Everything you need to know about Zen 4, socket AM5, and AMD’s newest chipsets

AMD's Ryzen 7000 launch is bigger than just the processors. The processor architecture is changing, but it's also being accompanied by changes to everything from the chipset to the physical socket that the chips plug into. The last time this many things changed at once was back in 2017, when the first-generation Ryzen chips originally launched.

So we're publishing two Ryzen pieces today. One is a look at the actual chips' performance and power efficiency, located here. This one will focus on all the other changes, including the ones that will be with us long after Ryzen 7000 is old news.

We'll split this piece up into four parts that cover the four major components of the Ryzen 7000 launch: 1) the Zen 4 CPU core, 2) the on-chip I/O die that supports the CPU's non-CPU features and handles internal connectivity, 3) the 600-series chipsets that handle most external connectivity, and 4) the physical AM5 socket that will outlive all of the other components by a few years.