There’s a new rumor circulating about AMD’s next-generation processors based on the Zen 6 architecture. According to the latest rumors, the company is reportedly replacing the iGPU in its processors with an NPU. This means there would no longer be an integrated graphics component, but rather aNeural Processing Unit designed for AI models. You should be able to run local models more easily… Provided that’s the goal!
Zen 6: No More iGPUs, Make Way for the NPU!
Dedicated graphics card required!
This is the latest rumor regarding this upcoming generation of AMD processors: the company reportedly plans to integrate an NPU into its Ryzen 10000 models instead of an iGPU. Admittedly, with Zen 5, the iGPU was anything but powerful since it consisted of only two Compute Units, but it still served a purpose—especially if your graphics card burned out due to an unreliable power connector, for example. At least that allowed users to keep using their PC while waiting for a replacement card.
Now, AMD is shifting toward AI for its desktop CPUs, which are getting an NPU for the first time. Until now, AMD had reserved this little “bonus” for its APUs, but now they’re on their way to becoming standard across the entire AMD lineup. In short, with Zen 6, a dedicated GPU is a must!
Possible configurations:
As a reminder, we’re talking about CCDs integrating more cores and cache memory. In this specific case, we’d go from 8 to a maximum of 12 cores per CCD. Consequently, you can opt for a single-CCD configuration with 6, 8, 10, or 12 cores. The 16-, 20-, and 24-core models would utilize two CCDs with some cores disabled.
Another highlight: support for DDR5 CUDIMM memory as well as EXPO 1.2. Normally, memory support should be similar to what Intel currently offers, or even go a step further—we’ll have to wait and see. Finally, there would still be X3D models equipped with 3D V-Cache memory to increase the CPUs’ L3 cache capacity.
