AMD Tests 256-Core EPYC Zen 6 Architecture and Handheld APUs
Advanced Micro Devices is developing its Zen 6 architecture, offering a preview of performance gains headed for future desktop and handheld devices. Leaked database entries reveal a 256-core EPYC processor utilizing dense Zen 6c cores, alongside separate testing data for a low-power mobile APU uncovered on OpenBenchmarking and detailed by Wccftech.
The server-grade chip, designated as the EPYC 9996, incorporates 256 Zen 6c cores arranged across eight compute blocks and features 1 GB of L3 cache, backed by a 1024-bit memory bus with a 1.64 TB/s throughput. To measure the raw architectural improvements, hardware enthusiast “three twenty six” compared the server processor against an existing desktop Ryzen 7 9700X built on the Zen 5 architecture. Both chips were locked at an identical frequency of 4.1 GHz for single-threaded evaluation in Linux. The Zen 6-based EPYC achieved 2,847 points compared to 2,483 points for the Zen 5 Ryzen, indicating an average instruction-per-clock increase of roughly 15 percent.
Parallel to the server hardware leak, OpenBenchmarking records highlighted a preliminary mobile engineering sample carrying the identifier 100-000001930-12_Y running on an AMD GBR-FF6-SKT platform, as covered by Wccftech. This test sample contains 6 cores and 12 threads operating at a 2.4 GHz clock speed, paired with 24 GB of LPDDR5 memory distributed across four 6 GB SK Hynix modules operating at 9,600 MT/s. Operating under Ubuntu 24.04, the engineering sample completed graphics-focused benchmarks including GiMark, FurMark, and TessMark. The configuration points to potential hardware upgrades for future portable gaming systems, contrasting with the current Steam Deck which relies on a four-core Zen 2 processor and 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory at 6,400 MT/s.
Frequently Asked Questions About AMD Zen 6 Processors
When will Zen 6 desktop processors launch for public purchase?
Full desktop processors built on the Zen 6 architecture are scheduled to arrive for consumer AM5 motherboards at the beginning of next year.
What memory configuration does the tested mobile Zen 6 sample use?
The mobile engineering sample tested on OpenBenchmarking utilizes 24 GB of LPDDR5 memory split into four 6 GB modules from SK Hynix, achieving an effective speed of 9,600 MT/s.
How does the Zen 6 core performance compare directly to Zen 5?
In single-threaded Linux benchmarks locked at 4.1 GHz, the Zen 6 architecture delivers a baseline 15 percent increase in instructions per clock over Zen 5, with specific task improvements reaching up to 24 percent in HTML5 rendering.
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