If this leak is accurate, a 16-core/32-thread Ryzen CPU is headed to desktops

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More cores are coming.

It's almost certain that AMD will launch a 16-core Ryzen 3000 series CPU to compete for the best CPU for gaming crown, and likely more than one. I say "almost" because nothing is ever completely certain, until it is, and we are not quite at that point yet as it pertains to 16 cores and 32 threads of mainstream Ryzen muscle. Disclaimer out of the way, a prominent leaker has posted specs of what he claims is a 16-core/32-thread Ryzen 3000 processor.

In this case, however, the clockspeeds seem low. According to APISAK, his 16-core/32-thread ES chip has a 3.3GHz base clock and 4.2GHz boost clock. It's not clear what the model is, and apparently AMD switched things up so it can't be decoded using this handy decode chart.

While the clocks look low, it's possible that the reported boost clock is an all-core boost. We'd expect that to be in the range of 3.7GHz to 4.2GHz, versus a single-core boost in the range of 4.6GHz to 4.8GHz. Time will tell.

AMD has done a good job of keeping things close to the vest up to this point. Unfortunately, that means there is not a lot out there to compare these specs against. The best we have is an entirely separate leak from back in December by Youtuber AdoredTV, which posted a supposed lineup of several Ryzen 3000 series processors, including model names, specs, and pricing. According to that leak, here's a rundown of what AMD has on tap:

  • Ryzen 9 3850X—16C/32T, 4.3GHz to 5.1GHz, 135W TDP, $499
  • Ryzen 9 3800X—16C/32T, 3.9GHz to 4.7GHz, 125W TDP, $449
  • Ryzen 7 3700X—12C/24T, 4.2GHz to 5.0GHz, 105W TDP, $329
  • Ryzen 7 3700—12C/24T, 3.8GHz to 4.6GHz, 95W TPD, $299
  • Ryzen 5 3600X—8C/16T, 4.0GHz to 4.8GHz, 95W TDP, $229
  • Ryzen 5 3600—8C/16T, 3.6GHz to 4.4GHz, 65W TDP, $178
  • Ryzen 3 3300X—6C/12T, 3.5GHz to 4.3GHz, 65W TDP, $129
  • Ryzen 3 3300—6C/12T, 3.2GHz to 4.0GHz, 50W TDP, $99

All of this has to be taken with a grain of salt, of course. At the same time, we are supremely confident that at least one 16-core/32-thread Ryzen processor is in the cards. AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su hinted as much when talking about the chiplet design that the Ryzen 3000 series uses.

"Some people may have noticed on the package some extra room. There is some extra room on that package and I think you might expect we will have more than eight cores," Dr. Su told PCWorld.

She essentially confirmed that Ryzen 3000 will scale beyond 8 cores, she just didn't specifically say there will be 16-core chips. In light of this newest leak on Twitter, though, along with the AdoredTV leak and Dr. Su's comments, it would be a surprise if AMD stopped short of 16 cores.