AMD's Zen 6 desktop CPUs may have up to 24 cores with huge L3 cache

HARDWARE NEWS manhkbrady - 13-Mar-2025, 11:30 am

The tech community is buzzing with rumors about AMD’s upcoming Zen 6 CPU generation, which promises a major leap in performance. According to leaked sources, the Ryzen 10000 series, based on the Zen 6 architecture, could feature up to 24 cores in its high-end variant—marking the first significant increase in core count from AMD in nearly six years.

AMD has maintained 8 cores per CCD (Core Complex Die) since the launch of the Ryzen 3000 series in 2019. However, Zen 6 is rumored to break this limit by featuring 12 cores per CCD, allowing high-end models to reach 24 cores using a dual-CCD configuration. This information has been reported by reliable sources such as Moore’s Law Is Dead and ChipHell and has been confirmed by Tom’s Hardware.

Beyond increasing core counts, AMD is also expected to retain an L3 cache of up to 4MB per core, similar to Zen 5. Additionally, a 3D V-Cache variant is anticipated, offering even greater performance gains.

Close-up of an AMD Ryzen processor. The AMD logo and Ryzen text are clearly visible on the top of the chip.

Zen 6 isn’t just focused on desktop CPUs—it also brings substantial improvements to APUs (Accelerated Processing Units). The Medusa Point APU for laptops is rumored to feature 12 Zen 6 cores on a single CCD, along with 8 RDNA GPU cores, a 128-bit memory controller, and a powerful NPU (Neural Processing Unit). Leaks also suggest that AMD will implement Infinity Cache technology to enhance integrated graphics performance.

For desktop APUs, the Medusa Ridge variant may include up to 24 cores with a dual-CCD design, delivering exceptional processing power alongside an integrated NPU—though it will likely not focus on strong graphics capabilities like its laptop counterpart.

AMD is expected to reveal more details about Zen 6 later this year, with the first CPUs potentially launching in early 2026. With groundbreaking advancements in core count, chiplet architecture, and integrated graphics performance, Zen 6 is set to revolutionize the CPU and APU market.

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