Alleged AMD Ryzen 9000 Listing Hints at Incoming Zen 5 Family

Alienware
(Image credit: ChipHell)

Chiphell contributor has published a flyer advertising an alleged Alienware desktop with AMD's yet-to-be-announced Ryzen 9000-series processor. This could be a typo on Alienware's side, a forged picture, or AMD could be close to introducing its next-generation Ryzen 9000-series CPUs for desktop PCs. Whatever the case, we need to spread a healthy dose of salt on this revelation.

Given the fact that AMD is set to announce Zen 5-based Ryzen processors for desktops and Zen 5-powered EPYC CPUs for servers in 2024, it is possible that the company will reserve Ryzen 9000 branding for Zen 5 parts. What is a bit surprising is that AMD's partner Alienware is already talking about these CPUs, which leads further credence that this is just a typo on behalf of the PC maker. Meanwhile, if AMD announces its Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000-series at CES, it is about time for Alienware to start teasing its systems based on these CPUs.

Yesterday, an unofficial source claimed AMD is prepping Ryzen 8000-series desktop accelerated processing units (APUs) based on Zen 4 and Zen 4c cores with built-in RDNA 3 graphics. The company is also expected to release Ryzen 8000-series offerings for laptops with Zen 4 and Zen 4c-based designs, so it looks like AMD's Ryzen 8000 lineup will still be based on Zen 4 or older technology. That said, inserting high-end Zen 5-based CPUs into AMD's Ryzen 8000 lineup is illogical.

AMD has a somewhat convoluted strategy when naming its Ryzen series. The company has used a mix of microarchitectures within one generation of Ryzen several times. For example, the Ryzen 7000 family includes Zen 4, Zen 3, and Zen 2-based products. 

Meanwhile, to ensure enthusiasts receive the correct messaging about all-new hardware, introducing the Ryzen 9000 for Zen 5 seems like the best course of action for AMD.

Anton Shilov
Contributing Writer

Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom’s Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.

  • Kamen Rider Blade
    If Zen 5 is coming in 2024, it should be the Ryzen 8000 series.
    Zen 6 can be the Ryzen 9000 series

    Then the AM5 Platform can be done, move onto AM6 Platform.

    Ryzen 10,000 series can start off AM6
    Reply
  • Order 66
    Kamen Rider Blade said:
    If Zen 5 is coming in 2024, it should be the Ryzen 8000 series.
    Zen 6 can be the Ryzen 9000 series

    Then the AM5 Platform can be done, move onto AM6 Platform.

    Ryzen 10,000 series can start off AM6
    Remember, AMD generally skips generations. For example, we went from 5000 to 7000 on desktops, and 6000 was for laptops. IIRC AMD did change with AM5 to not skipping generations. You could be right though.
    Reply
  • Heat_Fan89
    Order 66 said:
    Remember, AMD generally skips generations. For example, we went from 5000 to 7000 on desktops, and 6000 was for laptops. IIRC AMD did change with AM5 to not skipping generations. You could be right though.
    Correct and they went from 3000 series to the 5000 series for their desktop CPU's. I have an Alienware with the 3800X CPU and the followup to that was the 5800X.
    Reply
  • evdjj3j
    Alienware sure is good at making ugly hot computers.
    Reply
  • Order 66
    evdjj3j said:
    Alienware sure is good at making ugly hot computers.
    I don't think they are ugly, but they sure do run hot. I don't think this could be a typo, because I would think that such a thing would be checked so as to avoid confusion.
    Reply
  • Kamen Rider Blade
    Order 66 said:
    Remember, AMD generally skips generations. For example, we went from 5000 to 7000 on desktops, and 6000 was for laptops. IIRC AMD did change with AM5 to not skipping generations. You could be right though.
    That's before they had their brand new LapTop Naming Scheme.
    Reply
  • Order 66
    Kamen Rider Blade said:
    That's before they had their brand new LapTop Naming Scheme.
    and I said that I was pretty sure that the did with the 7000 series/AM5.
    Reply
  • thestryker
    Alienware ditched this case design with their last desktops and I can't see them going back to it. External design aside the internals are impressively bad and the new one is a big improvement.
    Reply