A massive new leak from reliable source Moore's Law Is Dead has painted the most detailed picture yet of AMD's future Zen 7 architecture, codenamed "Grimlock," and it suggests a monumental leap in core counts, cache, and performance is on the horizon for desktops, laptops, and servers.
The extensive report, which elaborates on previous rumors, provides speculated specs, performance targets, and even a tentative release window, giving us a thrilling glimpse into AMD's roadmap for 2027 and beyond.
The Foundation: A March to Advanced Nodes
The journey to Zen 7 begins with its predecessor. According to the leak, while Zen 6 was initially planned for TSMC's N2X node, shifts in the foundry's roadmap may see it land on the refined N2P process instead. Zen 7, in turn, is expected to harness TSMC's cutting-edge A14 node, which is slated for High-Volume Manufacturing (HVM) in 2028. This aggressive adoption of next-generation silicon is the bedrock upon which AMD is building its performance gains.
Grimlock Ridge Desktop: A Cache Monster Unleashed
For PC enthusiasts, the desktop segment, codenamed "Grimlock Ridge," holds the most dramatic news. AMD is reportedly planning two primary chiplets:
Silverton: A high-performance beast featuring 16 Zen 7 cores, a massive 32 MB of L2 cache, 64 MB of L3 cache, and support for an additional 160 MB of 3D V-Cache per CCD.
Silverking: A more streamlined variant with 8 Zen 7 cores, 16 MB of L2 cache, 32 MB of L3 cache, and no 3D V-Cache support.
This configuration opens the door to staggering possibilities. Like Zen 6, Zen 7 is expected to support two CCDs per package. This means a top-tier consumer CPU could potentially feature 32 cores and a monumental 448 MB of total cache (64 MB L3 + 160 MB V-Cache, per CCD).
The leak even hints at a potential flagship product, possibly dubbed the Ryzen 9 9950X3D2, which could showcase this dual-CCD, V-Cache design as early as late next year.
Laptops Get a Complex Core Mix: Grimlock Point & Halo
The mobile landscape is set to become even more sophisticated. Following the hybrid approach of Strix Point, the next-generation laptop platforms—Grimlock Point and the more powerful Grimlock Halo—will reportedly mix different types of cores for optimal performance and efficiency.
The leak suggests we could see four core types: "Classic" (Zen 7), "Dense" (Zen 7c), "Efficiency," and "Low-Power."
Grimlock Point is tipped for a configuration of 4 Zen 7 cores and 8 Zen 7c cores.
Grimlock Halo, the successor to the powerful Medusa Halo, is rumored to step it up with 8 Zen 7 cores and 12 Zen 7c cores.
Both platforms will also incorporate an unspecified number of dedicated Zen 7 Low-Power cores, aiming to revolutionize battery life and efficiency in next-generation ultrabooks and gaming laptops.
Projected Performance: A Solid Generational Leap
So, what does this all mean for speed? While these figures are preliminary, the leak provides exciting performance targets.
For desktop parts, Zen 7 is expected to deliver a 16-20% performance uplift in non-gaming multi-threaded workloads over Zen 6. The IPC (Instructions Per Cycle) gain is a more modest 8%, though this is noted as a non-final figure. Where it truly shines is in threaded performance, with leaks pointing to up to a 20% increase in single-threaded tasks and a massive 67% jump in multi-core performance.
For laptops and handhelds, the news is even better. The focus on efficiency could lead to huge gains in performance-per-watt, which is critical for battery-powered devices. The leak claims improvements of up to:
36% at 3 Watts
32% at 7 Watts
25% at 12 Watts
17% at 22 Watts
This efficiency boost will be a game-changer for devices like the next-generation ASUS ROG Ally or a potential Ryzen Z4 Extreme, allowing OEMs to deliver more power and longer battery life in a compact form factor.
A Word of Caution: As with all unconfirmed leaks, these details should be viewed as a exciting but speculative look into AMD's future plans. Specifications, performance, and release timelines are all subject to change. However, if even half of these claims hold true, the PC market is in for a revolutionary shake-up in the coming years.
This article is based on a report by Moore's Law Is Dead. The information has not been verified by AMD and should be considered speculative.
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