AMD Reportedly Readying 16 Core 32 Thread Ryzen CPUs

With the launch of Ryzen, AMD finally has a competitor in the high-end CPU market against Intel. Despite the launch of the highly acclaimed R7 1800X, AMD while winning the value fight, is still ceding the true performance king to the 10 core Intel i7 6950X. According to a new and unverified rumor, it appears that AMD is working on a counter to that chip. The rumor suggests that AMD is readying up a Ryzen processor with 16 threads and 32 threads for the consumer market.

Unlike mainstream Ryzen which uses the PGA AM4 socket, this new monster chip will feature a LGA socket and use the X399 chipsets. It will also bring support for quad channel memory which the current AM4 lineup lacks. This is not unlike Intel’s own HEDT platform with the X99/X299 chipsets and LGA 2011/2066 sockets, an upgrade over the regular Z270 chipset and socket LGA 1151.

In order to hit 16 cores and 32 threads, AMD would need to build upon their quad core CCX and octa-core Ryzen 7. It would most likely be 2 Ryzen 7 dies joined together in a MCM package just like the monster Naples server chip. With a high speed coherent interconnect, the use of MCM would cut down costs by using a smaller die, ensuring more workable processors. I twill be interesting to see if we will also get 10, 12 or even 14 core variants as well.

While it’s easy to imagine AMD one-upping Intel’s HEDT platform, the more likely target is the prosumer market like the Xeon Golds. Those chips offer up to 18 cores for budget workstations and prosumer users. By targeting Xeon Gold and the i7 6950X, AMD would seize this lucrative market for themselves. After all, Intel apparently sees a market here and as it is still in its infancy, AMD would not be starting from any significant disadvantage.