AMD Zen and Intel Kaby Lake processors will reportedly only support Windows 10 and other operating systems compatible with Unix which is bad news for those still using computers with legacy OS.
PC gamers looking for a cheaper and possibly more powerful alternative to Intel processors are anticipating the release of AMD Zen processors which will use the 14nm process while the successors will be made using 7nm. The first batch of Zen processors to be launched in early 2017 will reportedly be short in supply as the chips are still in development by AMD.
Intel might still be a leap ahead as they will use the 10nm process next year compared to AMD Zen's 14nm, PC World has learned. They will also be jumping to 7-nm eventually, leading to a same ground with AMD when the time comes.
AMD is already using the 14nm process with their recent release of Polaris 10 GPUs. The AMD Radeon RX 480, RX 470 and RX 460 seem to be selling like hotcakes for those who want to build budget gaming PCs while still being able to play the latest AAA games at 1080p resolution.
The bad news is that both AMD Zen and Intel Kaby Lake processors will reportedly only support the newer operating systems today with Windows 10 in particular, Guru3D reported. It still makes sense considering that Microsoft has been offering free upgrades for Windows 7 and above operating systems to update to the latest Windows 10 version.
There is no solid confirmation yet from Intel or AMD regarding the issue. Nobody also knows what will happen to PCs running older versions when users try to upgrade to the AMD Zen or Kaby Lake processors.
While the PC may still run as normal, some speculate that other features might not work at all unless the user upgrades to the latest operating system. For instance, it could still be used to browse the Internet but not to play games or even watch videos.
Intel's Kaby Lake and AMD Zen processors are the companies' next big thing for the PC market and an announcement regarding the issue should be expected soon. Windows 10 and Unix operating systems could just be options for the budget PC builder but the requirement from the new processors might force upgrades.