Ryzen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ryzen

Produced	March 2, 2017; 9 years ago (2017-03-02)
Marketed by	AMD
Designed by	AMD
Common manufacturer(s)	GlobalFoundries (14 nm and 12 nm only) TSMC (7 nm and beyond)
Max. CPU clock rate	1.2 GHz to 5.7 GHz
HyperTransport speeds	800 MT/s to 2 GT/s
Min. feature size	14 nm to 4 nm
Instruction set	Main processor: x86‑64 Platform Security Processor: ARMv7-A
Microarchitecture	Zen (Zen, Zen+, Zen 2, Zen 3, Zen 3+, Zen 4, Zen 5)
Cores	Mainstream: 4‍–‍16 High-end desktop: 8‍–‍64 Workstation: 12‍–‍96
Predecessor	A-Series FX
Socket(s)	Mainstream desktop: AM4, AM5 High-end desktop: TR4, sTRX4, sWRX8, sTR5

Ryzen is a special type of computer chip, like the brain of a computer. It is made by a company called AMD. These chips are used in many devices. You can find them in desktop computers, laptops, and powerful machines for big tasks. Ryzen chips are known for having many 'cores'. Cores are like mini-brains that work together. This helps computers do many things at once, like playing games and running apps.

Most desktop Ryzen chips use special connections called AM4 and AM5. In 2017, AMD also launched the Ryzen Threadripper chips. These are for very powerful computers used by experts. Threadripper chips use different, larger connections. These connections allow for more memory and faster data paths. AMD moved to the AM5 connection for regular desktop Ryzen chips in late 2022. This happened with the release of their Zen 4 products.

How Ryzen Chips Were Developed

AMD's Return to High Performance

Before Ryzen, AMD's main competitor, Intel, was very strong in the computer chip market. Intel had powerful chips like the Core 2 Duo. AMD's older chips, like the Bulldozer, were not as good for most everyday computer tasks. This meant AMD was not competing well in the high-end chip market for many years.

Ryzen changed this. It uses a completely new design called Zen. This design helped AMD create chips that could compete with Intel again. Ryzen chips often have more processing cores. This means they are great at doing many tasks at the same time. The Zen design also made chips much faster. It improved how many instructions a chip could handle per clock cycle by over 52%. This was achieved without using more electrical power.

The Journey of Ryzen Generations

AMD first announced the Ryzen chips in December 2016. The first chips were released in early 2017. Since then, AMD has released many improved versions. Each new generation brought more speed and better features.

Ryzen 1000 Series (2017)

The first Ryzen chips were called the 1000 series. They had up to eight cores. They offered a big jump in performance compared to AMD's older chips.

Ryzen 2000 Series (2018)

The second generation, the Ryzen 2000 series, came out in April 2018. These chips used the Zen+ design. They were about 10% faster overall. They also improved how quickly the chip could access its memory.

Ryzen 3000 Series (2019)

The third generation, Ryzen 3000, launched in July 2019. These chips used the Zen 2 design. They were much faster, with a 15% boost in how many instructions they could handle. They were also made using a smaller 7 nanometer (nm) process. This means the tiny parts inside the chip were even smaller.

Ryzen 5000 Series (2020)

In October 2020, AMD announced the Ryzen 5000 series. These chips used the Zen 3 design. They brought another big 19% improvement in speed. For the first time, some of these chips could reach speeds over 5 GHz.

Ryzen 6000 Mobile Series (2022)

The Ryzen 6000 series was released in January 2022. These chips were mainly for laptops. They used the Zen 3+ design. They were more efficient and included new RDNA 2 graphics.

Ryzen 7000 Series (2022)

The Ryzen 7000 series for desktop computers came out in September 2022. These chips used the new Zen 4 design. They were much faster and introduced a new connection type called AM5. They also used a newer type of memory called DDR5.

Ryzen 8000 Series (2024)

In January 2024, AMD announced the Ryzen 8000G series for desktops. These chips used the Zen 4 design. They included special parts for AI tasks, called a neural processing unit (NPU). They also had powerful built-in graphics. Mobile versions were also refreshed in December 2023 and April 2025.

Ryzen 9000 Series (2024)

The Ryzen 9000 series for desktops was announced in June 2024. These chips use the very latest Zen 5 design. They are built using an even smaller 4 nm process. This makes them incredibly fast and powerful. Special versions with extra memory (3D V-Cache) were also released in November 2024 and January 2025.

Ryzen AI 300 Series (2024)

Alongside the Ryzen 9000 desktop chips, AMD also introduced the Ryzen AI 300 series for laptops in June 2024. These chips are designed for very thin and light laptops. They have powerful AI features with a new NPU. They also include advanced RDNA 3.5 graphics.

