AMD Announces Zen 5 Ryzen 9000 CPUs

AMD today announced its latest generation of Ryzen processors, leveraging Zen 5 architectural enhancements to boost performance averages by up to 16% compared to its previous Zen 4 generation.

Models include a range similar to previous Ryzen 7000 models right down to the 5.7GHz max boost clock of its sixteen-core Ryzen 9 9950X, but with lower TDP shown for its 9900X compared to the 170W of the previous 7900X.

Zen 5 desktop CPUs are scheduled for release in July, along side updated models for its legacy AM4 motherboards: The 5900XT supplants the previous top AM4 model by increasing its core count from 12 (5900X) to 16 (5900XT)

While the fate of the previous AM4 socket has been sealed for years, AM5 continues platform development with a newly-named X870/X870E. AMD promises on-chipset USB 4.0 this time around, but that’s what we thought we were getting when X670/X670E boards started showing up using Intel’s old Thunderbolt 3 controller to address this capability. Since both chipset generations are compatible with both generations of Socket AM5 processors (Zen 4, Zen 5), we’re taking a wait-and-see approach regarding motherboard advancement.