AMD Ryzen 7000 'Raphael' Desktop CPUs will be the world's first 5nm chips powered by the Zen 4 core architecture as officially introduced by the red team. During their Computex 2022 keynote, Dr. Lisa Su (CEO of AMD) confirmed some new details regarding the next-generation platform and its performance uplift versus the Ryzen 5000 'Zen 3' lineup.
AMD Ryzen 7000 'Raphael' Official: World's First 5nm CPUs Launching This Fall With Over 5 GHz & Over 15% Performance Uplift Versus Ryzen 5000
The AMD Ryzen 7000 processors will be powered by the brand new Zen 4 core architecture which is going to be a total architecture overhaul. The CPUs will retain the chiplet design along with high-core counts. AMD hasn't confirmed anything in terms of specifications but it is stated that they will be powered by TSMC's 5nm process node and are designed for gamers first. The Ryzen 7000 CPUs will utilize two Zen 4 CCD's (Core Complex Dies) based on TSMC 5nm process and a singular I/O die (IOD) which is fabricated on TSMC's 6nm process node.
AMD Ryzen 'Zen 4' Desktop CPU Expected Features:
- Up To 16 Zen 4 Cores and 32 Threads
- Over 15% Performance Uplift In Single-Threaded Apps
- Brand New Zen 4 CPU Cores (IPC / Architectural Improvements)
- Brand New TSMC 5nm process node with 6nm IOD
- Support on AM5 Platform With LGA1718 Socket
- Dual-Channel DDR5 Memory Support
- 28 PCIe Lanes (CPU Exclusive)
- 105-120W TDPs (Upper Bound Range ~170W)
The next-generation Zen 4-based Ryzen Desktop CPUs will be codenamed Raphael and will replace the Zen 3-based Ryzen 5000 Desktop CPUs that are codenamed, Vermeer. Since these will be the standard Zen 4-powered chips, we expect to see up to 16 cores and 32 threads once again on the coming Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPUs but thanks to an architectural overhaul, a brand new process node, and rehauling of the cache (1MB vs 512KB), the performance has seen a nice uplift.
AMD claims that its Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPUs with Zen 4 cores will offer over 15% single-threaded performance gain over Zen 3 and hit clock speeds of around 5 GHz as demoed by them at CES 2022. The demo featured an undisclosed Zen 4 Ryzen 7000 CPU running at 5 GHz across all cores (core count not mentioned) which means that single-thread clock speed would be beyond 5 GHz. We can expect up to a 5 GHz all-core boost on the next-generation Zen 4-powered platform.
The CPUs will also come equipped with RDNA 2 iGPU which would be usable through HDMI 2.1 FRL and DP 1.4 connectors on the latest AM5 motherboards. In addition to the CPU & GPU, there will be an expanded instruction set for AI acceleration (AVX-512 anyone?).
The AMD Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPUs will feature a perfect square shape (45x45mm) but will house a very chonky integrated heat spreader or IHS. The CPUs will be the same length, width, and height as the existing Ryzen Desktop CPUs and are sealed across the sides so applying thermal paste won't fill the interior of the IHS with TIM. That's also why current coolers will be fully compatible with Ryzen 7000 chips.
As for TDP requirements, the AMD AM5 CPU platform will feature six different segments starting with the flagship 170W CPU class which is recommended for Liquid coolers (280mm or higher). It looks like this will be an aggressively clocked chip with higher voltages and with CPU overclocking support. This segment is followed by 120W TDP CPUs which are recommended to utilize a high-performance air-cooler. Interestingly, the 45-105W variants are listed as SR1/SR2a/SR4 thermal segments which means they would require standard heatsink solutions when running in a stock configuration so not much else is required to keep them cool.
As for the launch, the AMD Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPUs are said to launch this fall which means the earliest we are going to see the chips in action is September 2022. It is definitely surprising since motherboard makers are mostly ready with their upcoming X670E, X670, and B650 offerings and are now being unveiled. The new platform will enable both DDR5 and PCIe Gen 5.0 support for the first time on an AMD CPU-powered platform.
AMD Ryzen 7000 Desktop CPU Render (With/Without IHS):
AMD Mainstream Desktop CPU Generations Comparison:
| AMD CPU Family | Codename | Processor Process | Processors Cores/Threads (Max) | TDPs (Max) | Platform | Platform Chipset | Memory Support | PCIe Support | Launch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 1000 | Summit Ridge | 14nm (Zen 1) | 8/16 | 95W | AM4 | 300-Series | DDR4-2677 | Gen 3.0 | 2017 |
| Ryzen 2000 | Pinnacle Ridge | 12nm (Zen +) | 8/16 | 105W | AM4 | 400-Series | DDR4-2933 | Gen 3.0 | 2018 |
| Ryzen 3000 | Matisse | 7nm (Zen 2) | 16/32 | 105W | AM4 | 500-Series | DDR4-3200 | Gen 4.0 | 2019 |
| Ryzen 5000 | Vermeer | 7nm (Zen 3) | 16/32 | 105W | AM4 | 500-Series | DDR4-3200 | Gen 4.0 | 2020 |
| Ryzen 5000 3D | Warhol? | 7nm (Zen 3D) | 8/16 | 105W | AM4 | 500-Series | DDR4-3200 | Gen 4.0 | 2022 |
| Ryzen 7000 | Raphael | 5nm (Zen 4) | 16/32 | 170W | AM5 | 600-Series | DDR5-5200 | Gen 5.0 | 2022 |
| Ryzen 7000 3D | Raphael | 5nm (Zen 4) | 16/32 | 120W | AM5 | 600-Series | DDR5-5200 | Gen 5.0 | 2023 |
| Ryzen X000 | Granite Ridge | 3nm (Zen 5)? | TBA | TBA | AM5 | 700-Series? | DDR5-5600+ | Gen 5.0 | 2024 |