Ryzen 200 Series (2025)

A refresh of mobile processors, the Ryzen 200 series, was announced in January 2025. These chips are based on the Zen 4 design.

Ryzen Z1 Series (2023)

In April 2023, AMD launched the Ryzen Z1 series. These chips are specially designed for handheld gaming devices.

Ryzen Z2 Series (2025)

The Ryzen Z2 series was announced in January 2025. These chips are the next generation for handheld gaming devices. They offer even more power and some models include AI features.

Threadripper Chips for Experts

Threadripper chips are made for very powerful desktop computers and workstations. These are computers used by professionals for demanding tasks. A small team at AMD saw a chance to make super-powerful chips. They used ideas from other Ryzen and EPYC chips. This helped AMD become a leader in desktop computer performance.

Ryzen AI: Smart Chips

Ryzen AI is AMD's special technology for AI. It uses a part of the chip called a neural processing unit (NPU). This NPU is like a mini-brain just for AI tasks. It helps computers do things like improve camera effects, recognize voices, and smooth out photos. Running these AI tasks on an NPU uses less power than on the main CPU. This makes laptops last longer and run cooler.

Ryzen AI was first introduced in the Ryzen 7040 mobile series in mid-2023. Software to use Ryzen AI became widely available for Microsoft Windows in December 2023. Support for Linux came out in January 2024.

Ryzen Product Families

This section gives an overview of the different Ryzen chip families. Each family has different features and is designed for specific types of computers.

Ryzen 1000 Series

These were the first Ryzen chips. They brought AMD back into the high-performance market.

Desktop 1000 Series

• Used Socket AM4 for regular Ryzen and Socket TR4 for Threadripper.
• Based on the first Zen design.
• All Ryzen-branded CPUs (except PRO versions) could be made faster by users.

Overview of desktop Ryzen 1000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen Threadripper 1000	Whitehaven	Zen (1st gen)	8–16	none
Ryzen 1000 / 1000X	Summit Ridge		4–8
Ryzen 1000 (AF)	Pinnacle Ridge	Zen+	4–6

Ryzen 2000 Series

This series brought improvements with the Zen+ design. It also introduced Ryzen chips with built-in graphics for desktops.

Desktop 2000 Series

The first Ryzen 2000 CPUs came out in April 2018. They used the 12 nm Zen+ design. Later, Threadripper 2000 chips were released in August. In January 2018, AMD also released Ryzen desktop chips with Radeon Vega graphics.

Overview of desktop Ryzen 2000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen Threadripper 2000	Colfax	Zen+	12–32	none
Ryzen 2000 / 2000X	Pinnacle Ridge		4–8
Ryzen 2000G	Raven Ridge	Zen (1st gen)	4	Radeon Vega (GCN 5), up to 11 CU

Mobile 2000 Series

The first Ryzen mobile chips were released in October 2017. These chips were designed for laptops. They combined Zen CPU cores with Radeon Vega graphics.

Overview of laptop Ryzen 2000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen 2000	Raven Ridge	Zen (1st gen)	2–4	Radeon Vega (GCN 5), up to 11 CU

Ryzen 3000 Series

This generation brought the Zen 2 design, which was a big step forward in performance and how chips were made.

Desktop 3000 Series

AMD launched its third generation Ryzen processors in May 2019. These used the Zen 2 design. They were the first CPUs to offer PCI Express 4.0 (PCIe) for faster connections. The new design offered a 15% speed boost.

Overview of desktop Ryzen 3000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3000	Castle Peak	Zen 2	12–64	none
Ryzen Threadripper 3000			24–64
Ryzen 3000 / 3000X	Matisse		4–16
Ryzen 3000G	Picasso	Zen+	4	Radeon Vega (GCN 5), up to 11 CU

Mobile 3000 Series

In 2019, AMD released the Ryzen 3000 mobile chips. These were mainly quad-core chips. Later, in January 2020, they added dual-core chips for more affordable laptops.

Overview of laptop Ryzen 3000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen 3000	Picasso	Zen+	2–4	Radeon Vega (GCN 5), up to 11 CU
Ryzen 3 3250U, Ryzen 3 3200U	Dali	Zen (1st gen)	2	Radeon Vega (GCN 5), 3 CU

Ryzen 4000 Series

This series focused on improving chips for both desktops and laptops, especially those with integrated graphics.

Desktop 4000 Series

The Ryzen 4000 chips with built-in graphics were released to computer makers in mid-2020. In April 2022, AMD also released Ryzen 4000 chips without graphics for budget-friendly computers.

