AMD’s rumoured Zen 7 “Grimlock” chips could jump to TSMC’s A14 process and fresh packaging tricks by 2028.
Zen 6 has not yet properly landed in mainstream server and consumer gear, but AMD is already poking its supply chain about what comes next. A report from Taiwan’s Commercial Times claims that AMD has begun preparing its next-generation x86 CPU architecture, Zen 7, codenamed Grimlock.
The report says Grimlock will use TSMC’s A14 process technology. That is the foundry’s 1.4nm-class node, assuming marketing departments have not mugged physics again. TSMC’s A14 is expected to be fighting Chipzilla’s 14A around the same period. Zen 7 is reportedly targeting a 2028 arrival.
AMD chair and chief executive Dr Lisa Su recently visited Powertech during her trip to Taiwan. She met several supply chain and industry partners. The Powertech visit is reportedly linked to the allocation of advanced packaging. AMD is apparently looking at Powertech’s FOPLP, or fan-out panel-level packaging, for future chips.
Commercial Times said: “AMD has begun its supply chain preparations for its next-generation Zen 7 platform ahead of schedule. Supply chain sources reveal that the Zen 7 core chipset (CCD), codenamed Grimlock, will use TSMC’s A14 process and incorporate next-generation 3D V-Cache technology. The company is also evaluating Powertech’s FOPLP (Fan-Out Panel-Level Packaging) solution.”
TSMC’s Taichung Fab 25 P1 plant is expected to begin trial production in 2027. Mass production is expected to follow in 2028. TSMC is trying to get A14 ready while Intel tries to improve its foundry story.
Chipzilla has reportedly gained more support for its 18A-P and 14A nodes. The Fruity Cargo Cult Apple and TeraFab have been named as confirmed customers.
For Zen 7, the rumour mill says AMD is preparing a new CCD design with up to 16 cores. A single 3D V-Cache CCD could carry up to 224MB of L3 cache. That would mean standard L3 cache and stacked cache capacities get a healthy shove upwards. Cache is not glamorous, but it does stop CPUs spending their lives twiddling their electronic thumbs.
On the server side, Zen 7 cores are expected to bring updated Matrix engine capabilities. The chips are also expected to expand support for AI data formats.
AI demand is chewing through data centre capacity, and CPUs are no longer being treated as boring plumbing behind the shiny GPU rack. AMD is expected to keep doubling down on data centres, where EPYC, Instinct and rack-level systems all matter. The firm wants more than spare change from the AI boom.
The bigger fight is no longer just about raw GPU bragging rights. It is moving towards CPU, GPU and system-level integration, where packaging and memory bandwidth matter as much as logo size.
That puts TSMC, Powertech and the rest of the advanced packaging supply chain in a sweet spot. Everyone wants more silicon stitched together, preferably yesterday.
Zen 7 is several years out, Zen 6 is still waiting for its proper moment and roadmaps tend to wobble when reality starts charging rent. Still, if Grimlock lands on A14 with a bigger cache and new packaging, AMD will have plenty to shout about in the next data centre punch-up.
