Online listings show AMD will release second-gen Ryzen CPUs on April 19
AMD’s second-generation Ryzen desktop processors will be made available on April 19 according to now-removed listings spotted on Amazon and other online retailers. AMD has yet to make an official announcement, but so far, we see four separate processors hitting stores next month: Two new Ryzen 7 eight-core chips and two Ryzen 5 six-core processors.
Take a look:
Ryzen 7
2700X
Ryzen 7
2700
Ryzen 5
2600X
Ryzen 5
2600
Product ID:
YD270XBGAFBOX
YD2700BBAFBOX
YD260XBCAFBOX
YD2600BBAFBOX
Cores:
8
8
6
6
Threads:
16
16
12
12
Base speed:
3.7GHz
3.2GHz
3.7GHz
3.4GHz
Maximum speed:
4.35GHz
4.1GHz
4.25GHz
3.9GHz
Power use:
105 watts
65 watts
95 watts
65 watts
DDR4 support:
2,933MHz
2,933MHz
2,933MHz
2,933MHz
Cooler:
Wraith Prism
Wraith Spire
Wraith Spire
Wraith Stealth
Price:
$369
$299
$249
$199
Last year when AMD introduced its first batch of Ryzen desktop processors, customers wanting to upgrade had to swap out their PC’s motherboard due to the new AM4 seat/socket requirement. That is not the case here with the company’s second-generation chips although if you want the full benefits introduced by the updated Zen+ design, you may want to consider swapping out the motherboard again for models based on AMD’s new X470 high-end and B450 mid-range chipsets.
Here are the differences between the current Ryzen 7 1700 series and the upcoming Ryzen 7 2700 series:
Ryzen 7
2700X
Ryzen 7
1700X
Ryzen 7
2700
Ryzen 7
1700
Architecture:
Zen+
Zen
Zen+
Zen
Cores:
8
8
8
8
Threads:
16
16
16
16
Base speed:
3.7GHz
3.4GHz
3.2GHz
3.0GHz
Maximum speed:
4.35GHz
3.8GHz
4.1GHz
3.7GHz
Power use:
105 watts
95 watts
65 watts
65 watts
Price:
$369
$290
$299
$275
As the specifications show, the 2700 series relies on the same number of cores and threads but provides a speed boost over their predecessors. The Ryzen 7 2700 remains the same power consumption-wise while the upcoming 2700X will require slightly more power than the older 1700X model.
What we’re currently missing from the entire Ryzen refresh scheme is an updated version of AMD’s Ryzen 7 1800X chip although the 2700X supposedly replaces that model along with the 1700X. Recent benchmarks show the 2700X is 18 percent faster than the 1700X, and 11 percent faster than the 1800X. AMD still could have a Ryzen 7 2800X chip on the horizon: Perhaps inserted into its second-generation Threadripper family for a wider selection?
Now here is a comparison of the Ryzen 5 desktop processors:
Ryzen 5
2600X
Ryzen 5
1600X
Ryzen 5
2600
Ryzen 5
1600
Architecture:
Zen+
Zen
Zen+
Zen
Cores:
6
6
6
6
Threads:
12
12
12
12
Base speed:
3.7GHz
3.6GHz
3.4GHz
3.2GHz
Maximum speed:
4.25GHz
4.0GHz
3.9GHz
3.6GHz
Power use:
95 watts
95 watts
65 watts
65 watts
Price:
$249
$199
$199
$189
Again, we see a speed boost in the new Ryzen 5 processors although the difference between the 2600X and the 1600X may not push customers into upgrading from the first-generation chip. In this case, upgrading would be more beneficial for customers with AMD processors released before Ryzen. Meanwhile, you will see a decent speed increase if moving from the 1600 chip to the newer 2600 model.
Overall, AMD’s refreshed Zen architecture (Zen+) not only introduces higher clocks speeds, but support for memory clocked at 2,933MHz versus 2,400MHz seen with the first generation. They also support AMP and XMP ratings for memory speeds beyond the 2,933MHz mark.
AMD will likely officially reveal its second-generation Ryzen processors next week during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.
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