Overview of desktop Ryzen 4000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen 4000	Renoir	Zen 2	4–6	none
Ryzen 4000G			4–8	Radeon Vega (GCN 5), up to 8 CU

Mobile 4000 Series

These chips, based on the 7 nm Zen 2 design, were known as Ryzen 4000 for laptops.

Overview of laptop Ryzen 4000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen 4000	Renoir	Zen 2	4–8	Radeon Vega (GCN 5), up to 8 CU

Ryzen 5000 Series

This series brought the powerful Zen 3 design to both desktop and mobile computers.

Desktop 5000 Series

The desktop Ryzen 5000 series, using the Zen 3 design, was announced in October 2020. These chips were very fast. Some models also came with integrated graphics.

Overview of desktop Ryzen 5000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5000	Chagall	Zen 3	12–64	none
Ryzen 5000 / 5000X / 5000X3D	Vermeer		6–16
Ryzen 5000G	Cezanne		4–8	Radeon Vega (GCN 5), up to 8 CU
Ryzen 7 5700
Ryzen 5 5500
Ryzen 3 5100

Mobile 5000 Series

The 5000 series for laptops included models based on both Zen 2 and Zen 3 designs. These chips offered good performance for mobile devices.

Overview of laptop Ryzen 5000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen 7 5700U, Ryzen 5 5500U, Ryzen 3 5300U	Lucienne	Zen 2	4–8	Radeon Vega (GCN 5), up to 8 CU
Ryzen 5000	Cezanne	Zen 3	4–8
	Barcelo		2–8

Ryzen 6000 Series

This series was designed specifically for mobile devices, bringing new graphics and efficiency.

Mobile 6000 Series

AMD announced the Ryzen 6000 mobile series in January 2022. It uses the Zen 3+ design, which is more efficient. It also included new RDNA 2 graphics and support for faster memory.

Overview of laptop Ryzen 6000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen 6000	Rembrandt	Zen 3+	6–8	Radeon 6x0M (RDNA 2), up to 12 CU

Ryzen 7000 Series

This generation introduced a completely new platform for desktops and expanded mobile options.

Desktop 7000 Series

AMD revealed the Ryzen 7000 series for desktops in May 2022. These chips use the Zen 4 design and were released in September 2022. They brought a new AM5 connection and used DDR5 memory. The Threadripper and Threadripper PRO 7000 series for powerful workstations were released in November 2023.

Overview of desktop Ryzen 7000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000	Storm Peak	Zen 4	12–96	none
Ryzen Threadripper 7000			24–64
Ryzen 7000 / 7000X / 7000X3D	Raphael		6–16	Radeon (RDNA 2), 2 CU

Mobile 7000 Series

The Ryzen 7000 mobile series launched in September 2022. It included several different designs for various types of laptops. Some models focused on everyday use, while others were for high-performance gaming.

Overview of laptop Ryzen 7000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen 7045	Dragon Range	Zen 4	6–16	Radeon 610M (RDNA 2), 2 CU
Ryzen 7040	Phoenix		4–8	Radeon 7x0M (RDNA 3), up to 12 CU
Ryzen 7035	Rembrandt-R	Zen 3+		Radeon 6x0M (RDNA 2), up to 12 CU
Ryzen 7030	Barcelo-R	Zen 3		Radeon Vega (GCN 5), up to 8 CU
Ryzen 7020	Mendocino	Zen 2	2–4	Radeon 610M (RDNA 2), 2 CU

Ryzen Z1 Series

These chips were made for handheld gaming devices.

Handheld Z1 Series

AMD announced the Ryzen Z1 series in April 2023. These chips are for handheld PC gaming consoles. The Asus ROG Ally uses the Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor.

Overview of handheld Ryzen Z1 series models

Model line	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen Z1	Zen 4	6-8	RDNA 3, 4–12 CU

Ryzen 8000 Series

This series brought AI features to desktop chips and refreshed mobile options.

Desktop 8000 Series

In January 2024, AMD announced the Ryzen 8000G series for desktop computers. These chips use the Zen 4 design. They have powerful built-in graphics and include "Ryzen AI" for artificial intelligence tasks. AMD also released Ryzen 8000 chips without graphics in April 2024.

Overview of desktop Ryzen 8000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen 8000	Phoenix	Zen 4	6–8	none
Ryzen 8000G			4–8	Radeon 7x0M (RDNA 3), up to 12 CU

Mobile 8000 Series

A refresh of mobile processors, the Ryzen 8040 and 8045 series, was announced in December 2023. These chips had better AI performance. A refresh of the Dragon Range series was added in April 2025.

