We tend to have short memories in the world of PC hardware. If we look in the rear-view mirror, we see that the Ryzen 9 9950X simply has the same number of cores and threads as its ancestor, the Ryzen 9 3950X. If we look at the Ryzen 5 9600X, it has the same configuration as the Ryzen 5 1600X, launched in 2017 and using the Zen (Summit Ridge) architecture with 6 cores and 12 threads. With Zen 6, AMD could change all that.
Zen 6: more cores, more cache
With ZEN 6 AMD is set to offer several configurations. The Zen 6 and Zen 6c cores could enable next-generation Ryzen processors to finally exceed the number of cores they’ve been stuck with for years. As far as the L3 cache is concerned, there could be some major changes here too. Several leaks, notably on Chiphell, give us an idea of the future of Ryzen.
There’s talk of several configurations, which may differ depending on whether Zen 6 or 6c cores are used. In the first case, Ryzen processors using standard Zen 6 cores will be able to integrate up to 12 cores per CCD (Core Complex Die). In addition, the L3 cache will be optimised: while current non-X3D CCDs have 32 MB, the new architecture will increase this capacity by 50%, reaching 48 MB per CCD, and even 96 MB for processors equipped with two CCDs.
Ryzen processors using Zen 6c cores will also benefit from an increase in the number of cores per CCD. This could mean an increase from 12 to 16 cores. The same goes for cache memory. This will be more generous, rising from 48 MB to 64 MB.
Nothing before 2027?
The question now is when the Zen 6-based processors will arrive, and for a while there was talk of the second half of 2026. However, some suggest that they may not appear until early 2027. It’s worth noting that this slowdown can also be seen at Intel, which seems to be taking a break between Arrow Lake and its next generation. Intel is also expecting a sharp increase in the number of cores in its next CPUs.
