AMD Ryzen 12-Core and 16-Core CPUs are Multi-Chip Modules

AMD is certainly having the year of comebacks. We already know the Ryzen 7 processors and what they can do, and the Ryzen 5 processors will be released shortly. We also know about the impressive 32-core Naples workstation and server processors which will be coming soon as well as the new Vega graphics cards. The space between the Ryzen 7 1800x and the Naples 32-core processors will be filled with impressive 12-core and 16-core variants and it is those we’re talking about here.

The 12 and 16-core Ryzen processors are designed to take on Intel’s High-End Desktop (HEDT) systems on the X99 platform. We’ve already seen some diagrams and motherboard layouts for these processors with a larger socket than the AM4. That is because these new processors feature pin-counts in excess of 4,000 pins and come in a new LGA package.

The reason for this is simple, the new 12-core and 16-core Ryzen processors will be multi-chip modules (MCMs) of two “Summit Ridge” dies. A report from a Türkish tech publication revealed this and the 12-core version will simply have one core disabled per CCX (3+3+3+3).

Since the processor is an MCM of two Summit Ridge dies, the memory bus width and PCIe lanes will be doubled. The chip will feature a quad-channel DDR4 memory interface and will have a total of 58 PCI-Express Gen. 3.0 lanes (only one of the two dies will put out the PCI-Express 3.0 x4 A-Link chipset bus).

Another piece of great news is that the increase in core count isn’t coming with a decrease in clock speeds. The 12-core variant will hence likely have its TDP rated at 140W and the 16-core variant at 180W. AMD is expected to unveil these chips at the Computex 2017 in Taipei, this June. The actual products are expected to launch shortly after.