AMD Showcases Next-Gen Zen 6 EPYC Verano CPUs With LPDDR5X Memory Support
At the 2026 Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit on October 12, AMD publicly showcased its next-generation EPYC Verano data center processors for the first time. Scheduled to launch in 2027, the upcoming server lineup will utilize the Zen 6 architecture. Notably, it marks the first EPYC product family to support LPDDR5X memory, leveraging SOCAMM2 modules to deliver host-side computing power for agentic artificial intelligence data centers.
Designed for AI Accelerator Host Nodes and LPDDR5X Efficiency
During her keynote address, AMD CEO Lisa Su described Verano as the company’s next strategic CPU milestone for the artificial intelligence era. Specifically, the processor targets AI accelerator host nodes and is engineered to pair seamlessly with future generations of AMD Instinct GPUs. Consequently, this architecture addresses the escalating host-side compute and memory demands generated by complex agentic AI workloads.
For its memory subsystem, Verano combines high-speed LPDDR5X memory with the modular SOCAMM2 form factor. According to AMD, SOCAMM2 serves as a replaceable, easily serviceable memory specification tailored specifically for enterprise server environments. Furthermore, it retains the low power consumption and high bandwidth advantages of LPDDR5X. AMD believes this modular approach will substantially improve performance-per-watt across AI data centers while providing greater flexibility for rack-scale system designs.
Conflicting Core Count Reports and High-Speed Interconnects
Regarding core configurations, industry reports currently present differing figures. ComputerBase reported that the Verano processors displayed at the OCP Summit feature configurations scaling up to 192 cores. However, because AMD’s previously released official documentation has not confirmed this core count, final specifications remain subject to future company announcements. Conversely, Tom’s Hardware previously reported that Verano configurations top out at 72 Zen 6 cores paired with a 24-channel LPDDR5X memory subsystem.
On the connectivity front, Verano delivers xGMI interconnect speeds of up to 112 Gbps to link directly with upcoming Instinct MI500 series GPUs. Nevertheless, AMD has yet to disclose the finalized core counts, interconnect specifications, and complete product lineup.
Server CPU Market Projected to Surpass $200 Billion by 2030
Looking ahead, Su projected during her presentation that the global server CPU market will exceed $200 billion by 2030. This trajectory represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 50% over the next several years. Ultimately, she attributed this rapid expansion directly to the proliferation of agentic AI workloads, noting that such applications will dramatically increase enterprise demand for server CPU computing resources.
