AMD targets “insane” clock speeds “well above 6 GHz” with Zen 6 Ryzen – leaker claims

AMD’s reportedly aiming for clock speeds “well above 6 GHz” with its Zen 6 Ryzen CPUs

AMD’s planning to launch its next-generation Zen 6 CPUs in 2026, and if the newest leaks are to be believed, AMD’s got an incredibly fast CPU on the horizon. AMD is reportedly aiming to deliver clock speeds that are “well above 6 GHz” with its Zen 6 Ryzen CPUs.

With its next-generation Zen 6 CPUs, AMD aims to deliver architectural improvements and higher clock speeds. That means that AMD plans to deliver performance gains through higher clock rates and increased performance per clock. This is great news for PC enthusiasts, as while IPC gains are welcome, higher clock speeds impact all workloads.

Previously, it was leaked that AMD aimed to achieve clock speeds above 6GHz with Zen 6. Now, Moore’s Law is Dead has stated that AMD is targeting “insane” clock speeds that are “well above 6 GHz” This suggests that AMD isn’t planning to barely pass its 6 GHz performance target; they aim to smash it!

Are 6+ GHz clock speeds achievable on AMD’s Zen 6 architecture?

If AMD wants to boost the clock speeds of its next-generation CPUs, it needs a strong architecture and a strong lithography node. AMD uses leap-frogging teams of CPU designers, which means that Zen 6 is being made by AMD’s Zen 4 team. Furthermore, AMD has confirmed that it is using TSMC’s 2nm lithography node to manufacture its Zen 6 Venice CPUs.

AMD’s Zen 4 architecture is recognised for its higher clock speeds compared to AMD’s previous Zen CPU architectures. For context, AMD’s Zen 3 Ryzen 9 5950X has a boost clock speed of 4.9 GHz. AMD’s Zen 4 Ryzen 9 7950X featured a boost clock speed of 5.9 GHz. If the AMD Zen 4 team can work its magic again on Zen 6, clock speeds above 6 GHz seem very achievable. Furthermore, TSMC’s new 2nm technology could help AMD achieve these aims.

(Video from Moore’s Law is Dead)

We already expect boosted single-threaded performance from Zen 6

AMD has stated that its Zen 6 Venice CPUs will deliver a 1.7x generational performance boost over Zen 5. This will be achieved through higher core counts and increased per-core performance.

This 1.7x performance boost claim is based on a 256-core CPU. AMD’s Zen 5 EPYC lineup maxes out at 192 cores. Moving from 192 cores to 256 cores is an increase of 33%. If AMD are promising 70% more performance with only 33% more cores, AMD needs an extra 27.5% of added performance from each CPU core. This added performance will result from increased CPU clock speeds and higher instructions per cycle (IPC).

Higher levels of single-threaded performance are welcome. After all, many consumer workloads are limited by a CPU’s fastest core/thread. This is especially true for gaming workloads. If AMD is targeting clock speeds “well above 6 GHz”, that is a good thing for PC enthusiasts. Even without IPC increases, clock speed increases will accelerate all workloads. Add on Zen 6’s other expected improvements, and 2026 should be an exciting year for AMD.

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