Overview of mobile Ryzen 8000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen 8045HS Ryzen 8040HS	Hawk Point	Zen 4	4–8	Radeon 7x0M (RDNA 3), up to 12 CU
Ryzen 8045HX	Dragon Range Refresh	Zen 4	8–16	Radeon 610M (RDNA 2), 2 CU

Ryzen 9000 Series

This is the latest series for desktops, featuring the newest Zen 5 design.

Desktop 9000 Series

The Ryzen 9000 series for desktops was announced in June 2024. These chips use the Zen 5 design and are built on a 4 nm process. They are very powerful and use the AM5 connection. Special X3D models with extra memory were announced in October 2024 and January 2025.

Overview of desktop Ryzen 9000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen 9000 / 9000X / 9000X3D / 9000X3D2	Granite Ridge	Zen 5	6–16	Radeon (RDNA 2), 2 CU

Mobile 9000 Series

The Ryzen 9000 series of mobile processors was announced in January 2025.

Overview of mobile Ryzen 9000 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen 9000HX / 9000HX3D	Fire Range	Zen 5	12–16	Radeon (RDNA 2), 2 CU

Ryzen AI 300 Series

These are advanced mobile chips with strong AI capabilities.

Mobile AI 300 Series

The Ryzen AI 300 series for thin laptops was introduced in June 2024. It features up to 12 cores and a powerful third-generation Ryzen AI NPU. These chips also have advanced RDNA 3.5 graphics. More models were announced in January 2025.

Overview of mobile Ryzen AI 300 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen AI 300	Strix Point	Zen 5 Zen 5c	10–12	Radeon 8x0M (RDNA 3.5), up to 16 CU
Ryzen AI 7 350, Ryzen AI 5 340	Krackan Point		6–8	Radeon 8x0M (RDNA 3.5), up to 8 CU
Ryzen AI MAX+ 395, Ryzen AI MAX 390, Ryzen AI MAX 385, Ryzen AI MAX 380	Strix Halo	Zen 5	6–16	Radeon 80x0S (RDNA 3.5), up to 40 CU

Ryzen 200 Series

This series offers refreshed mobile processors.

Mobile 200 Series

The Ryzen 200 series of mobile processors was announced in January 2025.

Overview of mobile Ryzen 200 series models

Model line	Codename	Architecture
Ryzen 200	Hawk Point Refresh	Zen 4 Zen 4c

Ryzen Z2 Series

This is the next generation of chips for handheld gaming.

Handheld Z2 Series

AMD announced the Ryzen Z2 series of chips in January 2025. These are the follow-up to the Z1 series for handheld gaming consoles. They include several models with different performance levels. Some Z2 models also include AI features.

Overview of handheld Ryzen Z2 series models

Model line	Architecture	Core count	Integrated graphics
Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme	Zen 5	8–16	RDNA 3.5, 16 CU
Ryzen Z2 Extreme	Zen 5	8–16	RDNA 3.5, 16 CU
Ryzen Z2	Zen 4	8–16	RDNA 3, 12 CU
Ryzen Z2 Go	Zen 3+	4–8	RDNA 2, 12 CU
Ryzen Z2 A	Zen 2	4–8	RDNA 2, 8 CU

How Ryzen Works with Operating Systems

Windows Computers

Ryzen chips can work with Windows 7 and Windows 8. However, newer Ryzen chips are officially designed to work best with Windows 10. Microsoft only provides updates for newer systems running Windows 10 or later. Windows 11 officially supports Ryzen chips that use the Zen+ design or newer. Older Zen-based chips do not receive official updates for Windows 11.

Linux Computers

To get the best performance from Ryzen chips on Linux computers, you need a newer version of the Linux kernel. Kernel version 4.10 or newer, released in February 2017, provides full support.

Important Things to Know About Ryzen

Spectre Security Concern

Like many modern computer chips, Ryzen chips were affected by a security issue called "Spectre". This issue could potentially allow someone to access private information. AMD released updates to fix this problem. These updates helped protect computers, though they sometimes made the chips a little slower. Ryzen chips were not affected by a similar issue called Meltdown.

The Zen 2 design, released in 2019, included special hardware fixes for some Spectre issues.

Early Chip Problems

Some of the very first Ryzen 1000 series chips had a problem. They sometimes caused errors when running certain programs on Linux. AMD offered to replace these affected chips with new ones that did not have the problem.

Security Claims by CTS Labs

In March 2018, a computer security company called CTS Labs claimed to find security weaknesses in Ryzen chips. Experts agreed that these issues were real. However, they said the problems were not as serious as claimed. They also noted that someone would need special access to a computer to use these weaknesses. AMD quickly announced updates to fix these issues.

See also

In Spanish: Ryzen para niños