Rumor mill: It's long been rumored that AMD's next desktop CPU architecture, Zen 6, could finally break from the eight-cores-per-chiplet formula the company has stuck with for years. New details now sketch out multiple core configurations, including top-end parts scaling to 20 and even 24 cores.

According to well-known leaker HXL, Zen 6 will span four single-CCD processor variants alongside three higher-end dual-CCD designs. While the exact Ryzen branding for each chip hasn't been disclosed, the rumored Ryzen 10000 series lineup appears to back earlier whispers that AMD's next flagship desktop CPU will push core counts into unfamiliar territory.

On the lower and midrange side, HXL lists four single-chiplet CPUs with six, eight, 10, and 12 cores. The 12-core model would logically slot in as a Ryzen 7, but the presence of a six-core option also hints that AMD could resurrect Ryzen 3 branding at the bottom of the Zen 6 stack.

At the top end, three dual-CCD CPUs reportedly scale from 16 cores (8+8) to 20 cores (10+10) and finally 24 cores (12+12). AMD has capped each CCD at eight cores since Zen 2, but leaks dating back to last year suggested that Zen 6 would raise that limit to 12, at least for the highest-tier parts.

Clock speeds could also climb to new highs. Zen 4 topped out at 5.7 GHz, but Zen 6 is said to have hit 6.5 GHz in internal testing, with AMD allegedly aiming for the symbolic 7 GHz milestone.

Cache details are less clear. Some reports point to 48 MB of L3 cache per CCD, which would give the 24-core flagship a total of 96 MB. Others suggest a far more aggressive 144 MB per CCD, surpassing the 128 MB used on Zen 5 X3D dies and potentially yielding a staggering 288 MB of L3 cache on a top-end model.

Intel's upcoming Nova Lake desktop CPUs are rumored to pursue similar ideas as part of the company's first serious counter to AMD's 3D V-Cache approach.

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AMD has already confirmed that Zen 6 will arrive later this year and move to a 2nm manufacturing process, likely TSMC's N2P or N2X nodes. Nova Lake is also expected in late 2026 on a 2nm process from the same foundry.

Unlike Intel's next platform – which will require a new motherboard socket – AMD has said Zen 6 will remain compatible with existing AM5 boards. Beyond desktops, Zen 6 is expected to show up in notebooks and may even power the next Xbox sometime in 2027.