AMD Unveils Faster, Optimized 2nd Gen Ryzen 7 And Ryzen 5 Zen+ Processors, Preorders Start Today

Today, however, AMD is giving us our first official details regarding the new mainstream 2nd Gen Ryzen family of processors, and there aren't too many surprises, given what we've already seen from the plethora of leaks. That said, pricing and detailed specs show some exciting new alternatives from AMD and a refined family of chips to give Intel even more reason to lose a bit of sleep. These new AMD CPUs are all based on the 12nm Zen+ architecture and, at least initially, include four SKUs.

The mid-range processors are part of the Ryzen 5 family, both of which feature six physical cores capable of executing 12 threads and 19MB of cache. The Ryzen 5 2600 (65W) has a base clock of 3.4GHz and a max boost frequency of 3.9GHz. The Ryzen 5 2600X (95W) ups those speeds to 3.6GHz and 4.2GHz respectively.

At the top of the range is of course the Ryzen 7 family, which feature 8 cores and 16 threads along with 20MB of cache. The Ryzen 7 2700 (65W) has a base clock of 3.2GHz and a turbo frequency of 4.1GHz. The top-of-the-line Ryzen 7 2700X (105W) ups the stakes with clocks of 3.7GHz and 4.3GHz respectively. 

Complementing the new Ryzen processors is the new second-generation X470 chipset. AMD isn't giving out many details at the moment, but it is saying that motherboards based on the chipset will have improved power management to support the high clocks of Zen+ processors. The chipset also supported AMD StoreMI tech, which is special software that helps to speed up your storage subsystem (apparently, it works for both SSDs and HDDs).

• AMD Ryzen 7 2700X With Wraith Prism LED Cooler ($329)
• AMD Ryzen 7 2700 With Wraith Spire LED Cooler ($299)
• AMD Ryzen 5 2600X With Wraith Spire Cooler ($229)
• AMD Ryzen 5 2600 With Wraith Stealth Cooler ($199)

AMD says that the Ryzen 5 2600, Ryzen 5 2600X, Ryzen 7 2700 and Ryzen 2700X will be available starting April 19^thpriced at $199, $229, $299 and $329 respectively. In fact, Newegg is already taking pre-orders for the new processors and we've updated this piece with Amazon listings above. You can also check out our unboxing of the Ryzen 5 2600X and Ryzen 7 2700X right here.