AMD Zen Octa-core release date, news, specs rumors: Zen a high-performance processor

Kristinova V. Justimbaste Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Early this year, there were speculations that AMD was working on a new set of CPUs, which poses a threat to companies like Intel that are engaged in similar undertakings.

Promotional image for AMD's Zen architecture | AMD

AMD, which is known for creating top-tier processors for today's leading electronics companies, is developing a new device that exceeds its previous units on a massive scale. Curiously, the name of this new chipset is called Zen. It is understandably expected to make the company stand out from its competitors since according to company insiders, AMD Zen will be a high-performance processor, having an edge over the company's previously released chipset.

"We've taken a brand new core engine - tuned for performance - combined it with a high-bandwidth, low-latency cache system," lead architect Mike Clark previously stated.

According to reports, experts believe that this new chipset changes the CPU landscape when it launches next year. The Zen architecture is the latest processor design the company has introduced since the Bulldozer technology, which came out five years ago.

The upcoming AMD Zen flagship CPU is an AMD 680K with an initial price of $300, a far less expensive price tag than Intel's processors. The Zen CPU is expected to be a powerful device that utilizes eight physical cores and 16 CPU threads, not to mention its likeness to other high-performance CPUs in the market today.

Company insiders say AMD Zen is a fabricated octa-core chipset employing the x86-processor architecture. There are also rumors about 16 hardware threads and a 14-nm low-power FinFET. But it has been confirmed that AMD's octa-core CPU would feature a 14-nm FinFET architecture that boasts a 40 percent improvement in performance compared to the MD Excavator chips. The chipset includes an AM4 socket that is compatible with motherboards which are powered by seventh-generation A-series processors.

Consumers can expect the brand new processors stocked on the market's shelves in the first quarter of 2017.

Watch out for more updates on the AMD Zen processor.