AMD confirms Zen 6 for 2026: up to 256 cores in Epyc, and +70 % of announced performance

AMD has just lifted the veil on its plans for the 1920s and 2027, with a frontal offensive on the data centers segment. Epyc Zen 6 processors, ultra-dense variations, new generation instinct GPU… All the sliders are in red. The company displays its ambitions without detour: to exceed the current performance of an entire factor, and to redraw the landscape of high performance calculation.

AMD Zen 6: up to 256 cores for 2026, and an architecture cut for AI

The Zen 6 architecture promises to be a real calculation beast. Engraved in 2 nm by TSMC, it will feed the future generation of EPYC 9006 processors, code name “Venice”. Two versions are planned: a classic, which will peak at 96 hearts and 192 threads, and a zen version 6c called “dense”, which will reach the impressive ceiling of 256 cores and 512 threads.

This rise in power is not limited to arithmetic alone. AMD introduces for the first time a double I/O Die (IOD), a major evolution of the architecture which allows to better distribute the input/output tasks and to double the bandwidth between processor and GPU. On the memory side, the bandwidth climbed to 1.6 TB/s, with up to 16 DDR5 channels on the high -end SP7 platform.

In parallel, AMD does not lose the thread of the Battle of AI. The Instinct MI400 series, also expected for 2026, promises a ten -prone performance gain in the face of the current MI350. Enough to make Nvidia shudder, especially since future “Helios” platforms are designed for deep integration between CPU and homemade GPU.

Finally, from 2027, AMD intended to extend its dynamics with the Epyc Verano processors, probably based on Zen 7, as well as the GPUs Instinct MI500.

AMD now adopts an annual exit rate for its processors and cards intended for data centers, as Nvidia already does with its “Ultra” versions. Clearly, there will be a new generation each year, with regular improvements in power, efficiency or memory capacity, to stay in the race against Nvidia, especially in the field of artificial intelligence.

Note: Zen 6 processors announced here are reserved for data centers (Epyc range). The consumer versions for fixed or portable PCs (Ryzen Zen 6) have not yet been revealed by AMD at this stage, but they should follow a few months later, as was the case with the previous generations.

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