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AMD Zen chips release date, specs, latest news: First-ever Zen chips arrive for high-end desktops; expected in 2017

Promotional image for AMD's Zen architecture. | AMD

There is a high chance that AMD may be rolling out another chip that would bring another innovation to the world of computer technology. The next AMD Zen chips are believed to be announced on Jan. 17.

Rumors claim that AMD's imminent Zen architecture will be the first-ever chips to be launched for high-end desktop parts. The features of the chip may be announced a week prior to the CES event in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to Digital Trends.

The latest news has it that a source working at the company leaked the information about AMD's latest technology. In Baidu, user Hexus shares that he spoke with someone from the motherboard manufacturer and AMD's partner, Maxon. The Zen chips are said to be a part of the company's SR7 range and will have a price tag of between $200 and $300 per chip.

The source's information coincided with AMD's official statement regarding their high-end desktop components, which they have mentioned in the previous news. They said that the first Zen parts would be for those desktops and the pricing is not that expensive. However, there is news that AMD will also feature some overclocked chips, which may come around at $500.

Nevertheless, the AMD Zen chip promises a technology that can compete with the market, especially with Intel's high-end chips. The eight core/16 thread configurations are believed to beat Intel i7's 6850K, which is currently priced at $600.

AMD Senior VP and CTO Mark Papermaster previously presented the first Zen chips. He said, "We assembled a team to create a grounds-up, from scratch, new CPU design for x86."

"It's a brand new micro-architecture. A CPU that can scale from that high performance all the way down to PC and mobile applications. How do we get a 40 percent instruction per clock improvement from the previous generation? It starts with performance, throughput, and efficiency," he added.