AMD Introduces New Future-Proof Zen Processors

In a leap towards future-proof processing solutions, AMD introduces its new, next-generation "Zen" processor core, alongside a family of scalable solutions that highlight its grounds-up approach to performance engineering. Benchmark aggregators have produced exciting reports of its performance results, with impressive values for the brand's new suite of products.

The American semiconductor company has laid down the groundwork for scalable performance solutions, from small mobile applications all the way to desktop architectures that handle multiple cores enhanced for virtual environments. According to WCCFTech, AMD has announced that the new Zen processors will be shipped in scalable variants, with 8 cores placed for Summit Ridge and up to 32 cores for the Naples variant.

The Zen processors are listed as "AMD Engineering Sample" with a performance track that gives it several notches up against Intel's Core i7 6900k, the same octa-core processor which AMD tested against during the Zen's reveal.

In a test running the GPU rendering benchmark Blender, the 8-core variant of AMD's Zen achieves a rate that's comparable to the Intel Xeon E5 2680 v2 processor. Though this processor has 10 cores and is relatively faster than its predecessor (the Xeon E5 2650 v2) in terms of throughput, both the Intel and AMD processors start from low base clocks of 2.8 Ghz for the 10-core Intel and 2.6 Ghz for the 8-core AMD.

The Naples architecture moves in with more approximate figures. It sports the highest configuration for the Zen processor and might be the performance go-to for AMD's new family of processors. As of now, however, the price point in relation to market competition hasn't been announced yet, placing AMD's value philosophy in question as potential buyers anticipate its official release.

The expectations with AMD's Zen processors range from those that pit it against Intel at every point, clock speed, and core-wise. As many gamers have proven, however, that in terms of performance per dollar versus premium branding, they always opt for the former. With this in mind, avid gaming and overclocking enthusiasts might look to the AMD Zen as the new architecture to try, even if that means replacing their previous builds with the new processors.