AMD is on a roll with massively profitable gaming CPUs, and it’s already planning for the years forward. In keeping with a brand new rumor, AMD expects to launch its next-gen Zen 6 Ryzen “Medusa” gaming CPUs in late 2026 or early 2027, with plans that the brand new CPUs will keep compatibility with current motherboards by utilizing the identical AM5 socket design as different Ryzen CPUs.
It’s by no means too early to assume forward, and AMD has a giant lead within the battle for one of the best gaming CPU that it’s going to wish to maintain on to. Simply this week, we revealed our AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D overview, which confirmed that this new CPU is effectively forward of one of the best that Intel has to supply, together with the Intel Core i9 14900K, with phenomenal gaming efficiency.
Nonetheless, AMD has a fame to uphold, and it might probably’t relaxation within the pursuit for glory, so it’s not stunning to listen to that it already has a plan for the following technology. This newest rumor comes straight from X (previously Twitter), with well-known {hardware} leaker Kepler_L2 reporting in a tweet thread that the corporate is launching Zen 6 “so far as they know” in a interval between late 2026 to early 2027.
In the identical thread, Kepler_L2 additionally studies that these new Ryzen gaming CPUs will keep compatibility with AM5 by answering “sure” when requested in the event that they’ll be utilizing the identical socket design as present Zen 5 CPUs. There are not any different particulars to be shared up to now, however that’s unsurprising, as any unconfirmed particulars (together with these) are topic to vary.
Nonetheless, this does appear to match earlier AMD Zen 6 launch particulars that got here straight from the chip maker itself at its AMD Tech Day occasion again in July, when it acknowledged that the Zen 6 launch date can be in 2027, and that AM5 can be supported till at the very least 2027, too.
Whereas the discharge date is attention-grabbing, the socket design provides some early excellent news for customers. By sticking with the identical AM5 socket as present Ryzen 7000 and Ryzen 9000 CPUs, it’s doubtless that avid gamers received’t must improve to a model new motherboard, lowering the general value for upgrades. A brand new PC construct is dear sufficient, however this might enable for less expensive upgrades, particularly when you think about that one of the best CPUs already value tons of of {dollars}.
As all the time, with a launch date so distant, so much is (and sure will) change between at times. Within the meantime, in the event you’re available in the market for a brand new CPU improve, take a look at our Ryzen 7 7800X3D overview – it’s simply been usurped by the brand new 9800X3D on the high, but it surely’s nonetheless among the best gaming CPUs you could purchase right now.
