AMD’s next-gen 3D V-Cache processors – which will be Ryzen 9000X3D models – could be out soon after vanilla Ryzen 9000 CPUs arrive, and that’d be serious trouble for Intel.
Now, we should arm ourselves with a whole lot of caution upfront, because this is just a rumor, but according to Club386, AMD’s plan is to launch Ryzen 9000X3D processors in September.
If you were thinking there’s a question mark here immediately, in terms of what a ‘launch’ would be – an unveiling of the silicon, or the CPUs actually being on shelves in September – the language of the report very much indicates the latter. While it doesn’t explicitly state this, the comparison drawn later in the report between the launch of Ryzen 9 7950X and 7950X3D, which had a five month gap, is based on the on-sale dates.
So, we can only assume that it’ll be just a two month gap in terms of on-sales dates from Ryzen 9000 – which arrives in July, as announced by AMD at Computex last week – to the 9000X3D silicon turning up in September. Which would be a very fast launch from Team Red indeed, and a very real blow to Intel’s next-gen hopes (we’ll come back to that shortly).
The rumor comes from an anonymous source (naturally) at the Computex 2024 show, and the report speculates about which processor models could arrive first. Club386 theorizes (well, guesses) that they might be the Ryzen 9 9950X3D with maybe the Ryzen 9 9900X3D in tow also (as per AMD’s past form – with lower-tier models following later).
Sadly, we don’t get any details on the potential specs of these firm favorites for ranking well on our list of the best CPUs.
Analysis: AMD to outgun Intel’s arrows?
First off, we should stress the plentiful seasoning needed here. This is quite the surprise revelation, frankly, and we’ll be happier when we hear it from another source (or two). Also, with these X3D CPUs apparently quite close to hand, there still being no spec details at all is another point that could cast further flickering shadows of doubt (in our books, anyway).
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That said, Club386 maintains that its source was confident and that they are trustworthy – while also noting that AMD’s current plans could change.
That’s always something to remember with rumors around launch timeframes, because even if this is AMD’s intention now (or a couple of weeks ago, or whenever the source spoke to their contacts), the plan could hit stumbling blocks or be switched around for whatever reason.
Assuming this is true – a somewhat uncomfortable leap for us to make at the moment, as noted, but we have to consider the possibility – what does that mean for the world of desktop CPUs? The biggest factor here is that it really puts the proverbial cat amongst the processing pigeons in terms of Intel’s next-gen launch plans.
As you’ll doubtless recall, Intel has Arrow Lake desktop processors lined up for release later this year. The thing is that they’re expected to arrive in Q4, with likely an initial reveal in September – and that Arrow Lake unveiling would be massively undermined if AMD has 9000X3D silicon ready to go at this point. These X3D processors will be excellent picks for the best gaming PCs, no doubt, and Intel will seem like it’s struggling – or indeed failing – to keep up with the pace in the desktop CPU world.
Mind you, obviously a lot still rides on the relative strength of Arrow Lake compared to Ryzen 9000 (or indeed Ryzen 9000 X3D), and pricing comparisons to boot, so we shouldn’t write off Team Blue yet by any means. A 3D V-Cache release taking place as rumored here, though, is going to make life difficult for Intel.