A recent shipping manifest leak has set the tech world abuzz, revealing tantalizing details about AMD's upcoming Ryzen 9000 Threadripper processor. The leak suggests a monster chip boasting 96 cores and 192 threads, potentially pushing the boundaries of high-end desktop (HEDT) computing even further.
The Leak
An established tipster known as "Everest" shared a snapshot of a shipping manifest describing a new AMD Threadripper CPU. The document refers to a 96-core processor codenamed 'Shimada Lake', which aligns with AMD's known codename for the Ryzen 9000 Threadripper series.
What We Know
While specifics remain scarce, the core count matches that of the current flagship Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7995WX. This suggests the new chip could be a direct successor, potentially offering:
- 12 Core Complex Dies (CCDs) on a single I/O die
- Up to 384 MB of L3 cache
- Support for 128 PCIe 5.0 lanes
The Big Questions
The leak leaves several crucial details unknown:
- Clock speeds: Will AMD push frequencies even higher?
- Power consumption: The current 7995WX has a 350W TDP. Will this increase?
- Architecture improvements: How will Zen 5 enhance performance beyond core count?
Market Position
Threadripper processors occupy an increasingly niche market segment. With consumer-grade CPUs like the Ryzen 9 7950X offering impressive performance, the value proposition of HEDT chips is evolving.
Looking Ahead
AMD's roadmap suggests a 2025 launch for the Ryzen 9000 Threadripper series. As we await official confirmation, this leak offers an exciting glimpse into the future of high-performance computing.
While the 96-core count is impressive, the real story will unfold when we see how AMD leverages its Zen 5 architecture to push performance boundaries in this extreme processor category.