AMD’s next-generation Zen 5 processors are already in mass production, we’re told by the rumor mill.
This piece of information was revealed by a well-known ‘leaker’ on X (formerly Twitter), Kepler, after they were asked if these ‘Granite Ridge’ desktop chips were already in production.
As you can see, Kepler answered yes, they are (via Wccftech). Take that with a wheelbarrow full of spices, of course, especially since there’s no further elaboration beyond the one-word answer.
Zen 5 processors could be Ryzen 8000, or AMD could skip that and go straight to Ryzen 9000 (leaving the Ryzen 8000 series as just the APUs – all-in-one chips with snappy integrated graphics – that debuted last week were unveiled at CES 2024).
Whatever the name, we know that these processors will be supported by current AM5 chipset motherboards, and that support will indeed continue for a while.
Analysis: Breathing space in the battle against Arrow Lake
Just because Zen 5 processors are in mass production doesn’t mean they’re on our doorstep. Looking back at Ryzen 7000 CPUs, there were rumors floating around about mass production in March 2022, before the desktop chips were released in September – so the first rumors came about six months in advance.
That means Zen 5 (Ryzen 8000 or 9000) CPUs might show up in July or just after, and this lines up with what we’ve been hearing in the rumor mill recently about a likely Q3 (July to September) launch timeframe. Historically, this is more likely to be later in the quarter than mid-year (July), and the other factor to keep in mind is that AMD won’t particularly feel rushed by Intel’s (theoretical) progress with its next-gen processors.
Rumor has it that Intel’s Arrow Lake won’t show up until late 2024, so AMD has plenty of breathing room in that regard. In short, Team Red has the wiggle room to wait for enough production and inventory to build up before launching the Zen 5, so people won’t be disappointed by stock shortages and the like.
All of this is largely in theory, but suffice it to say that the start of mass production is in line with everything else we’ve heard (including early mentions of the Ryzen 900 series, a small clue – again, add skepticism – that this may be the name for Zen 5 desktop CPUs). Compete for the next generation chips as they try to dominate our selection of the best processors.