If the rumors are correct, AMD could improve its Ryzen 7 9700X, which will be a workhorse mid-range processor for the next-generation Zen 5 range.
With this one, you need to understand some background, namely that AMD recently admitted that the Ryzen 9000 models will not be the fastest gaming chips out there, as while they will surpass Intel, they will still fall behind the current generation . 7000X3D – at least for games. And specifically, the AMD executive who gave the interview mentioned the 9700X, in terms of the Ryzen 7800X3D being faster than the 9700X.
According to information from sources Wccftech has spoken to (sprinkle that seasoning and don't be stingy either), AMD has issued an update to partners, presumably based at least in part on some of the disappointed reactions to the above statement, to the effect that the 9700X could significantly increase its power consumption.
Apparently we're talking about the TDP being set at 120W, instead of 65W (as announced earlier this month), which is almost double. And of course, power usage is directly related to performance (clock speeds), so this would mean a considerably faster 9700X than we expected, and certainly a chip that leaves the aforementioned current-gen 7800X3D in the dust. your rearview mirror.
Analysis: Late bet by the red team?
Such a drastic change seems unlikely at this stage of the game, with AMD's Ryzen 9000 processors launching next month; Rumors believe they will arrive at the end of July.
With only a month left, almost doubling the TDP seems like a big risk. Remember, a much higher level of power usage will not only impact performance, but also processor thermal temperatures and other design considerations which, as you would expect, have been finely balanced and tuned over the long development process of the Zen 5 desktop silicon.
A sudden statement, in the face of some negative reaction, equivalent to: “Oh, wait, let's double the TDP”, makes AMD look somewhat desperate, let's be honest, or even possibly clueless.
Still, we can consider the possibility that AMD is considering increasing the TDP of this mid-range CPU to some extent. After all, the 9700X has been tamed considerably by AMD, dropping to that 65W TDP from the 105W of its predecessor, the 7700X, and to achieve that, the base clock has been dropped by a rather large 700MHz (from 4 .5 GHz with its predecessor at 3.8 GHz).
So Team Red rejigging to make the image more like the 7700X in terms of power and clock speed seems more reasonable, to mitigate any PR damage caused by the previous admission regarding the 9700X's gaming abilities.
We won't have much time to find out, and it will be interesting to see if AMD actually takes steps to increase the TDP with a key mid-range component here.
