The new kit is built on AMD’s Zen 5 architecture, a move that should have networking, storage, and industrial edge firms frothing at the mouth.

AI-driven network traffic and ballooning data storage needs mean companies are desperate for more grunt under the hood, and AMD reckons it’s got just the thing. With core counts ranging from eight to 192, these processors promise up to 1.6 times the data processing throughput compared to the last generation, making them prime candidates for network firewalls, storage rigs, and industrial control applications.

Capacity won’t be an issue either, with up to 6TB of DDR5 memory per socket and 160 PCIe Gen5 lanes with CXL 2.0 for high-speed data transfers. That’s a lot of bandwidth for companies needing to keep things moving at breakneck speeds.

Energy efficiency gets a boost too, with AMD claiming its Zen 5c core architecture delivers a 1.3 times increase in socket throughput and better performance per watt than the competition.

AMD has promised extended seven-year manufacturing support, so firms can roll out their systems without worrying about redesigning every few years.

Big-name backers like Cisco and IBM are already signing up. Cisco is stuffing these chips into high-end firewalls, citing their scalability and memory bandwidth. Meanwhile, IBM is slotting them into its Storage Scale System 6000, where high data availability and robust connectivity are the name of the game.

The EPYC Embedded 9005 Series is already being sampled by early access customers, with full production shipments set to kick off in Q2 2025. For those already using the previous generation, AMD has ensured an easy upgrade path with compatibility for the SP5 socket form factor. It’s clear that AMD is gunning for dominance in the embedded market while troubled Chipzilla is busy fending off bad press and angry politicians.