AMD Ryzen CPU, Zen based architecture. (Photo : YouTube/ NCIX Tech Tips )
AMD is rumored to launch its Ryzen CPUs in multiple core configurations but a new report is claiming that only the 4-core and 8-core variants will eventually hit the market soon, possibly leaving out the 6-core edition. And the actual release date has been set between late February and first week of March.
AMD has already indicated that its upcoming bets to challenge Intel's Kaby Lake/Skylake Core i3, i5 and i7 chips are the SR3, SR5 and SR7, and according to the chipmaker the Summit Ridge CPUs will come out in four, six and eight core configurations. The SR3, for instance, will be in 4-core and 8-thread variant while the SR5 in 8-core and 8-thread.
For the SR7, being the flagship Ryzen chip to take on the Core i7 by Intel, it's going to be 8-core and 16-thread with SMT. But if a new rumor picked up by Segment Next, there was no mention of the 6-core kind that presumably will be for the SR3 and SR5.
No clear explanation was given for the supposed 6-core skip by Ryzen but if true, the development will only be a minor disappointment given the leaked specs and other details, confirmed and unconfirmed, on the Zen-based processors. Per AMD, all Ryzen CPUs will be available unlocked and users can opt to overclock the chips right out of the box.
The overclocking feature of the SR3, SR5 and SR7 will be made available from Day One, the company assured as Socket AM4 and motherboards will surely debut with the chips. In addition, AMD has made sure that the necessary accessories, foremost of which are high-end air and water cooling solutions, for overclocking will be on store shelves at the same time of the Ryzen chips debut.
And all these will happen in a matter of the next few weeks to come, Extreme Tech reported, pointing to recently leaked information that seemed to hint AMD's launch preparations for the Ryzen CPUs. "AMD appears to be planning to launch the chip at the end of February or the very beginning of March, at most," the report said.
Supposedly, AMD will be staging an event that will formally unveil the SR7, SR5 and SR3, and the occasion will be held in time for the Game Developers Conference or GDC 2017 in San Francisco, California that will kick off February 27. GDC 2017 will run until March 3 so fans can expect that AMD will unpack the Ryzen CPUs no later than the first few days of March.
And on release date, AMD is expected to start selling the Ryzen CPUs at price points that will undercut any of Intel's Core i3, i5 and i7 offerings. Rumors say the SR3 will start at $149, the SR5 at $249 and the SR7 at no more than $500, which is for the SR7 Black Edition.
