AMD's next-gen 'Naples' processor spotted, features 64 CPU threads

AMD's next-gen Radeon RX 480 is finally here, and it rocks quite a lot of performance for $199 - but what about the CPU side of the business? Zen isn't going to be here for a little while yet, but the company has reached a milestone in its production.

AMD has started the rollout of its enterprise-class Naples processor, which is a 32-core beast with 64 threads of CPU power. Naples is the codename of AMD's next Opteron platform, which will support the 32-core CPU. Naples will reportedly be built into an 8-core base design, with 16- and 32-core chips being made in an MCM (Multi-Chip Module) format.

The new Naples processor was spotted on the Zauba shipping database, where it was noted to be shipped on June 20, listed as the Naples Test Board. AMD will be tapping the 14nm FinFET process for its Naples CPU, just like the Polaris architecture on the GPU side of things. It will support 8 memory channels, and up to 128 PCIe 3.0 lanes, and up to 32 x SATA/NVMe devices.

AMD will reportedly be using the SP3 LGA socket, with the TDP of the processor somewhere in the 35W to 180W range, depending on the chip itself. Naples will arrive in four variants; 2/4/16/32 cores, with the 8-core set to be reserved for the Summit Ridge platform.