[Hardware] AMD May Be Preparing New Zen 2 CPUs. But Why?

[Sxynix]

AMD's Zen 3-based Ryzen 5000 (Vermeer) processors are among the best CPUs currently on the market. However, it would seem that the chipmaker has an excess of leftover Zen 2 dies as a new USB-IF listing (via Komachi_Ensaka) has exposed three unreleased Zen 2 processors.

The submission mentions the Athlon Gold 4100GE, Ryzen 5 4500 and Ryzen 3 4100 processors with the A1 revision. We don't know for certain if the trio of AMD chips are wielding Zen 2 cores. Since AMD's utilizing the Ryzen 5000 branding for Zen 3 products, it's unrealistic to think that the chipmaker would use Zen 3 outside of the moniker.

Given the model names, the unannounced AMD processors could be a refresh of their Ryzen 3000 counterparts. There's also the possibility that processors may be special SKUs for OEMs, and we know how AMD likes producing custom-tailored chips for its partners.

Starting with the Athlon Gold 4100GE, the processor could be a follow-up for the Athlon Gold 3150GE, which is an OEM APU. AMD's Athlon Gold SKUs feature integrated Vega graphics solutions so the Athlon Gold 4100GE shouldn't be an exception. While we don't know the core count or clock speeds for the APU, the GE denomination tells us that the Athlon Gold 4100GE is restricted to a 35W TDP (thermal design power).

On the other hand, it's reasonable to assume that the Ryzen 5 4500 and Ryzen 3 4100 are the direct successors to the Ryzen 5 3500 and Ryzen 3 3100, respectively. For reference, the Ryzen 3 3500 is a hexa-core chip, while the Ryzen 3 3100 is a quad-core part. Both feature Zen 2 cores, adhere to a 65W TDP and lacks integrated graphics. We suspect that the Ryzen 5 4500 and Ryzen 3 4100 will inherit the majority of their predecessors' traits, but plausibly sport higher clock speeds.

It's unknown when AMD submitted the entry to the USB-IF, but it's more than enough evidence that the chipmaker has been preparing the three processors. Perhaps, the chipmaker will launch them silently soon, but only time will tell.