We may have just got a peek at AMD Zen 3 in this Linux kernel update
Ryzen 4th-gen desktop CPUs could arrive sooner than we thought
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References toZen 3, the architecture ofAMD’s next-gen Ryzen desktop processors, have turned up in the Linux kernel, hinting that these chips might just arrive sooner than we think.
New versions of the Linux kernel are often combed through as they emerge, looking for clues like references to unreleased hardware, and this time around it’s Komachi_Ensaka (a prolific leaker) who spotted details of AMD’s ‘Family 19h’ processors, and shared them on Twitter.
[PATCH 4/5] EDAC/amd64: Add family ops for Family 19h Models 00h-0Fh https://t.co/wveHQTqrqU>Add family ops to support AMD Family 19h systems. Existing Family 17hfunctions can be used.Also, add Family 19h to the list of families to automatically load themodule.January 18, 2020
AsTechspot, which reported on the tweet, points out, Family 19h refers to Zen 3 silicon. Zen 2 – the architecture on which existing Ryzen 3rd-gen CPUs are built – is Family 17h.
The fact that it’s a new family underlines what we’ve previously heard: that Zen 3 is a whole new architecture, with major gains expected as such. Indeed, some speculation contends that Ryzen 4000 desktop processors might witness a 20% performance leap over and above current Ryzen 3000 products.
Which could possibly leaveIntelin a difficult position, particularly if its next-gen Comet Lake desktop processors are delayed – withpotential issues around power consumption seemingly causing troubleif the rumor mill is right. And certainly something seems amiss somewhere – these CPUs were widely expected to be at least teased at CES,but were a complete no-show.
AMD aggression
Zen 3 appearing in the Linux kernel doesn’t mean the release of Ryzen 4th-gen chips is around the corner, by any means, but it does hint that perhaps the mid-year point, or just after, could be feasible for release. And ifComet Lake slides to maybe even May, as current speculation holds, that could leave these Intel chips almost immediately facing off against the next-generation of Ryzen.
AMD CEO Lisa Su recently confirmed that Zen 3 will definitely be out in 2020, and that thecompany is going to be “very aggressive” with its CPU roadmap, again hinting that we might see Ryzen 4000 desktop chips sooner rather than later in the second half of the year.
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Naturally, all of this is merely theorizing on launch timeframes, but Intel is doubtlessly feeling the CPU heat in more than one way right now. The company has already lost enough ground in the desktop processor arena to AMD, without further slipping up.
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Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - ‘I Know What You Did Last Supper’ - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).
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