AMD's next-gen Ryzen CPUs based on the Zen 6 core architecture are reportedly going to use TSMC's 2nm & 3nm process for CCD & IOD.
AMD's Zen 6-Based Ryzen CPUs Leverage TSMC's N2P For CCDs, and N3P For IOD, 2nm Ramp Expected In Q3 2026
Zen 6 is going to bring a leap in performance and efficiency for Ryzen and EPYC CPUs. The architecture will define the next generation of desktop, mobile, and server platforms. AMD has already confirmed its Venice CCD featuring Zen 6 cores will be fabricated on TSMC's 2nm process technology, and now, we've reports from Kepler_L2 who states the processes that will be leveraged by the Ryzen chips.
According to the information, AMD's next-generation Ryzen CPUs based on the Zen 6 architecture will utilize TSMC's N2P "2nm" process technology for the CCD, while the IOD will be fabricated on TSMC's N3P "3nm" process technology.
Currently, AMD's Zen 5-based Ryzen CPUs leverage 4nm process technology for the CCDs and 6nm for the IOD. The IOD on the Zen 6 CPUs is what will incorporate the memory controllers, IO such as USB, PCIe, etc, and the iGPU. The CCD will be housing the Zen 6 cores, and each CCD will pack a total of 12 cores, 24 threads, and up to 48 MB of L3 cache, which will be shared across the 12 cores. That's up from 32 MB L3 cache, which was shared across 8 cores per Zen 5 CCD.
What to expect from AMD Ryzen "Zen 6" Desktop CPUs:
- Double-Digit IPC Improvement?
- More Cores & Threads (Possibly Up To 24/48)
- Higher Clock Speeds on an Improved Process Node
- Higher Cache (Possibly Up To 48 MB Per CCD)
- Up To 2x CCDs & 1x IOD
- Higher DDR5 Memory Speed Support
- Dual IMC Design (But Retains Dual-Channel Config)
- Similar TDPs
Additionally, an Anandtech forum member, Adroc_thurston, states that TSMC's N2P process will go through volume ramp by Q3 2026, which suggests that we can get next-gen Ryzen CPUs based on the Zen 6 architecture as early as Q4 2026 or even late Q3 (though in limited quantities).
This will be just in time for AMD to tackle Intel's Nova Lake Desktop CPUs, which are also targeting a similar launch timeframe. So it will be up to 24 Zen 6 cores with 48 threads against Intel's Nova Lake-S with up to 52 cores and 52 threads (48/48 from the Compute Tile).
AMD's Ryzen "Zen 6" CPUs for desktops will retain support on existing AM5 platforms, which will probably be its biggest edge over Intel's Nova Lake-S, which will require a brand new platform such as LGA 1954. It looks like the game is all set for 2H 2026 in the desktop segment with AMD's Zen 6 "Ryzen" & Intel's Nova Lake-S "Core Ultra 400" CPUs. We can't wait to see what both camps have in store for PC enthusiasts.
AMD Desktop CPU/APU Generations Comparison:
| Processor Architecture | Processor Process | Cores / Threads (Max) | Platform | Memory Support | TDPs | Launch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Ryzen 1000 | Zen 1 "Summit Ridge" | 14nm | 8/16 (1900X) | AM4 (300-Series) | DDR4-2667 | 65W-95W | 2017 |
| AMD Ryzen 2000 | Zen+ "Pinnacle Ridge" | 12nm | 8/16 (2700X) | AM4 (400-Series) | DDR4-2933 | 65W-95W | 2018 |
| AMD Ryzen 2000G | Zen 1 "Summit Ridge" | 14nm | 4/8 (2400G) | AM4 (400-Series) | DDR4-2933 | 65W | 2018 |
| AMD Ryzen 3000 | Zen 2 "Matisse" | 7nm | 16/32 (3950X) | AM4 (500-Series) | DDR4-3200 | 65-95W | 2019 |
| AMD Ryzen 3000G | Zen+ "Picasso" | 7nm | 4/8 (3400G) | AM4 (500-Series) | DDR4-2933 | 65W | 2019 |
| AMD Ryzen 4000 | Zen 2 "Renoir" | 7nm | 6/12 (4500) | AM4 (500-Series) | DDR4-3200 | 65W | 2022 |
| AMD Ryzen 4000G | Zen 2 "Renoir" | 7nm | 8/16 (4700G) | AM4 (500-Series) | DDR4-3200 | 65W | 2020 |
| AMD Ryzen 5000 | Zen 3 "Vermeer" | 7nm | 16/32 (5950X) | AM4 (500-Series) | DDR4-3200 | 65-95W | 2020 |
| AMD Ryzen 5000G | Zen 3 "Cezanne" | 7nm | 8/16 (5700G) | AM4 (500-Series) | DDR4-3200 | 65W | 2021 |
| AMD Ryzen 7000 | Zen 4 "Raphael" | 5nm | 16/32 (7950X) | AM5 (600-Series) | DDR5-5200 | 65-170W | 2022 |
| AMD Ryzen 8000G | Zen 4 "Phoenix" | 5nm | 8/16 (8700G) | AM5 (600-Series) | DDR5-5200 | 45-65W | 2024 |
| AMD Ryzen 9000 | Zen 5 "Granite Ridge" | 4nm | 16/32 (9950X) | AM5 (800-Series) | DDR5-6000 | 65-170W | 2024 |
| AMD Ryzen AI 400 | Zen 5 "Gorgon Point" | 4nm | 12/24 (470G?) | AM5 (800-Series) | DDR5-6400+? | 65W | 1H 2026 |
| AMD Ryzen 10K (TBA) | Zen 6 "Olympic Ridge" | 2nm | 24/48 (TBA) | AM5 (900-Series)? | DDR5-6400+? | 65-170W? | 2H 2026 |
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
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