The latest leaks surrounding the upcoming AMD Zen 6 and Zen 6c architectures – codenamed Venice – suggest a significant leap in server and consumer computing power thanks to a boost in CCD (Core Complex Die) core counts. According to multiple sources, Zen 6 could offer the much-awaited CCD reimagining, offering unprecedented core densities in addition to architectural improvements.
Based on these reports, AMD’s 6th Gen Epyc Venice processors will come in two flavours, like their predecessors. The first will use the standard Zen 6 variant, whereas the second will go with the denser Zen 6c design. Both will be available on the brand’s high-end SP7 and entry-level SP8 platforms, offering 12 or 16-channel memory support. AMD has also confirmed that it plans to use TSMC’s latest 2nm manufacturing process to build its Zen 6 chips, giving it another edge in density and power efficiency.
Unlike Intel’s E-cores, the compact Zen 6c cores are pretty much identical to their regular Zen 6 counterparts, mainly differing in frequency to manage the increase in heat density. In other words, Zen 6 and Zen 6c cores handle the same instruction sets, just that the latter’s per-core performance is slightly slower. A limitation that the sheer number of extra cores attempts to negate as AMD can pack thanks to Zen 6c’s compactness.
Both variants should power the brand’s 6th-gen Epyc 9006 CPUs, bringing up to 96 Zen 6 or 256 Zen 6c cores, respectively spread through 8 and 16 CCD chiplets. This means that each CCD could house up to 16 cores alongside 128MB of L3 cache, marking an increase over previous designs. Hopefully, consumer desktop platforms also reap similar benefits in the future.
With Zen 6/c, AMD continues pushing its modular approach by boosting scalability, aided by the move to a new platform. Rumours even indicate that the higher SP7 socket may support a new DDR6 memory plus PCIe 6.0 interfaces, further boosting the I/O capabilities of Epyc platforms. That’s not forgetting efficiency improvements brought on by the node shrink too.
For context, rumours currently suggest the 128-core Zen 6c processors will demand between 350W and 400W, with the 256-core monster asking for about 600W. As a reminder, the 192-core Zen 5c Epyc 9965 carries a 500W TDP.
On the desktop side, reports have indicated that AMD may be rebalancing its architecture to focus on multithreaded performance in addition to instructions-per-clock and latency. Thus, gaming performance may hopefully see a noticeable uplift similar to the one brought by Zen 3.
AMD Zen 6-based products should hit the market in 2026, reinforcing the brand’s consumer, data centre, and HPC applications. I can’t wait to see them in action.
