While unconfirmed, AMD is rumored to release the upcoming Ryzen CPUs - SR3, SR5, SR7 - in multi-core configurations save for the 6-core flavor in the first quarter of 2017. But with Intel reportedly gearing up for a 6-core mid-range bet as part of its Coffee Lake thrust in 2018, will AMD change its mind and meet its chief nemesis head-on?
The AMD Ryzen CPUs, as mentioned, will come out in three that will challenge Intel's Core i3, i5 and i7 chips. Forbes reported that the SR3 will sell in 4-core/8-thread edition, the SR5 in 8-core/8-thread and the flagship SR7 in 8-core/16-thread. It was speculated that a Summit Ridge chip with six cores was part of the deal but the same report appears to quash such possibility.
Forbes pointed to a table shared by Zolkorn.com as source of its information.
If true, AMD skipping 6-core for its Ryzen chips, which will be of Zen-based architecture, could mean that the chipmaker is deliberately leaving the mid-range CPU segment for Intel to dominate. "It's possible AMD doesn't view 6-core CPUs as worth the effort, given they only offer modest gains in multi-threaded performance over 4-core parts," Forbes said on its report.
The plan, it looks like, is for AMD to challenge in the 8-core arena where the processing battle counts the most. "An 8-core CPU would offer much better performance here, all other things being equal," the report added.
It's likely that for its entry-level and mid-range bets, AMD will muscle up on the SR3 and SR5 series with focus on the 4-core configuration.
Yet it seems that AMD is pretty confident that a 6-core Ryzen CPU will not be sorely missed mainly due to the specs being attached so far with the chips. The company has already confirmed that Summit Ridge is unlocked and thus ready to overclock right out of box. So in theory, any of the 4-core SR3 and SR5 chips when overclocked will certainly be on par with the things that a 6-core CPU can do.
Another thing that could have prompted AMD to do away with the 6-core Ryzen variant is pricing. Per Forbes: "Ryzen CPUs are likely to be cheaper than their Intel counterparts, with even the Core i7-6800K retailing for a hefty $400+, which could mean things will still lean in AMD's favor."
Indeed there are talks that AMD will retail the Ryzen CPUs starting at $149 for the SR3 and $249 for the SR5. Even the flagship SR7 is rumored to sit on store shelves with the sticker price beginning at $349, and the top-most option, thought to be the SR7 Black Edition, up for grabs for less than $500.
However, Forbes said Intel will likely introduce a fresh batch of 6-core chips anytime in 2018 that will be part of the Coffee Lake microarchitecture family. If that happens, it's fair to assume that AMD will seriously play the game that Intel is pitching and release an SR CPU of the same flavor.