a mixed picture, with some desktop CPUs released before server CPUs and some after.

We'll have to see about the Zen 4 desktop parts, but so far there's nothing to suggest they will release in 2022. It would certainly make sense for AMD to use the 5nm process for server CPUs though, as a die shrink should allow for higher core counts than on EPYC 7nm CPUs, and therefore, they should be highly profitable.

Apparently, there will be 96 core EPYC CPUs. There's also some cloud CPUs, which will have 128 cores, but these won't release until 2023:
https://www.tomshardware.com/uk/news/amd-unveils-zen-4-cpu-roadmap-96-core-5nm-genoa-128-core-begamo

It seems like AMD would have quite an advantage with 5nm based Zen 4 servers going up against Intel's 10nm 'Sapphire Rapids' servers in 2022, if there aren't significant supply issues which affect 5nm Zen 4 CPU production.

@SKILL - What do you think though, will we see Zen 4 desktop CPUs in 2022?
 
Last edited:
@Grim5 - I don't see why not, AMD was ahead for ages with CPUs like the 5600X and 5800X, so Zen 3 + V-Cache shouldn't be too far behind Intel's 12th gen.

By the looks of things, the fab process for Zen 3 + v-Cache will be 7nm, but it will be optimized for SRAM usage. This is how Anandtech describes this "it uses SRAM-optimized libraries of TSMC's 7nm process". SRAM is basically fast memory used for cache and CPU registers. Link here:
https://www.anandtech.com/show/1672...acked-vcache-technology-2-tbsec-for-15-gaming

It terms of it seeming weird, 2022 is gonna be a weird year I reckon, for lots of reasons :D

Meteor Lake and Zen 4 desktop CPUs in the 1st half of 2023, why not? Meteor Lake is reportedly going into production in the 2nd half of 2022, so it won't be released until 2023.
 
Last edited:
@humbug - Couldn't find that bit. I'll keep looking

I did find this though in that presentation, link here:
https://youtu.be/sU8QJdZ_WfQ?t=397
Lisa Su "Genoa will be our first server CPU using that Zen 4 core in 5nm". So, confirmation of Genoa in 2022.

Perhaps the obvious conclusion to draw, is that AMD would rather not announce the launch date of desktop Zen 4 CPUs until much later, because if the launch date was announced to be Q1 2023, some might be inclined to hold onto their money until then, rather than buy what's available in 2022 (Zen 3 + V-Cache).
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure if AMD have ever specifically said desktop Zen 4 (Ryzen) CPUs would launch in 2022. The roadmaps just tend to say 'Zen 4', it's pretty general.

I'm by no means sure what will happen, I'm just giving you my impression so far.

Consider that they are already launching Zen 4 server CPUs in late 2022, could there be sufficient capacity for both desktop and server parts in the same quarter? I really don't know.

From AMD's point of view, Zen 3 + V-Cache may be considered enough to compete with Alder Lake. Alder Lake is around 5-10% ahead of Zen 3 on average in games, based on Techpowerup reviews. I think AMD could easily make up this ground in games, but possibly lose a little ground in more general CPU tasks. The difference in DDR4/5 performance tends to be within 1-2%, with DDR4 still ahead in a few games, but this only really applies when compared to high frequency, expensive DDR5 RAM.

So just like the Ryzen 5000 series, I think the following generation will be great for gaming. Plus it should be an easy and relatively cheap upgrade for people using recent AM4 boards, this is it's strongest selling point.
 
Last edited:
@uscool - Well spotted you're right. About 7 minutes into the video he discusses a new platform for Ryzen CPUs in 2022.

EDIT - I've looked at this again, the topic of conversation is mostly about AMD's platforms.
 
Last edited:
I kinda think some people are reading a lot into this one interview. It certainly looks like an intention to release some Zen 4 products in 2022, but nothing more. It's obvious that some of you really want Zen 4 desktop CPUs to release in 2022, I'm not trying to wind you up by suggesting that they might not :)

Also, the guy mentions a new platform in 2022, not new CPUs, so his words can be interpreted in more than 1 way. The conversation they are having is all about platforms and new technologies, some Ryzen series history and the end of socket AM4 usage, beyond 2022.

It should probably be pointed out that both men are responsible either for technical marketing at AMD or marketing more generally. They are speaking quite generally, and don't go into the specific features of planned CPUs (except for V-Cache).

I think confirmation of the details is needed before drawing a conclusion, specifically whether desktop Zen 4 CPUs will launch in 2022, or 2023. They've been clear with Zen 4 servers, so maybe there will an announcement for other Zen 4 products in the next few months.

There are some tech review websites suggesting Zen 4 desktop CPU could launch in late 2022, or early 2023, so I'm not the only one ;)

Also, what does it matter to AMD, if they launch Zen 4 desktop CPUs in Q4 2022, or Q1 2023?
 
Last edited:
Looks like quite a lot of this thread got deleted at some point (can't think why!).
Will be interesting to see what's announced on the 4th Jan.

I've only heard some rumours that Meteor Lake might be for mobile devices only, with 'Arrow Lake' being the desktop counterpart (on 7nm EUV, but possibly a refined version). I'm not sure why that matters (if it's even true), as the core architecture is probably very similar, but people do like to have their codenames :cry:
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom